University Times

A new toll-free voice mail system will allow faculty and staff to change their medical insurance options from any telephone in the continental United States during Pitt's next medical insurance open enrollment period, April 17 through May 26.

Medical insurance changes will take effect July 1, 1995 and can't be altered again until July 1, 1996.

Among those who will be changing their medical benefits will be current Pitt HealthAmerica enrollees, who will have to switch to one of four Blue Cross plans: Comprehensive, the Keystone health maintenance organization, SelectBlue, or the University Health Network.

Pitt is eliminating HealthAmerica here as a condition of the University's new exclusive relationship with Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania, announced by Chancellor J. Dennis O'Connor this week.

In an effort to ease the transition, Blue Cross representatives will telephone each Pitt HealthAmerica member during open enrollment to offer to set up a private meeting with the enrollee and his or her family, said Pitt Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Darlene Lewis.

During these meetings, Blue Cross representatives will explain the four Blue Cross options and help employees choose the plan that is best for them, Lewis said. Employees may schedule the meetings during work hours, evenings or weekends, she said.

Human Resources staff also will be available to answer employees' questions, said Lewis.

According to a March 29 memo from Lewis to Pitt faculty and staff, employees who use Human Resources' toll-free "Telephone Voice Response System" won't need to complete enrollment forms and will receive written confirmation of their benefits changes within five working days. However, employees may complete written forms if they prefer.

"During the week of April 10, a packet of enrollment materials will be mailed to your campus address outlining the medical options that are available to you along with instructions for using the Voice Response System," Lewis wrote.

In addition, Human Resources has set up a Benefits Hot Line for employees with questions about their benefits. The hot line, 1-800-245-651, will be answered Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., April 12 through May 26.

HealthAmerica subscribers who don't indicate which Blue Cross plan they want to join will automatically be enrolled in the Comprehensive plan, Lewis said. "The reason for that is that in the other three Blue Cross plans, the employee has to choose a physician and we can't do that for you," she said.

Faculty and staff already covered by Blue Cross who don't want to change their coverage don't have to do anything. "If they want to call the voice-mail system or fill out enrollment forms to confirm that they want to keep their present coverage, that's fine, but it's not required," Lewis said.

— Bruce Steele