1. What is Annual Enrollment?

Annual Enrollment is the time each year when all benefit eligible employee can enroll in benefit coverage or make changes to current benefit elections for the coming year.

2. What are the Annual Enrollment dates this year?

The Annual Enrollment dates are November 1 and 30, 2012.

3. Will I receive information at my home?

You will receive an Annual Enrollment Announcement letter.  You will not receive printed Benefit Reference Guides or confirmation forms.   You will be able to access information about UC’s benefits plans online at the Annual Enrollment website.

3. How will my benefits change for 2013?

Refer to your Annual Enrollment website to read about this year’s changes.

2013 employee contributions for medical and dental coverage can be found online. 

Please review the materials carefully and go over them with your covered family members.

4. How do I enroll?

You will make your benefit selections online through Employee Self Service (ESS) at http://www.ucflex.uc.edu.  You can complete your enrollment from a computer kiosk in the Human Resources Welcome Center (in University Hall), in any computer lab on campus, or from home with an internet connection. 

5. What is the first step in the enrollment process?

The recommended first step is to review your CURRENT benefit elections by accessing your current CONFIRMATION FORM.  You should also carefully review your covered dependents for each plan. 

Follow these steps (after logging into ESS):

• Click on BENEFITS and PAYMENT.
• Click on PARTICIPATION OVERVIEW.
• Scroll to the BOTTOM of the screen and click on Print CONFIRMATION FORM ALL PLANS.  CAREFULLY review current elections and covered dependents.
• Click on EXIT.

Reviewing your current elections will help you evaluate what changes you want to make for 2013, if any.

6. Am I required to take action in order to re-enroll for 2013?

ACTION IS REQUIRED IF :

• you want to enroll in the Health Care Flexible Spending Account or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account.  You must make a NEW election by November 30, 2012; or
• you want to ADD dependents for 2013; or
• there is a CHANGE in your Spousal/Domestic Partner Surcharge status for 2013.

NO ACTION IS REQUIRED IF:

• you are NOT interested in enrolling in the Health Care or Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Account; AND
• you are SATISFIED with your current enrollment decisions for Medical, Dental, LTD, Group Term Life and Personal Accident coverage.  Your 2012 enrollment elections will continue; AND
• you are SATISFIED with the covered dependent and beneficiary information that is reflected on your CONFIRMATION FORM. Your 2012 dependents will continue to be covered in 2013 (as long as they meet the plans’ definition of eligible dependent); AND
• there is NO CHANGE in your Spousal/Domestic Surcharge status for 2013.

7. How do I know if I’ve completed my enrollment?

After you’ve made your selections online, you’ll want to review your elections.  In order to do this, (from ESS) click on the REVIEW ENROLLMENT button.  Once you are satisfied with your elections, click the SAVE button.  To confirm your elections, access your Confirmation Statement. 

CAREFULLY review your elections.  You cannot make changes during the year unless you experience a qualified status change and notify the Human Resources Department within 31 days of the change.  After you have accessed your Confirmation Statement and you are satisfied with your elections, click the LOG OFF button in the upper right corner of the screen.  You can make changes in your enrollment decisions until November 30, 2012.

8. How do I add a dependent?

(NOTE:  You must ADD your dependents to your UC Flex record BEFORE attempting to add them to your health insurance coverage.)

• Access the UC Flex Portal at https://www.ucflex.uc.edu.
• Enter your UC Central Login Service Username (6+2) and Password (also utlized to log into Exchange e-mail and Online Class Grading).  If you have problems logging in contact the Help Desk at 513-556-4357.
• Click Log on to access the UC Flex Portal.
• Click the EMPLOYEE SELF SERVICE tab located on the line directly below the University of Cincinnati UC Flex Banner.

TO ADD NEW dependents (spouse, domestic partner, children) to your personal data:

• Click on PERSONAL INFORMATION (located in the red toolbar).
• Click FAMILY MEMBER/DEPENDENTS/EMERGENCY CONTACT/BENEFICIARY. Enter applicable information.  When finished click on REVIEW then SAVE at the bottom of the screen.

TO CHANGE your current elections for Medical, Dental, LTD, Group Life or Personal Accident Insurance or to ENROLL in a benefit plan:

• Click on the radio button that corresponds with the plan you want to change/enroll in.
• Click the EDIT PLAN (if you are currently enrolled) or ADD PLAN (if you are not currently enrolled) button at the bottom of the screen.  The next screen will show your available options for your selection.
• Make the desired election by putting your cursor over the box that corresponds with your election and click. 
• For Medical or Dental Plan enrollment, after making selection, click SELECT DEPENDENTS at the bottom of the screen.
  • If you have selected Employee Only coverage, you will see the message “No dependents allowed for dependent coverage Employee Only in plan”.
  • If you selected a plan with dependents, put a check mark in the box next to the dependents you want to cover under the Plan, if applicable.

• Click ADD PLAN TO SELECTION box at the bottom of the screen.
• To REVIEW your elections, click on the REVIEW ENROLLMENT button.
• If you are satisfied with your elections, click the SAVE button.
• Your elections are not saved until you click the SAVE button.

9. Where do I go for help?

Step-by-step instructions are available.

• Click on the link, http://www.ucflex.uc.edu/help/nav.htm to access the Help Website. 
  
• Click on Employee Self Service in the left window pane.  On the right side of the screen, click on ‘Accessing and Navigating UC Flex Employee Self Service’.  A short version of the work instruction, called a ‘cue card’ appears in the window.  To view the full set of instructions, which includes screen shots, click on the down arrow in the ‘other formats’ field at the top of the screen and select ‘work instruction – HTML’. 
  

There are also Help buttons located throughout the ESS module. 

If you have questions about your personal/benefits information contact HR at 513-556-6381.  If you have difficulty logging in to ESS, contact the Help Desk at 513.556-HELP (4357).

10. What if I experience technical difficulties while trying to enroll?

The system is designed to handle our enrollment volume.  However, systems may operate slowly during ‘peak times’.  Expect higher volume on the first and last days of enrollment.  Don’t wait until the last day!

11. I am a new employee (hired between November 1 and November 30, 2012).  What do I do?

You will need to complete your new hire enrollment (for 2012 benefits) FIRST.  After you’ve completed your 2012 new hire enrollment, you can complete the 2013 annual benefits enrollment.  Note that if you don’t complete the 2013 annual enrollment process, your 2013 benefits will be the SAME as your 2012 benefits with the exception of Health care of Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account participation.  You are required to re-enroll in the Flexible Spending Accounts each year.

12. I have a child who is 24 and is a full time student.  I understand that I can cover him under my UC medical and dental plans.  How do I go about doing this?

Refer to www.uc.edu/hr/benefits.  At this site you will find all the information needed in order to add your eligible adult child to UC’s medical and dental plans.