It's time to enroll for 2019 benefits

Between now and Nov. 7 is your opportunity to make changes to your health and life benefits for 2019. The university encourages you to take the time to review your current coverage and take advantage of the enrollment resources available to help you make smart benefits choices this year.

In line with previous years, there will be increases to your medical plan premiums for 2019.

Additionally, you will notice changes to your benefits for 2019, particularly to dental, vision, supplemental life, and accidental death and dismemberment coverage. To prepare, review the JHU Benefits website and take advantage of the enrollment resources available to help you choose your benefits.

Here is an overview of the changes for 2019:

• Medical plan premiums. Increases to your premiums will be about 4 percent.
• If you are waiving medical coverage and have completed a medical waiver form, you will be eligible for the annual waiver credit of $800 (if your salary is $40,000 or less) or $500 (if your salary is more than $40,000). You need to supply a new form only if you are waiving coverage for the first time.
• Enhanced dental plan options through Delta Dental. The Cigna and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield dental plans will be replaced this year with two new options, both administered by Delta Dental. These new plans let you choose the one that best fits your needs and include optional orthodontia benefits. The UnitedConcordia PLUS DHMO will remain for current participants only, through Dec. 31, 2019, at the new plan rates; coverage through this plan will terminate for the 2020 plan year.
• Enriched vision plan option through EyeMed. A new and enhanced vision plan administered by EyeMed will replace the voluntary UnitedHealthcare vision plan. Vision coverage will now be available as a core benefit offering, which will allow you to enroll through myChoices and pay for coverage with the convenience of pretax payroll deductions. The pretax feature is new for 2019.
• Expanded supplemental life and accidental death and dismemberment coverage. For 2019, the university will broaden its supplemental life and AD&D offering through Securian, allowing you more opportunities to ensure your financial security. You may now purchase additional coverage in full salary multiples from one to eight times your annual base salary, to a maximum benefit of $3,000,000 (basic and supplemental combined). If you currently have supplemental life and/or AD&D insurance and make no changes to your coverage for 2019, in some cases you may be automatically bumped to the next coverage level to align with the university's new benefit structure. For more details about these changes, see the article about making smart insurance choices.
• Health care FSA contribution increases. The health care FSA maximum employee contribution will increase to $2,650 for 2019. You must re-enroll in the health care FSA and the dependent care FSA each year. Up to $500 of unused health care FSA funds will roll over into the next plan year.
• Reminder about short-term disability coverage. There are no changes to short-term disability coverage for 2019. As a reminder, Annual Enrollment is your opportunity to enroll in the plan, which provides a benefit of 60 percent of your weekly base salary up to $2,500. This benefit was increased last year to provide greater coverage. Consider enrolling in this benefit to help protect your income if you need to be out of work due to an unforeseen illness or injury.

Even if you're not planning to make changes to your benefits this year, now is a great time to learn about the available resources and tools so that you can make smart benefits choices for your 2019 JHU benefits. Visit benefits.jhu.edu/mychoices to learn more.