Pitt’s 2005 employee benefits open enrollment period begins today and runs through May 9. Eligible faculty and staff will receive their open enrollment materials this week.

If faculty or staff members do not wish to change current benefits elections, they will not have to re-enroll this year; their current selections will automatically renew for the 2005-06 plan year. Those wishing to make changes effective July 1, 2005, will be encouraged to do so electronically through an online self-service site accessible at www.hr.pitt.edu. Those who use the online procedure before April 25 are eligible for prize drawings.

Informational faculty and staff Benefits Fairs will begin April 18 on the Pittsburgh campus and travel to the regional campuses through April 28 (see accompanying box for dates, times, and locations). Benefits vendors as well as health and fitness experts will be present to provide information and answer questions

There will be no increases in the premium costs for the Panther Premier, Plus, and Basic plans, and only a modest increase in the premium cost for the Panther Gold plan. The individual rate under the Panther Gold Plan, the most popular of the plans, will increase from $38 per month to $44 per month; family coverage under that plan will increase from $218 per month to $242 per month.

As a result of multiyear contracts, there will not be any increase in premiums for dental and vision coverage this year. Additionally, the life insurance rates will remain unchanged.

“While this is all good news, especially in light of medical and prescription drug cost inflation averaging 14 to 18 percent per year, the University must keep an eye on the future,” said Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Ronald W. Frisch. “If left unchecked, the total cost of our medical insurance alone could, within the next five years, nearly double, to more than $110 million per year.”

Consequently, Frisch stated, the University will redouble its emphasis on promoting healthcare management. “Through numerous positive changes in our medical health insurance plan designs, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to take more responsibility for their health by availing themselves of these wellness benefits,” Frisch said. “Combining these benefits with positive lifestyle changes, the goal is to reduce the demand for healthcare services and thus reduce healthcare costs over time.”

The overall theme for the University’s healthcare program is Fitness for Life. It will incorporate medical plan design changes detailed below, new educational programs, a new centralized University healthcare resources Web site, a health questionnaire, and voluntary diagnostic blood screenings for preventive medical purposes.

To initiate the Fitness for Life program, faculty and staff and covered spouses/partners who voluntarily complete basic metabolic panels and lipids profiles (approved blood screenings) between July 1, 2005, and March 31, 2006, will have their medical premium contributions waived for the month of July 2006. Detailed information will be distributed prior to the start of the new plan year. This material will include educational updates and instructions that eligible participants can take to the physician’s office. Additionally, throughout the year, on-campus clinics for blood screenings will be set up for the convenience of eligible adults covered by Pitt’s medical health insurance plans.

Regardless of the medical health insurance plan an employee elects, age-related preventive services will not be subject to any copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles. Examples of preventive services include pediatric immunizations, mammography, colonoscopy, PAP Tests, and prostate exams.

Prescription medications to assist with smoking cessation have been added to Pitt’s medical health insurance programs this year and will be covered under the Your Choice Pharmacy Drug Program. Counseling also will be available to help achieve this goal.

All of Pitt’s medical health insurance plan participants will be encouraged to complete a Fitness for Life questionnaire that will build upon each participant’s personalized health profile to determine his or her Fitness for Life score. This personalized and confidential program will compare an individual’s current health status to others in his or her age and gender group. The health questionnaire is available through UPMC Health Plan’s Web site, www.upmchealthplan.com. Each member will need his or her Medical Insurance Member ID to access the questionnaire. The questionnaire takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and will provide the member with a personalized report of areas of potential risk. Based on a member’s health profile, the Fitness for Life questionnaire will recommend steps for improvement.

The address for the new centralized University Web site, which gathers information from throughout the campus, is www.hr.pitt.edu/fitness. Faculty and staff are encouraged to phone 412-624-8068 or e-mail cwitner@pitt.edu if they know of projects or resources that should be linked to this site.