OPEN ENROLLMENT – APRIL 12 THROUGH MAY 17, 2024 for Active and Non Medicare Eligible Retirees

Leslie Guertin, Town Accountant

Michelle Noberini-White, Assistant Town Accountant

  Telephone    774-261-4060

Sarah Gruhin, Benefits Coordinator

Office of the Town Accountant

Town of West Boylston

140 Worcester St.

West Boylston, MA  01583

OPEN ENROLLMENT – APRIL 12 THROUGH MAY 17, 2024

OPEN ENROLLMENT IMPORTANT FACTS!!

BCBSMA Rates are increasing by 6.6% on all plans.  If you want to change plans, this is the only time you can do so outside of a “Qualifying Event”.  An enrollment form is required.

If you want to change to the HMO Blue Select plan, please remember that this is a Limited Network and all of you and your dependents PCPs MUST participate in the Select Plan.  To ensure your provider accepts the Select Plan, go to https://www.bluecrossma.org/ -> Find Care, and when asked for a Network, make sure you look at HMO Blue Select.

TASC will continue to manage the HRA (Health Reimbursement Account) for BCBSMA deductible payments exceeding the employee share.

Altus Dental Rates are increasing by 5%.  Altus Vision Rates are NOT CHANGING.

If you currently have two-person Dental but have young children approaching age 2 or 3, NOW is the time to add them to your plan by completing a new Altus enrollment form.

QUESTIONS – See instructions at the end of this memo!

Medical, Dental & Vision Health Plans

If you are currently enrolled in a plan, you do NOT need to complete a new enrollment form – even for Vision.  If you are joining a plan, need to add or delete a dependent, or want to CHANGE plans you will need to complete a new BCBSMA enrollment form (or Altus Dental / Vision form) and return it to the Town Accountant’s Office by 5/17/2024.  Remember – this is the time to add a child on the Dental or Vision plan who may only be age 2 or 3 and who was not previously enrolled.

PLEASE refer to the Town’s Employee Benefits website:  http://www.westboylston-ma.gov/employee-benefits.  A lot of information is stored there including a Video Link of an informational Zoom session we recorded in 2022 that gives you information on the BCBSMA plans and discusses the role of the HRA administered by TASC.  All the rate sheets are on this site as well as all the Plan Summaries for Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, and Voluntary benefits through Colonial.

You may also visit the following website for extensive information on the BCBSMA health insurance plans:   https://planinfo.bluecrossma.com/customblue/2024/miiatownofwestboylston

The Medical plans continue to have the same $1500 Individual / $3000 Family deductible. The Town subsidizes a portion of the deductible with a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) through TASC who will pay your provider after you have met the employee portion of the deductible as follows:

HMO Blue New England Plan – Individual $500/Family $1000

HMO Blue Select Plan – Individual $250/Family $500

PPO Blue Care Elect Plan – Individual $500/Family $1000 (double for out-of-network services)

BCBSMA processes the claim first, applies the deductible and then sends it on to TASC who will either “apply” it to your portion of the Deductible or pay your provider.  In order to track your claims, PLEASE create accounts with both BCBSMA and TASC – https://www.bluecrossma.org/ and https://uba.tasconline.com/login/.

Out-of-State Dependent Child Rider

This was introduced last year and if you have not taken advantage of it, now is the time.  This is a BCBSMA “pilot” program that provides full coverage for all dependent children who live outside of New England.  If you have children under the age of 26 who reside outside of New England, they can use “in-network” National Blue Cross Blue Shield providers for both emergency and routine treatment.  You do not need to join the PPO plan to provide this coverage to them. 

However, to be part of this program you MUST ENROLL!  There is no enrollment form, but you need to call 1-800-782-3675 to do so.

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REMINDER:  If you have either the Basic and/or the Voluntary Life Plan with Boston Mutual through the Town, this is a good time to confirm your beneficiary designation.  If you do not know who you named as your beneficiary, please feel free to call us at 774-261-4060 and speak to either Michelle Noberini-White or Sarah Gruhin.  It is very easy to complete a
“Change of Beneficiary” form.  This is also a good time to confirm your beneficiaries for your respective retirement plans as well.

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If you need to make ANY changes to your current benefits NOW (Open Enrollment) is the time to do it – no later than 5/17/2024.  Otherwise, you may only make changes for Qualifying Events during the year.  Remember to check the Employee Benefits website for information on all of our benefits.  http://www.westboylston-ma.gov/employee-benefits

Questions?:   (774) 261-4062 or benefits@westboylston-ma.gov