Start next year off right by taking steps to be healthy and stay healthy. Open enrollment is here and runs through Oct. 31.
Open enrollment is the one time each year when you can enroll in or make changes to your health, dental or vision coverage unless you have an IRS permitted election change. And it’s also your one chance each year to apply for LTD coverage if you aren’t enrolled.
Now’s the time to act
If you’re eligible for Publix’s benefits, you should have received your open enrollment materials at your work location by the end of September. These materials provide a summary of the changes effective Jan. 1, 2015, and important information and dates for you to remember.
Whether you recently became eligible or have been enrolled in coverage for years, it’s always a good idea to review your open enrollment materials. Open enrollment ends Oct. 31, so secure the coverage you need for 2015 today.
As part of the online open enrollment process for 2015, you must log in to PASSport to confirm or choose your benefits, even if you have no changes. If you do not have any changes to your current dental, vision or supplemental life insurance coverage elections, you do not need to contact Publix Personal Plans.
Here are some reasons why you should consider taking advantage of the benefit plans offered to you by Publix.
Reason #1 Keep yourself healthy
Reason #2 Protect your pay
Reason #3 Show off your smile
Reason #4 Clear things up
Reason #5 Help your family feel secure
Reason #1: Keep yourself healthy
At Publix, we want you to be healthy and stay healthy. That’s why we offer eligible full- and part-time associates affordable, gold-level, comprehensive health coverage through our BCBS PPO Plan.
This plan makes it easy for you to be proactive with your health. Office visits for preventive care are free when you see a BCBS-network family doctor, gynecologist or pediatrician. Most preventive care screenings performed as part of these visits also are free.
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Reason #2: Protect your pay
A disabling injury occurs every second. Prepare for the unexpected by letting Publix’s Long Term Disability (LTD) Plan go to work for you. Publix offers eligible full-time associates the LTD plan as insurance for their pay. The LTD plan may replace up to 66 ⅔ percent of your covered monthly wages when you’re out of work for longer than 90 days due to an approved illness or injury.
Current enrollees will be glad to hear the LTD rate is not increasing. Your premium is based on your covered monthly wages over the past year, so visit PASSport to view your 2015 premium.
Source: The Hartford Long Term Disability August 2013 Fact Sheet
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Reason #3: Show off your smile
Give yourself something to smile about. Consider enrolling in the Publix Group Dental Plan with benefits for you and your family at an affordable cost. Coverage includes free teeth cleanings every six months and free bitewing X-rays annually. And since the premiums for dental coverage are not increasing for 2015, you’ll be grinning from ear to ear.
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Reason #4: Clear things up
When your vision is clear, you feel and perform better. The vision plan provides annual eye exams as well as benefits for contacts or frames and lenses at an affordable cost for you and your family. Wait, there’s more good news — premiums for vision coverage are not increasing for 2015.
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Reason #5: Help your family feel secure
Protect your family in the event of your death. The Supplemental Life Insurance Plan offers term-life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage to you and your family. The rates for this important coverage also are not increasing for 2015; however, your premium will change if your coverage amount, age bracket or tobacco-use status changes.
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The group benefits stories in Publix News are published to assist associates in understanding Publix’s benefits plans. The information is in summary form only and does not replace the provisions in the benefit plan documents. If there is any conflict between the content of Publix News and the plans themselves, the terms of the plans will be the final authority.
