Legal Plan to Enroll New UCSB Members

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2004, UC has selected the ARAG Group to provide the group legal program for employees, annuitants, and their eligible family members.

ARAG will administer the UC's group legal plan at the current level of benefits with possible minor changes for the 2004 contract year, announced the Office of the President.

Eligible employees and annuitants may enroll in the legal plan during next month's open enrollment. UC will publish more information, including eligibility details, 2004 rates, and benefit changes (if any) in the next week or so, estimated UCSB Human Resources officials.

Information on the legal plan will be included in the open enrollment materials, on the HR/Benefits Web site, and in future editions of HR/Benefits Review (UC's employee newsletter) and New Dimensions (UC's annuitant newsletter).

The ARAG Group has 30 years of experience in providing group legal plan benefits. The company was established in 1973 as Mid-West Legal Services in Des Moines, Iowa. In 1989, German-based Allegemeine Rechtsschultz-Versicherungs AG (ARAG), the world's leading provider of legal expense insurance, purchased them.

The selection of the ARAG Group concluded a six-month competitive bid process.

Proposals submitted by the bidders were evaluated on their ability to offer affordable legal benefits, stable competitive rates, enhanced attorney networks, convenient access to quality legal services, and high performance standards. Administrative, systems, and other account servicing capabilities were also considered in the evaluations.