Benefits enrollment begins July 6

The Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) summer enrollment period is July 6-31. During summer enrollment, you can enroll in or change your insurance coverage for Plan Year 2010. Human Resource Services (HRS) is ready to help. If you have questions or need help making changes to your benefits you can contact HRS, visit ERS Online or attend an enrollment session on campus next month. Remember, if you don’t need to make changes, you don’t have to do anything—current benefit selections will roll over to the new plan.

HRS benefits representatives:
The Human Resource Benefits Representatives will be available to assist you with your insurance changes and answer any questions you may have:
Angelina Shelby at ext. 2693
Stella Fair at ext. 2696
Victoria Zamora at ext. 2636

Make changes online:
Remember that during Summer Enrollment, you can make benefits changes without leaving your office by using ERS-Online. To access ERS Online:

1. Sign in to the ERS website at www.ers.state.tx.us and click on ERS Online.
2. Type in your User ID and your password.
   a. NOTE: You will now need to register with ERS Online to access your benefits information and to make your benefits changes via ERS Online. To register, click on the “Register” button to create your user ID and password.
3. Click on the Benefits Enrollment link and enter your changes.

Enrollment sessions:
The Benefits Representatives also will be available to assist you at enrollment sessions held during the Summer Enrollment period. The dates, times and locations are listed below:

Thursday, July 9, 2009	10 am – noon	Patient Care Center – Room 173
Monday, July 13, 2009	2 – 4 pm	SPH Computer Lab – EAD 703
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 - Spanish interpreter available	4 – 6 pm	HRS Training Room – EAD 291

Evidence of insurability:
Some benefits changes require evidence of insurability (EOI).
These benefits changes can be made without EOI:

• Waive health insurance
• Add dependents to your health and dental plans
• Drop dependents from your health and dental plans
• Enroll/drop or change dental plans
• Waive or reduce optional life and accidental death & dismemberment insurance (AD&D)
• Enroll/re-enroll in TexFlex
• Apply/re-apply for TexFlex Convenience Card
• Re-Enroll in the SKIP Program
• Select a primary care physician via ERS on-line

These benefit changes will require EOI:

• Enroll in medical insurance from a waived status
• Enroll in/increase optional life insurance
• Enroll in short and long term disability
• Enroll dependents in dependent life insurance
• Enroll in Long Term Care

You can send in your EOI forms right away. EOI forms must be postmarked no later than July 31. Contact HRS for an EOI form.

Opt-out plan:
If you have health insurance that is either comparable to or better than the State-provided health insurance, you can waive the State medical insurance and choose the Health-Select Opt-Out Plan to receive a credit of $60 if you are a full-time employee or $30 if you are a part-time employee to apply toward the purchase of dental and/or Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage (AD&D).