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VZ Annual Enrollment
Updated On: Sep 29, 2020

The 2021 Annual Open Enrollment Dates are as follows:

 

October 6, 2020 to October 15, 2020 – (these dates are for Active employees and Retirees)

This is your opportunity to review your benefits and make any changes to your benefits.

Retirees are urged to make any changes during the annual enrollment period; however they continue to have “Anytime Enrollment”. When a retiree makes a change outside of the Annual Enrollment period, the change is effective the first of the month following a 30 day period. So, under “Anytime Enrollment” a retiree could make a change up through November 30, 2020 to be effective January 1, 2021.

 

All other 2020 Elections and designations automatically carry over into 2021 Annual Enrollment, Members who want to stay with their plan without any changes don’t need to do anything.

If you have a Qualified Life Event between now and the end of the year, you will need to make changes on BenefitsConnections for both 2020 and 2021. Examples of a Qualified Status Change are adding a spouse if you get married, adding a child when there is a birth of a new baby etc.

 

Annual Enrollment Guides will be sent to employees and retirees during the week of beginning September 21st.          

 

Health Assessment Credit

Verizon has informed us that in order to receive the $100 Health Assessment Credit in 2021, employees will need to retake the Health Assessment. A communication was sent to employees advising that they could take the assessment beginning on 9/1/2020. Employees will also have the additional option to complete one wellness activity between 9/1/20-12/1/20 instead of the Health Assessment to earn the $100 premium reduction for 2021. 

 

Available activities:

·  Complete the Health Assessment

·  Complete a WebMD Coaching Session

·  Participate in a Volunteer Activity

·  Choose a Primary Care Physician

·  Complete a Biometric Screening

Completion by 12/1/20 ensures the credit is in place by the first paycheck of 2021.

Completions by 12/31/20 will receive full credit for 2021.

Completions in 2021 will receive a prorated credit.

 

Non- Tobacco User Credit - $600

·      If you are a non-tobacco user and are already receiving credit, no further action is needed.

·      If you are not receiving this credit and DO NOT use tobacco products, indicate your NON-TOBACCO status on BenefitsConnection to receive your $600 credit towards your annual medical contributions.

·      If you and your covered dependents DO USE tobacco products but have completed a tobacco cessation course within the last six months indicate your status on BenefitsConnections during Open Enrollment for the full credit.

·      If you have NOT yet completed a tobacco cessation course, you can earn the full Non-Tobacco Credit in 2021 if you and/or your covered dependents satisfy the reasonable alternative standard as follows:

1)      During Annual Enrollment, log on to BenefitsConnection and answer the Tobacco User Status question while completing your Annual Enrollment elections: - answer YES and intend to complete a tobacco cessation course before July 31, 2021.

 

2)      Before July 31, 2021, complete a tobacco cessation course such as Craving to Quit.  An employee can also focus on tobacco cessation with a WebMD coach, available through the Health Zone.

 

You MUST update your Tobacco User Status response by July 31, 2021 in order to receive the full Non-Tobacco credit. Any update made to your tobacco user status after July 31, 2021 will result in a prorated credit for the remainder of the year.

 

Retirees:

Your contributions depend on your retirement date, your net credited service date and the medical plan option you select.

For all retirees who retired after January 1, 1992, with a net credited service date before August 3, 2008:

The labor contracts provide for limits on the amount the Company will contribute toward retiree medical coverage. These limits are referred to as retiree medical caps.

In the 2020 plan year, the cost of coverage of each of the Medicare plan options is less than the applicable retiree medical caps.

 

For the 2021 plan year, the cost of coverage for the pre-Medicare MEP HCP plan option will again exceed the applicable retiree medical caps. The excess amount is less than it was for the 2020 plan year and also is less than the currently required premium for retirees with a retirement date on or after January 1, 2013, so it will not have any effect on the premium contributions those retiree pay. Retirees with a retirement date before January 1, 2013 will be required to pay the excess amount in the form of monthly premium contributions in order to enroll or remain enrolled in the pre-Medicare MEP HCP plan option.

 

As we did for the 2020 plan year, the Union and the Company agreed upon an optional pre-Medicare MEP HCP Alternative plan for the 2021 plan year, which requires no premium contributions.

 

The chart below provides an overview of the differences between the MEP HCP plan option and the MEP HCP Alternative Plan option for 2021.

 

Plan provision

 

2021 MEP HCP

2021 MEP HCP Alternative Plan

 

Deductible

Individual: Deductible is based on year of retirement

Individual: Equal to your MEP HCP deductible amount, plus an additional $180

Individual + 1 or more: Two-and-a-half times the individual deductible amount; an individual will never need to exceed his or her own individual amount

Generic prescription drug copay – retail (in-network)

Lower of $10.30 copay or discounted network price

Lower of $12.30 copay or discounted network price

Generic prescription drug copay – mail order

Lower of $20.60 copay or discounted network price

Lower of $24.60 copay or discounted network price

 

 

The chart below shows the monthly contribution amounts for 2021 as compared to 2020:

 

 

2020

MEP HCP

2021

MEP HCP

2020 and 2021

MEP HCP ALTERNATIVE PLAN

Coverage category

Retired before January 1, 2013

Retired on or after January 1, 2013

Retired before January 1, 2013

Retired on or after January 1, 2013

Retired before January 1, 2013

Retired on or after January 1, 2013

Retiree Only

$15.92

$39.33

$7.50

$39.33

$0.00

$39.33

Retiree + 1

$31.92

$67.42

$15.08

$67.42

$0.00

$67.42

Retiree + Family

$38.00

$67.42

$17.00

$67.42

$0.00

$67.42

Please refer to the Annual Enrollment Materials for more details.

 

In the 2021 plan year, the cost of coverage of the pre-Medicare EPO, Harvard Pilgrim and Aetna HMO (retiree =1 and retiree = family coverage levels only) plan options will exceed the applicable retiree medical caps, and this excess amount over the retiree medical caps is greater than the annual minimum contribution for all retirees.

 

Your current elections will automatically continue unless you make a change.

 

The billing process will remain unchanged from the process that is in place today for those who are already making contributions.

 

Anyone that is enrolled in a benefit that requires contributions will receive a bill.

 

Bills are mailed by the 15th of each month with a due date of the first of the following month.

 

For example, the bill for the contributions for January 2021 will be mailed/posted to the web by December 15, 2020 with a due date of January 1, 2021.

 

Retirees can elect to have contributions paid via ACH debit or pension deduction:

 

Because ACH direct debit is the fastest and easiest way for a retiree to pay for coverage, it is highlighted on each monthly invoice that is mailed home to encourage enrollment. The retiree can enroll in this option on the secure BenefitsConnection website by providing his/her routing and checking account number. The balance due would be debited out of their account on the first business day of the month. For example, January’s balance would be debited on 1/4/2021.

 

A retiree who is receiving a monthly pension also has the option to have his/her deductions taken from their pension check. A retiree would have to call the Benefit Center and speak with a representative to enroll in this option.

 

Life & Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance (AD&D)

 

Annual enrollment offers you the opportunity to make changes to your current life insurance coverage amounts and/or waive coverage. The rates for coverage are based on age ranges. As you and your spouse fall into a new age band your costs could increase. If you choose to continue your coverage, no further action is required.

 

Verify you beneficiary status to make sure it is accurate and up to date.


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