Open Enrollment for 2020 Benefits

In the coming weeks, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to review their personal and family needs and enroll or make changes in their medical, dental, vision and reimbursement account benefits for 2020.

The enrollment period this year will be from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. This annual period is the only time faculty and staff can enroll or make changes to these benefits outside of a qualifying life event such as marriage or the birth of a child.

Maintaining comprehensive and affordable health care plans remains both a high priority and an enormous challenge. We now cover more than 72,000 employees and their family members, and plan expenses exceed $352 million. Despite the popularity and growth of our health plans, we are pleased to share that overall our plans continue to perform well as a result of robust strategies involving a focus on prevention, aggressive contract negotiations, and some creative plan designs.

While many health plans across the country are shifting significantly more of the cost of health coverage to employees, Duke’s monthly premiums will remain below national projections. Fortunately, co-pays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs will remain unchanged. The monthly premiums for individual coverage for our health plans will only increase between $1 and $8, depending on the plan chosen.

One of the most significant ways to mitigate future cost increases is for our workforce to practice prevention as part of our Healthy Duke initiative. Obtaining an annual physical, abstaining from tobacco use, exercising regularly, eating nutritious meals, and getting a good night’s sleep all contribute to healthier individuals and a Healthy Duke. I encourage you to read more about how such preventive measures have helped your colleagues avoid more serious health issues in the October/November issue of Working@Duke.

More information will be communicated in the coming weeks, including a comprehensive guide that will be mailed home. You will find more details in the Open Enrollment presentation. Please take time to review the presentation, and then share and discuss this important information with your staff. Thank you.

Open Enrollment Website: https://hr.duke.edu/enrollment2020