Open Enrollment for Health Insurance will begin Monday, November 2. We suggest you review your current medical coverage to make sure it meets your needs.
Open Enrollment Details
Open Enrollment will be held November 2–13. Enrollment is available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Go to CPS.edu/RemoteAccess for instructions on how to access the self-help portal from home. The hours for Customer Service for any questions will be 7am–6pm daily, except for Election Day. You can still register on Election Day but the Customer Service center will not be open. Appeals for any errors that may occur during Open Enrollment will be November 17–30. Due to COVID, the in-person Benefit Fair will not be held. Instead, CPS will arrange for vendors to be available online to explain and guide you through insurance options, including dental and vision choices.
You will need to enroll through PeopleSoft at CPS.edu/RemoteAccess. CPS has sent step-by-step instructions in their communication. All terms and costs for the three insurance option remain the same.
New Benefits for 2021
- EAP – Employee Assistant Program increased from 3 free visits to 5.
- Natural Slim Program will now be offered to all programs. Prior to this year it was only offered to PPO.
- There will be a new vendor for additional optional Life Insurance and Long term Disability Insurance.
- There are new affordable insurance options being offered for 2021. Both policies are portable.
Accident Insurance
- Coverage is available for employee, spouse and dependents.
- Payments go to you or a covered family member directly, not medical providers.
- Can help with whatever cost you decide — like deductibles, copays or other expenses.
- Covers a wide range of treatments due to an accident.
- Pays an extra 25% of total benefits for injuries during youth or organized sports.
Critical Illness Insurance
- Helps with out-of-pocket costs from a covered illness.
- Pays you or a covered member, not medical providers.
- Can help with whatever costs you decide-like groceries, child care or other expenses.
- Covers a variety of illnesses, including heart attack, cancer or stroke.
- Policy covers the employee and eligible children only.
- Spouse coverage is available for an additional cost.
FSA Flexible Spending Account
- Employees already enrolled in FSA plan can roll over up to $550 into 2021,provided you elect FSA for 22021.
- Enrollment is not automatic, you must re-enroll each year.
- The rollover does not affect the following years IRS maximums.
Information from CPS
Open enrollment is an opportunity to take advantage of all the benefits available to you including:
- Medical – BCBSIL
- CVS Caremark Pharmacy (no enrollment required)
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – Magellan (no enrollment required)
- Health Savings Account – HSA Bank
- Delta Dental HMO | Delta Dental PPO
- Vision – EyeMed
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA) – Benefitexpress
- Additional Life and AD&D Insurance – The Standard
- Voluntary Long-Term Disability – The Standard
- *New* Accident Insurance – The Standard
- You can schedule one-on-one time to discuss your personal questions with a benefits counselor from The Standard. Simply schedule a time that’s convenient for you here.
- *New* Critical Illness Insurance – The Standard
- You can schedule one-on-one time to discuss your personal questions with a benefits counselor from The Standard. Simply schedule a time that’s convenient for you here.
Here are a few examples of things to consider as you re-evaluate your coverage.
- Does your medical and dental coverage meet your current health needs and wellness goals? If not, you might want to consider other plan options.
- Have you or one of your dependents been squinting to read text near or far? Be sure you’re taking full advantage of your vision coverage to pay for glasses and contact lenses.
- Do you have a plan to protect your family’s financial future?
- Need to save money? Have you thought about enrolling in an FSA or HSA?
Review this checklist to learn more about your options and make the right decisions for you and your family.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for Health Care or Dependent Care
- Save money by having pre-tax funds loaded on a debit card and ready for use on January 1, 2021. You contribute a small amount per paycheck until the annual pledge is met.
- No more scrambling to exhaust your Health Care FSA funds by year’s end. Up to $550 can be rolled over to the following year, provided you re-enroll in the plan.
- Health Care FSA can be used to pay for items such as bandages and first aid kits, breast pumps and supplies, and glasses and contact lenses. It can also be used to pay deductibles, co-payments, and prescription drugs.
- Dependent (Day) Care FSA can be used to pay for child or adult care programs, after-school care, and summer day camps.
- You must re-enroll every year during Open Enrollment.
- Eligible expenses are regulated by the IRS. More information can be found in IRS Publication 502 or contact Benefit Express at 877-837-5017.
Health Savings Account (HSA)
- An HSA permits you to save money specifically to pay for health care expenses. You own and control the money in your HSA.
- CPS will contribute up to $2,000 to your HSA depending on your plan choice.
- The HSA is paired with the BlueCross BlueShield PPO with HSA plan. Review the attached chart to learn more about this plan.
- Click here to learn how to manage your account with HSA Bank. Fees may be charged by HSA Bank for the maintenance of your account. Contact HSA Bank for more information.
Who’s Covered?
- Change, add or remove who is covered under your plan including self, spouse, civil union partner, domestic partner, and dependents.
Update your information
- Including home address and phone number if you have moved in the last 12 months.
Select Payroll Services
- We will soon be preparing annual W-2 forms and 1095-C forms for all employees. If you have not already done so, we encourage you to consent to receive your W-2 and 1095-C electronically at cps.edu/HR4U and enjoy the benefits of electronic delivery.
Even if you think nothing has changed, we encourage you to review your benefit elections anyway. You may find that important information, such as your dependents’ social security numbers, are missing or incorrect. Federal law requires us to request this information and report back on compliance. Review your current benefits summary. < Connect to the CPS Network
Raise Your Benefits I.Q.
Have questions? We’ve got answers.
Check out one of our virtual Health and Benefits Fairs. You can speak with plan advisors, get educational information, and other resources.
To register, go to OE 2021 Virtual Benefits Fair Registration.
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 1:00pm–6:00pm
| 1:00–3:00 | BCBS, Magellan, HSA Bank |
|---|---|
| 3:00–3:30 | Caremark |
| 3:30–4:00 | Delta Dental |
| 4:00–4:30 | EyeMed |
| 4:30–5:00 | Benefit Express |
| 5:00–6:00 | The Standard |
Friday, Nov. 6, 3:00pm–5:00pm
| 3:00–3:30 | Fifth Third Bank |
|---|---|
| 3:30–4:15 | United Healthcare |
| 4:15–5:00 | Chicago Municipal Employee Credit Union (CMECU) |
For more information on Open Enrollment visit CPS.edu/HR4U or call 773-553-HR4U (4748).
