Open Enrollment, the period when staff and faculty members have an opportunity to review their health plans and make choices regarding their 2009 benefits, begins on October 30 and continues through midnight on November 25.

Open enrollment packets will be mailed to staff and faculty members’ homes during the last week of October.

Three noontime presentations taking place on campus will offer open enrollment highlights for the coming year. The first is on Tuesday, October 21, in the McCune Conference Room, 6020 Humanities and Social Sciences Building. Others will be held on Tuesday, November 4, in 1001 Engineering Sciences Building, and on Thursday, November 13, in 3101DD Student Affairs/Administrative Services Building.

Other workshops include medical plan comparison sessions at noon on Monday, October 27, and Thursday, November 20; a Flexible Spending Account session on Thursday, October 30; and a CIGNA Choice Fund session on Wednesday, November 12. All will be held in 3101DD Student Affairs/Administratrive Services Buildng.

A free Benefits and Wellness Fair planned for November 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Corwin Pavilion will feature representatives from the UC health plans with UCSB Benefits Office staff on hand to answer question about medical, dental, and vision coverage and flexible spending accounts. Details can be found at <http://hr.ucsb.edu/wellness/fair>.

Very few changes have been made to medical, dental, and vision plans for 2009.Among the highlights of open enrollment are a new mail-order prescription drug vendor offered by Health Net beginning December 1, 2008; CONEXIS replacing SHPS as the new vendor for Flexible Spending Accounts in 2009; and $100 gift cards for employees and $50 gift cards for spouse/domestic partners who complete the StayWell Health Management Program’s Health Assessment. In addition, ARAG legal plan will be open only to current participants.

Additional information and details about Open Enrollment are available at <http://atyourservice.ucop.edu>.