Signing Up For Coverage

After you enroll for Coverage

WHEN COVERAGE BEGINS
Coverage for new options selected during the Open Enrollment will begin on January 1, 2008 as long as you have met all contractual and administrative requirements.

Your new premiums for your health benefit plan and spending account reductions begin December 14; other premiums begin December31(for semi-monthly pay periods). See specific plan descriptions for information about when your coverage begins.

If you are a new employee, complete your personalized paper Option Statement and other needed forms by your department's deadline, but no later than 30 days after your hire date. Your coverage will begin on the first day of the month after you have completed a full calendar month of employment.

CONFIRMING YOUR CHOICES
You will receive a Confirmation Statement. Check it to be sure your choices were correctly entered. The Confirmation Statement does not guarantee your coverage in some benefit coverages that require additional information. If you have not completed and submitted the additional forms/ information, required by your selected plan and have not been approved by the respective insurance companies, the choices shown on your Confirmation Statement for employee life, spouse life, child life insurance, and long-term disability insurance, long-term care, and State Health Benefit Plan PPO, Indemnity and HMO Options may not be valid.



Compare your paycheck statements with your Confirmation Statement. It is your responsibility to notify your personnel/payroll office if there is an error.


To Change Your Decisions at Annual Open Enrollment
Every Open Enrollment you can change your benefit decisions, based on which benefits are available and right for you. Remember, this is an annual agreement to allow the State to purchase some benefits for you through pre-tax premiums. You will not be able to change these benefit decisions until the next Open Enrollment unless you have a qualifying change in status as described in the Terms and Conditions. The Open Enrollment restrictions do not apply to Peach State Reserves. If eligible, you may enroll, change deferral amounts or discontinue deferrals at any time during the year.

Change Your Decisions Outside Annual Open Enrollment

Qualifying Change in Status Event
In general, the Internal Revenue Service prohibits you from changing any coverage elections, or enrolling in or canceling any coverage under the Flexible Benefits Program outside of Open Enrollment. However, the rules of the Internal Revenue Service, the Board of Community Health and the Employee Benefit Plan Council do permit you to change coverage or enroll or cancel coverage in certain limited circumstances if the change corresponds to a qualifying change in status event.

The Employee Benefit Plan Council and the Board of Community Health have the responsibility to interpret these rules and make the final decision as to whether you may enroll or change any coverage outside of the Open Enrollment period. Your request for enrollment or a change outside of the enrollment period will only be considered if you submit the proper documentation within the time frame allotted. To submit a request for enrollment or changes to coverage under the State Health Benefit Plan, you must submit a completed Membership or Discontinuation Form to your employer's Benefits Coordinator within 30 days of a qualifying event (unless another time period is specified). Your request for enrollment or a change in any other coverage under the Flexible Benefits Program must be submitted on the Change in Status Event Form and given to your employer's Benefits Coordinator within 30 days of a qualifying event (unless another time period is specified).

Submission of a request for enrollment or a change, or the occurrence of a qualifying event, does not guarantee that you will be able to enroll or change coverage outside the enrollment period. Please see your Benefits Coordinator if you have questions about when you may enroll or make changes outside the enrollment period. For a list of possible change in status events that might permit you to enroll or change one or more coverages under the Flexible Benefits Program, please refer to Terms and Conditions in the front of this booklet.

Any changes will go into effect the first of the month following the date when the payroll deduction is changed to reflect your new choice. However, when you change coverage based on the acquisition of dependents, the coverage effective date for the new coverage may be retroactive to the date of the acquisition of the dependent in some circumstances, or may be the first of the month following the request to change coverage.

If you have questions regarding a change in any of your coverages, first call your employer's Benefits Coordinator. If you need further information about eligibility for health coverage, call the State Health Benefit Plan at 404-656-6322 or 1-800-610-1863. For questions regarding other coverages, call the Flexible Benefits Program at 404-656-2730 or 1-888-968-0490.

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