Online Employee Benefits Open Enrollment Coming October 8

Open Enrollment for MCPS employee benefits will be held online this year from Monday, Oct. 8–Friday, Nov. 2, 2018, with changes effective January 1, 2019. Open Enrollment is your opportunity to review health plan options and make any necessary changes. It also is your chance to make your and your spouse’s 2018 tobacco-use attestation(s).

What to Expect

• If you are a benefits-eligible employee, you will receive Open Enrollment information and instructions in your MCPS Outlook email account on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018. The email will include a link to the Employee Self-Service (ESS) web page for accessing the online Benefits Enrollment System (BES) and making your tobacco-use attestation, the 2019 Employee Benefit Summary and the Open Enrollment memorandum.
• Enrolling in or making changes to your benefits and/or enrolling in a flexible spending account (FSA) for 2019 will be conducted online via the BES.
• Tobacco-use attestations also will be made online. If you will be covered by an MCPS-provided medical plan in 2019, during Open Enrollment you must attest to whether or not you and your covered spouse will be tobacco-free throughout 2018. If you do not attest for you and your covered spouse or attest to one or both of you NOT being tobacco-free throughout 2018, you will pay a 25 percent surcharge on the total cost of your health insurance in 2019.
• You will be able to view and print confirmation of your benefit changes from the BES. You will receive confirmation in your MCPS Outlook email account.
• Details regarding Open Enrollment and 2019 MCPS employee benefits will be available on the Open Enrollment web page beginning Friday, Oct. 5, 2018.

Benefit Changes for 2019

• MetLife will be the life insurance vendor for MCPS employees, effective January 1, 2019.

There are no changes to MCPS-offered medical, prescription, dental or vision plans for 2019.

Be Prepared for Open Enrollment

Take these simple steps to make sure you are ready for this year’s Employee Benefits Open Enrollment.

• Make sure you can access your MCPS Outlook email account. Need help? Visit myID or contact the Technical Help Desk.
• Check your MCPS employee Outlook email on October 5, 2018, for Open Enrollment information and instructions from the Employee and Retiree Service Center (ERSC).
• Stay in touch with ERSC for Open Enrollment news. Follow us on Twitter and visit us online.
• If you are covered by an MCPS-provided medical insurance plan with CareFirst or Kaiser Permanente, remember to complete a biometric health screening and your insurance provider’s online health risk assessment by October 5, 2018. If you do, you will save money on your health insurance in 2019. CareFirst members who complete their screening with their primary care physician or at a Minute Clinic must have their physician or Minute Clinic practitioner complete and sign a Health and Wellness Evaluation or Minute Clinic Health Screening A link to instructions is available on the Wellness Initiatives web page.