Oct. 17, 2008

Know your options: Voluntary benefits available to staff

Did you know that UPMC offers its staff voluntary benefit plans, including several AFLAC programs, pre-paid legal insurance, and interest-sensitive whole life? Or that these benefits offer the ease of payroll deductions, with payments for some of the offerings deducted from your pay on a pretax basis, lowering your taxable income?

During Open Enrollment, which will take place from Wednesday, Oct. 29, through Saturday, Nov. 15, eligible UPMC staff members* will have the annual opportunity to purchase, change, or drop voluntary benefits in addition to their group benefits provided through UPMC.

Voluntary benefit representatives will be in attendance at the benefit fairs to explain the products and answer questions. AFLAC will be offering a new policy called Specified Health Event Protection (that pays a first-occurrence benefit as well as hospital confinement and continuing care benefits for heart attacks, strokes, comas, major human organ transplants, and more) in addition to the short-term disability, personal accident, and cancer policies.

You can make your elections for voluntary benefits after you complete your Open Enrollment elections. After printing your Election Summary Statement, click the Continue Enrollment button and follow the instructions. You can also access voluntary benefits and enroll from Oct. 29 through Nov. 15 by logging on to My HUB and clicking on the Human Resources tab, then clicking the My Voluntary Benefits link under My Benefits.

*Benefits and eligibility described may not be applicable to all staff. Some business units have unique benefit programs, certain job classifications may affect benefit eligibility, and contract terms determine benefits for physicians and members of collective bargaining units.

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