WVU Employee Benefits Open Enrollment begins April 2, which is the only time employees can make changes to some benefits without a qualifying life event.
The following simple steps have been provided to help you confidently select the benefit options that work best for you once Open Enrollment begins:
Review your current benefit elections. This is a great time to review your current benefit enrollments. The easiest way to view your benefits is by reviewing benefit deductions on your pay statement and referencing the Benefits On Your Pay Statement chart.
Check your benefit portal login credentials. WVU employees make most Open Enrollment benefit changes in two benefit administrator portals: The Public Employees Insurance Agency Manage My Benefits portal for health and life insurance and the Mountaineer Flexible Benefits portal for dental, vision and many other coverages. Save time during Open Enrollment by checking your login credentials now or registering if you have not accessed these portals before. You may have different credentials for each portal.
Ensure your information is up-to-date. The information PEIA has on file for you and your dependents can affect your premiums and coverage. Take time now to confirm that your information is correct in PEIA’s portal.
Spousal Coverage — If you are enrolled in family health coverage, PEIA is required by WV law to apply a monthly spousal surcharge to your premium if your spouse is offered health coverage other than PEIA through their employer and has elected PEIA instead. If your spouse’s coverage offering has changed, you must report the change by updating your Spousal Surcharge Affidavit.
Tobacco status — A tobacco-free premium discount is offered to policyholders who verify through a tobacco affidavit that they and any enrolled dependents have been tobacco-free for six months. If your or any dependent’s tobacco status has changed, you must update your status in the PEIA Manage My Benefits portal.
Coordination of Benefits — Coordination of benefits is a practice insurance companies use to avoid double or duplicate payments or coverage of service when a person is covered by more than one insurance policy. UMR — PEIA’s third-party administrator — requires all employee policyholders that cover dependents to verify other coverage every plan year by logging into UMR.com to create an account, or access an existing account, or by calling 1-888-440-7342.
Consider your unique situation. Perhaps you have a medical procedure planned for the fall, or you may want to add or drop a dependent to your coverage without a qualifying life event. Considering your plans and circumstances for the upcoming year now can help you select the best options for your unique situation during Open Enrollment.
Be on the lookout for additional information about plan options and changes as we approach Open Enrollment beginning April 2.
For questions, contact Shared Services at SharedServices@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-6006.