We have recently learned that many individuals who participated in health plans which were discontinued for 2015 failed to select a different plan during the open enrollment period. Because they failed to select an available plan and submit the open enrollment form, they were recently notified that they would not have any health insurance coverage for 2015.
To address this issue, the Department of Budget and Management has agreed to mail open enrollment packets to those losing health coverage with a second chance to elect coverage. Those packets are scheduled to mailed on December 12, 2015 and enrollment forms must be returned by December 31, 2015.
If you had one of the discontinued plans listed below and did not elect a new one, make sure that you do so prior to December 31, 2014.
Below is the notice from DBM
Notice from Department of Budget and Management Website
IMPORTANT: A Special Enrollment Period is available to individuals enrolled in plans that will no longer be available after December 31, 2014.
The Special Enrollment Period will be open ONLY to those individuals currently enrolled in one (or more) of the discontinued plans below, but who failed to return a new enrollment election by the November 14th Open Enrollment deadline. Impacted individuals will be allowed to select a new medical and/or dental plan only; you cannot add or delete dependents or enroll in either the healthcare or dependent daycare flexible spending accounts, etc. No other benefit election changes will be permitted during this Special Enrollment Period.
The discontinued plans are as follows:
Aetna EPO and POS
CareFirst POS
United Healthcare POS
United Concordia Dental HMO
A targeted mailing will be sent to individuals’ homes on Friday December 12. Individuals are required to make their selection on the letter itself and return it to the Employee Benefits Division by December 31, 2014. All forms postmarked by that date will be processed. Any letters or emails postmarked/dated after December 31 will not be processed.
It is important to note that due to the late submission of their elections, these individuals will not receive new plan ID cards before January 1. However, elections postmarked on or before December 31st will be effective January 1, 2015.
Forms can be mailed, emailed or faxed:
State of Maryland – Employee Benefits Division
301 W. Preston Street, Room 510
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Email: ebd.mail@maryland.gov
Fax: 410-333-7104
No action needed if form has already been submitted!