To All Eligible Active Employees:
Our annual Benefits Open Enrollment period is your opportunity to review your benefits and make selections for the year ahead. This year’s Open Enrollment period will be from May 1st through May 25th.
As the new plan year approaches, you and your family should take the time to assess your health care needs and make any necessary adjustments. Our goal is to help you understand the plan offerings available to you and to ensure that you make sound decisions for you and your family.
FCPS and the Insurance Council continually strives to provide you with a comprehensive and flexible benefits program, while keeping costs manageable for both you and FCPS. Each year we review our plans, insurance providers and the value they provide, as well as any regulatory or legislative changes and their impact on our plans. Effective July 1, 2018, we are pleased to announce that your medical and vision coverage will now be administered by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. As of July 1, 2018 United HealthCare will no longer be the administrator and PPO Network for the FCPS Plan. Claims incurred through June 30, 2018 are to be submitted to UHC for processing. Claims incurred beginning July 1, 2018 are to be submitted to CareFirst. New cards will be issued mid to late June after Open Enrollment.
The Medical PPO plan design is NOT changing. However, there will be enhancements to the Vision plan design. The CareFirst Provider Network is very similar to the United Health Care Network so we anticipate minimal disruption. If you would like to see if your current provider is in the CareFirst Network, go to www.carefirst.com, click on find a doctor and continue as guest. When using the provider search tool, the plan type selected should be BlueChoice Advantage. You can also search for providers by downloading CareFirst’s free app to your Apple® or Android® mobile device.
If you or your covered dependent(s) have an unstable or serious medical condition that requires a limited course of treatment or follow-up care, and are currently being treated by a specialist who is NOT a CareFirst and/or CareFirst BlueChoice participating provider, you should complete this form (active employee group number is 1902842-MD10). Some examples of medical conditions that may qualify for the Transition of Care program include:
CareFirst and FCPS will hold a formal information session on Monday, April 30th 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm at Frederick High School – Auditorium. The information shared will provide you details on transition to the new administrator and CareFirst products. Register here for the CareFirst Information session.
In light of these changes, making an informed choice during Open Enrollment is particularly important. The Employee Benefits team will work diligently to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. We encourage you to read the open enrollment materials that will be sent out in the coming weeks. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Benefits Team at 301-644-5080 (main phone) or email Benefits.Office@fcps.org for assistance.
Sincerely,
FCPS HR Benefits Team