Annual Enrollment

• Monthly premiums: Premium amounts vary depending on plan type and coverage level.
  • Medical plans: Increases ranging from $3-$34 a month.
  • Dental plans: Increases ranging from $0.33-$10.62 a month.
• Prescription-related changes: Increases across Custom Network and PPO Plans.
  • Prescription out-of-pocket maximum increases to $5,450/self and $10,900/family.
  • Minimum dollar threshold for prescription retail maintenance medications increases $5−$20 depending on prescription type*.
• Annual contribution limits: IRS-approved increases for tax-favored accounts.
  • Health Savings Account: Increase to $4,300/individual and $8,550/family. 
  • Health Care Flexible Spending Account: Increase to $3,200.

*Maintenance prescription drugs are those taken on a regular basis to treat long-term conditions. Refer to Summary Benefits and Coverage info for details.
 

Review plan information

Review your current benefit plan elections in myHR, including enrolled dependents and designated beneficiaries. Visit the webpage for each plan to see detailed information about coverage available across a range of health programs (medical, dental, vision), disability and life insurances and tax-favored accounts (HSA and FSA).

Attend an Informational Meeting

Attend an Annual Enrollment virtual meeting in your location to get information about your benefits options. View the full schedule on the Annual Enrollment informational meetings to find the session that works best for you.

Reach out to your HR Generalist

You can book a one-on-one appointment with your campus HR Generalist to get personalized assistance for all your insurance and enrollment questions.

For additional assistance, contact the HR Service Center by:

• Logging into the AskHR portal.
• Via phone at (573) 882-2146 or toll-free (800) 488-5288.
• Via email at hrservicecenter@umsystem.edu.

Once you have decided which insurance plans are best for you, enroll by logging into myHR (myhr.umsystem.edu) ("My Benefits" tile > "Benefits Enrollment"). For more detailed instructions and tutorials for using myHR, visit the researching insurance options webpage or myHR Training webpage.

You are not done with your enrollment until you click both the “Submit Enrollment” button as well as the “Done” button on the pop-up screen. An email confirmation will be sent to your university email account so you know your submission was received. 

A few reminders

• FSA continuation: If you would like to contribute to a Health Care or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA), you must re-enroll each year.
• 2024 FSA to 2025 HSA: If you are switching from an FSA to a Health Savings Account (HSA), your 2024 FSA must have a zero balance by December 31, 2024. If not, contributions to your HSA will be delayed until April 1, 2025.
• Confirm address in myHR: Make sure your contact information is up to date in myHR (myHR.umsystem.edu).

Watch the mail for important documents

• New ID cards: Make sure you show your provider your new card(s) at the time of service; benefits are effective even if you have not received your cards yet.
  • Medical/Prescription: For 2025 coverage, you will receive a new single card for medical and prescription coverage if you are newly enrolled or have changed plans.
    • Note: If you have elected paperless communications from UHC, you will receive a digital insurance card in lieu of a physical card. Physical cards can be mailed by request without changing your paperless preferences.
  • Dental: You will receive an ID card (in the subscriber’s name) only if you are newly enrolled.
  • Vision: No card is issued.
• HSA paperwork: If you are newly enrolled in the Healthy Savings Plan and chose to open a Health Savings Account, Optum Bank will send a welcome packet to your home address. In some cases, you may be required to submit additional information to establish your HSA.

Make the most of your health insurance

Preventive services let you take charge of your health and stop problems before they start. If you enroll in medical insurance, in-network preventive care is covered at 100%. Preventive care includes annual physical exams, immunizations and well-child care unrelated to a medical diagnosis. A list of what is considered preventive under Health Care Reform/ACA is available on healthcare.gov or UHC's preventive care website.

With vision insurance, annual eye exams are offered with a small copay. Generally speaking, if you are enrolling in the dental plan, routine oral exams are covered completely, but it is always a good idea to check with your provider. Contact information for all insurance administrators is available on the Plan Contacts webpage.

Choose the right type of care

Making an informed decision about your health care needs can save you time and money, but when you are ill or injured, assessing your condition and choosing the best place to go for treatment is not easy. You have many care options, but each is unique in the services it provides. Check out UHC's Where to go for Care flyer (PDF) for additional information.

Virtual visits

UnitedHealthcare virtual visits, also referred to as virtual care services, let you see and talk to a doctor by phone or video from your mobile device or computer without an appointment, any time. Virtual visits are a great option for when your doctor is not available, if you get sick while traveling or if you are considering visiting a hospital emergency room for a non-emergency health condition. Visit the Virtual Visits webpage for additional information.

The UM System offers benefits that extend well beyond your insurance options and focus on helping you further your education and support the personal health and well-being for you, your family, your friends and your community.

Tuition Assistance

If you meet educational assistance eligibility requirements, 75% of tuition and supplemental fees can be waived for college-level credit courses up to the allotted course limit (per semester). After you have one year of continuous full-time service in a fully benefit-eligible position, your spouse and/or dependent may also be eligible to receive a 50% tuition reduction for UM System college-level credit courses up to the allotted limit. Visit the Tuition Assistance webpage to learn more.

You must submit an enrollment form every semester that you want assistance by the required deadline:

• Fall semester- October 1
• Spring semester- March 1
• Summer semester- July 1

If you are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, consult your campus veteran services office to learn more about special programs and tuition benefits available only to veterans.

Employee Assistance Program

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP), provided by Optum’s Live and Work Well program, offers emotional wellbeing solutions for employees (faculty and staff) and their household members such as:  

• Unlimited telephonic access to master’s-level clinicians (24/7) 
• Three (3) free counseling sessions per presenting issue  
• An online platform offering self-directed access to tools and resources to support emotional wellness.

Visit the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) webpage to learn more.

Flu Shots and Health Screenings

On-campus flu shot clinics are available for faculty, staff and dependents (children 7 years and older accompanied by parent/guardian) enrolled in a university medical insurance plan. Appointments are required and can be made through the scheduling portal. Visit the Flu shots and health screenings webpage for additional information.

If you are enrolled in a university medical insurance plan, you may also obtain a free flu vaccine at an in-network pharmacy or medical provider. Consult UHC’s list (PDF). Please note, MU Health Care employees will receive a free vaccination from their Staff Health office.

To get ready for Annual Enrollment:

• Update your mailing address to ensure you receive timely communications.
  • Please review and update your home and mailing addresses in myHR.
    • See the myHR Training webpage to view the Retiree Training Guide for instructions on making updates in myHR.
  • If necessary, contact the HR Service Center to request a form to update your address.
• Review the retiree benefits overview.
• Attend an informational session to learn about benefits plans and changes for 2025 (full schedule below).
• Find a provider among a full list of plan contacts.

If you have not received your personalized Annual Enrollment letter by October 9, 2024, contact the HR Service Center.

• Medical insurance sample letter (PDF)
• No medical insurance sample letter (PDF)

Learn about UM-sponsored plans

• UM-sponsored UnitedHealthcare® Group Medicare Advantage Base (13796) and Enhanced (13797) Plans
  • View the most current plan benefit information on the UnitedHealthcare coverage for UM System Retirees website.
• Retiree Health PPO Plan and Retiree Healthy Savings Plan
  • View the most current plan benefit information on the Retiree benefits overview webpage.

Have questions?

Contact the HR Service Center.

For questions about the Medicare Advantage Base Plan or Enhanced Plan, call the UnitedHealthcare call center at 1-866-899-5903, TTY 711. The call center is available from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. all time zones, Monday – Friday. 

Online and call-in sessions

The UnitedHealthcare Information Sessions provide a general overview of all retiree medical plan changes in 2025 for both non-Medicare and Medicare-eligible members. All retirees and their dependents enrolled in a medical plan are invited to participate, regardless of Medicare status. All session times will have the same presentation and no registration is required. 

Due to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) changes, Medicare eligible retirees and dependents are encouraged to attend an informational session to learn more about the 2025 changes and how they impact the cost of the Medicare Advantage plans. 

Specific questions regarding retiree benefit premiums and non-medical plans (dental, vision and life) will not be addressed in the UnitedHealthcare informational sessions.  These individual questions should be referred to the HR Service Center for assistance.

Retiree Health Benefits Virtual Town Hall

Oct. 9, 2024, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
See detailed event page for speaker and access information

This event is hosted in cooperation with the four UM System campus retiree associations and focuses on health insurance benefits for retirees during the 2025 calendar year. UM System benefits experts and representatives from UnitedHealthcare will provide an overview of the upcoming changes to dental, Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription insurance plans for 2025.

Make changes during Annual Enrollment

Annual Enrollment for retirees ends November 1, 2024.

To change medical or dental plans and/or change, cancel or add the vision plan for yourself and your dependents, complete the 2025 Annual Enrollment Retiree Benefits Change Form. Additionally, use this form to make changes to all retiree benefit plan options with an effective date of January 1, 2025. If coverage is reduced or cancelled, it cannot be reinstated at a later date.

• 2025 Annual Enrollment Retiree Benefits Change Form (PDF, 1MB)

Make changes outside Annual Enrollment

To reduce or cancel coverage in all plans, except vision, complete a Retiree Benefits Change Form. Please note, if coverage is reduced or cancelled, it cannot be reinstated at a later date. Vision insurance may only be changed (elected, reduced or canceled) during Annual Enrollment.

• Retiree Benefits Change Form (coming soon)