Online Employee Benefits Open Enrollment Coming October 7

Open Enrollment for MCPS employee benefits will be held online from Monday, Oct. 7–Friday, Nov. 1, 2019, with changes effective January 1, 2020. Open Enrollment is your opportunity to review your health plan options and make any necessary changes. It also is your chance to make your and your spouse’s 2019 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. 4, 2019. The email will include a link to the Employee Self-Service (ESS) webpage for accessing the online Benefits Enrollment System (BES) and making your tobacco-use attestation, the 2020 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 2020 will be conducted online via the BES.
• You also will make your tobacco-use attestation online. If you will be covered by an MCPS-provided medical plan in 2020, during Open Enrollment you must attest to whether or not you and your covered spouse will be tobacco-free throughout 2019. If you do not attest for you and your covered spouse or attest to one or both of you NOT being tobacco-free throughout 2019, you will pay a 25 percent surcharge on the total cost of your health insurance in 2020.
• 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 2020 MCPS employee benefits will be available on the Open Enrollment web page beginning Friday, Oct. 4, 2019.

Benefits Plan Change

In mid-2019, a change to dental and vision plans extended the length of coverage for dependents. Dependents now remain eligible for MCPS-provided dental and vision insurance coverage until the end of the month in which they reach age 24.

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 4, 2019, 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 4, 2019. If you do, you will save money on your health insurance in 2020. 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 webpage.