2014 Employee Health Benefits – Open Enrollment continues through Feb. 28

NSU health insurance annual enrollment for the 2014 plan year begins February 17 and ends on February 28.  NSU understands the importance of affordable and comprehensive health insurance to our faculty, staff and families and the President’s Office is pleased to announce that the university’s continued commitment to our families will be reflected in several areas of improved benefits and affordability of our health insurance plans.

ICUBA premiums increased this year by 3.6% and the law levied new taxes on the plan requiring another 1.2% in premium, for total of 4.8%.  With average premium increases of 9% in Florida, the ICUBA rate increase is very favorable.

Enrollment into the ICUBA plan satisfies the individual requirement to have health insurance.  The ICUBA plans are affordable and are equivalent to a “gold” plan offered in the public health insurance marketplace.  Therefore NSU employees are not eligible for a subsidy when purchasing a health plan through the marketplace. Our plans provide more wellness benefits and lower out-of-pocket costs than the marketplace plans, and after April 1, 2014, both plans will cover pre-existing conditions.  Individuals purchasing a plan on the marketplace will not receive premium and HRA contributions and cannot make premium contributions on a tax-favored basis.  We encourage everyone to take a look at the university health plans, and consider enrolling for the new plan year.

While we continue to offer two comprehensive health insurance plans, the Preferred PPO (formerly named PPO Risk and Reward) and PPO 70, the Preferred PPO is our most affordable plan and the plan where improved benefits and costs for families will be found.  Some of the changes and enhancements for the new plan year are:

• New name for the PPO Risk/Reward Plan – Preferred PPO Plan
• Enhanced maternity benefit for the Preferred PPO
• New low copay for 90-day retail prescription fill
• Free coverage of Essure – a permanent, non-surgical birth control procedure for women
• Free tobacco cessation benefit
• Additional Advantica Vision Plan

Another wonderful plan enhancement is the expansion of the Wellness Made Simple program that was conceived by NSU and piloted here at the NSU Employee Wellness Center.  The NSU Wellness Made Simple program waives co- insurance and copayments for ICUBA participants. The program was so successful that ICUBA and Florida Blue have expanded the program to all ICUBA participants statewide who use physicians participating in the Blue Physician Recognition™ program.

NSU will increase employer contributions for both plans by 4.8% and HRA contributions will remain the same as last year.  In the Preferred PPO (formerly named PPO Risk and Reward), NSU pays 84% of your monthly premium cost for Single Coverage.  Because of this, the increase in the employee contribution to premium will be limited to $3.50 a month.  For Employee and Spouse and Family Coverage in the Preferred PPO, NSU is increasing its contribution to 50% of the total premium cost.  As a result, employee premium increases will be limited to $11 a month for Employee and Spouse Coverage and $30.50 a month for Family Coverage.  In the higher cost PPO 70 plan, employee premium contributions will increase by $11 a month for Single Coverage and $54 a month for Family Coverage.  Please note:  Switching from PPO 70 plan to the Preferred PPO plan, employees will see monthly premium contribution reductions of between $155 and $462 a month and improved plan benefits and will receive an increase in NSU’s HRA contribution either of $25 (single coverage) or $50 (family) a month.

In total, the University will contribute $22 million towards employee health insurance and HRA contributions in the new plan year.  With the University’s increased monthly premium contributions, it is my hope that every NSU faculty and staff member who needs insurance for themselves and their families will enroll in one of our medical plans.

The Office of Human Resources will provide you with detailed information on enrollment meetings and health plan choices on the Benefits website.  Please email HR4U@nova.edu if you have questions or call 954-262-HR4U (4748) to speak with a human resources staff member.