University Times

University employees who want to make changes in their Pitt-Flex benefit selections have until Dec. 14 to return selection forms to the Office of Human Resources.

Changes will be effective Jan. 1 and remain in effect through June 30, 1995, when Pitt will change the Pitt-Flex open enrollment period to match the University's fiscal year.

The next open enrollment period will be in May 1995, except for employees who experience a change in family status that qualifies them to request a change at an earlier date.

"If you are satisfied with your present Pitt-Flex benefits selections and you are enrolled in a medical insurance plan other than the Blue Cross/Blue Shield major medical Traditional plan, you don't need to do anything at all" this fall, according to the Pitt-Flex guidebook mailed to employees. "Your Personalized Summary of Current Benefit Selections, which was recently mailed to your campus address, is your confirmation of your selections." Pitt is dropping the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Traditional plan effective January 1995. "If you are currently enrolled in the Traditional plan and you do not indicate a new choice of medical coverage, you will be automatically placed in the Blue Cross/Blue Shield major medical Comprehensive (Deductible) plan," the guidebook states.

Participation in Pitt-Flex is open to regular full-time faculty, librarians and research associates; part-time faculty who are in the tenure stream or tenured for no less than half time; and regular full- and part-time staff who are not covered by collective bargaining contracts.

Those employees should have received a Pitt-Flex guidebook and selection forms from the University. Eligible employees who have not received those materials should call Human Resources at 624-0831.

Employees also should have received materials from Blue Cross/Blue Shield and from HealthAmerica. To talk about Blue Cross options, call 1-800-472-1506 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or 1-800-640-4058 (4 p.m. to 9 p.m.) To talk to a HealthAmerica representative, call 553-7500 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

Pitt's administration is considering a proposal from Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania that would make Blue Cross the sole provider of employee health care benefits at the University. (See the Nov. 10 University Times.) If Pitt accepts the proposal, it would drop HealthAmerica effective July 1.

In a recent letter to the University community, Darlene Lewis, associate vice chancellor for Human Resources, wrote: "HealthAmerica remains a health care option for our employees. However, given the possibility that the Blue Cross proposal may eventually be accepted, employees thinking about enrolling in HealthAmerica (during the current open enrollment period)…should consider that decision very carefully."

–Bruce Steele