Enroll in your 2019 benefits starting October 29

Open Enrollment for your 2019 benefits kicks off on October 29 and runs until November 20.

This is your chance to review your current benefits and explore others that are available to you from Partners HealthCare. It’s a good idea to think about any life changes you’ve experienced since your last enrollment period and how they might affect your benefit needs in 2019. Have you started a family? Did one of your children start college? Are you thinking about retiring in the near future? Also, look back at the past year and how much you’ve used your health care benefit. Does it warrant a change in plans for next year?

These are all key questions you should ask in preparation for 2019, says Matt Badger, Vice President of Total Rewards and Human Resources Customer Experience. Employees should take action in four key areas during this year’s Open Enrollment:

• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Update key benefits information

“Everyone is so busy these days, it’s easy to go on ‘auto pilot’ and assume there’s no need to make a change during Open Enrollment. Every chance I get, I encourage employees to take some time — even if it’s just 10 minutes — to review their benefits for 2019,” Badger says. “This year we ask employees to pay particular attention to the changes to our health plans and consider the new life insurances options. In addition, we hope everyone reviews and updates beneficiary designations for Partners-sponsored benefit plans.”

Where to begin

In June, we started to share information about the change in health plan administrators. AllWays Health Partners will provide customer service, claims processing, and a national provider network for our health plans starting on January 1.

“Partners HealthCare designs the health benefits we provide to employees, and with the exception of some co-pays that are decreasing, the Partners Select and Partners Plus plans will remain the same in 2019. However, AllWays Health Partners will replace Blue Cross Blue Shield as the administrator the plans,” Badger said.

Here’s what you need to know about each of the four key areas of open enrollment:

• Review your 2019 health plan options. You’ll still have two health plan options: Partners Plus and Partners Select.
• Explore Supplemental Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage. MetLife is offering new life insurance options to Partners HealthCare employees, in most cases without proof of good health during this Open Enrollment period only. The coverage can help protect your spouse and children if the unthinkable happens.
• Check into Flexible Spending Accounts. Partners HealthCare offers both Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts. These accounts help employees pay for qualifying health care or dependent care expenses using pre-tax dollars. The tax-free accounts can save you hundreds of dollars annually, but you must enroll each year.
• Examine additional benefits, such as dental, vision, disability and retirement. Partners offers a wide range of other employee benefits. New this year: employees can use Davis Vision benefits to buy eyeglass frames or contact lenses online.

Learn more

Partners HealthCare and AllWays Health Partners will host dozens of informational events at various locations during the Open Enrollment period. Ask myHR will have a full list of events at your affiliate posted on the homepage after October 22. For more information, contact the HR Support Center at 1-833-Ask-MyHR (1-833-275-6947).