Frequently Asked Questions
Open Enrollment is your once-a-year opportunity to select or make changes to certain benefits without a qualifying life event. You can make changes to medical, dental, legal, critical illness, or accident insurance as well as dependent care flexible spending account. This is also the time elect your employee contribution to the Health Savings Account (HSA) if you want deductions to start or continue in 2024.
You can:
- Do nothing and keep your benefits the same. (Also see FSA and HSA exceptions below).
- Set personal HSA contributions via payroll deduction to begin in January.
- Enroll in or change your medical and/or dental coverage.
- Add or remove dependents on your plans.
- Elect or cancel legal insurance.
- Elect an Dependent Care and set your annual contribution amount.
- Elect or cancel Critical Illness, Group Accident or Pet Insurance
- Elect the New Voluntary Benefit — Whole Life Insurance with an Accelerated Death Benefit for Long Term Care. Note: Enrollment in the new voluntary benefit is handled outside the ORNL Benefits Services Center. For more information on Whole Life Insurance with Long Term Care, click here.
Important: If you don’t want to make any changes to your benefits or if you need to report a qualifying life event during Open Enrollment, see questions below.
Open Enrollment is October 11–31, 2023.
To enroll in your benefits, visit the ADP Portal online at https://myadp.com/ or contact the ORNL Benefits Service Center (via ADP) at 1-800-211-3622 (toll-free). For login instructions, see here (internal site).
Enrollment in Whole Life Insurance with Long Term Care is handled outside the ORNL Benefits Services Center. For more information on Whole Life Insurance with Long Term Care, click here.
Enrollment must be completed by October 31 for your coverage to be effective on January 1, 2024. On October 31, the ORNL Benefits office (Building 4007) will close at 4:00 p.m. EST; telephonic enrollment through the Benefits Service Center will close at 8:00 p.m. EST; and online enrollment via my.adp.com will close at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Currently, those retiring on or before January 1, 2024, can continue in the Consumer Choice medical plan or switch to the Prime Select medical plan on January 1st as a Retiree. You will need to contact Melissa Rayborn at 865-574-8988 or email her at [email protected] if you want to switch medical plans. ORNL will continue to evaluate health plans and premiums each year to maintain competitive benefits packages for employees and retirees.
If you have a qualifying life event during Open Enrollment, you will need to contact the ORNL Benefits Service Center to declare the particular event. In this case, the change will be effective on the event date. (Changes made using the Open Enrollment event will not be effective until January 1).
For additional information on qualifying life events, see the About Your Benefits (Salaried, ATLC, IGUA CAS, IGUA SPO) section in your Summary Plan Description.
Here’s what you can expect if you do not take action during Open Enrollment:
Your benefits will remain the same.
- The amount of any current HSA or Dependent Care FSA contributions you are making will default to $0 in January 2024.
- All other benefits will remain the same.
Some of your benefits can only be changed during specific times, such as Open Enrollment. In addition to the Open Enrollment period, opportunities exist for new hires and for current employees with a qualifying life change to enroll in or update their benefits within 30 calendar days of these events.
You do have some benefits that can be changed year-round. If you are enrolled in an HSA, you can change your personal contribution amount at any time, even if you waived this benefit during Open Enrollment. You can apply for, change, or cancel Life and/or AD&D Insurance (Salaried, ATLC, CAS, SPO) benefits at any time. You can also make changes to your Savings Plan (Salaried, ATLC, CAS, SPO) at any time.
Medical Coverage - FAQ
New Deductible Amounts: In 2024, the deductibles for the Consumer Choice medical plan will increase to $1,600 (individual coverage) and $3,200 (dual and family coverage). This change is due to the IRS adjusting the minimum deductibles for the high deductible health plans to qualify for a Health Savings Account. The out-of-pocket maximums will remain the same at $2,500 (individual) and $5,000 (dual and family).
Prescription Changes: Beginning in January, employees will have the opportunity to fill their 90-day supply of maintenance medications at in-network retail pharmacies. Express Scripts mail order is no longer mandatory, but mail is still available. Reminder: Prescriptions are included in the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum.
After three 30-day fills of a maintenance medication, if you do not fill for a 90-day supply, you will be responsible for the full cost of the medication and the cost will not apply toward your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. Non maintenance medications and new prescriptions can continue to be filled at a 30-day supply at a retail pharmacy.
The Consumer Choice plan does not require a referral to see a specialist. However, a specialist may require a referral from your Primary Care Physician.
If you are a current UnitedHealthcare member, visit myuhc.com and use the Find a Doctor tool to learn more about your in-network providers and estimate your potential costs for services or call UHC at 1-844-234-7925.
If you are not a UnitedHealthcare member, visit whyuhc.com, Find a Doctor, All UHC Plans, Choice Plus to explore in-network providers and estimate your potential costs for services before you enroll in a health plan or call UHC at 1-844-234-7925.
Yes, you can visit a provider or specialist who is not in your network, but your plan would only pay the out-of-network level of benefits. Often, your costs will be higher if you go to an out-of-network provider for services. Visit myuhc.com to help you estimate your in- and out-of-network costs from providers you are considering.
All employees can visit the WellOne Clinic (internal site) (located in Bldg. 4500N, Rm. I-112), for nonoccupational acute, primary, and preventive care. You pay according to your insurance plan, just like you would at any neighborhood clinic.
ORNL Health Services Division (located in Bldg. 4500N, Rm. K-127) is reserved exclusively for occupational medical services but also manages emergencies. Anyone can visit ORNL Medical for any onsite medical emergency.
Health Savings Account - FAQ
An HSA is a special bank account, only offered on Consumer Choice plans, that allows you to save money tax free for use on qualified medical expenses for you and your family, including services and items not always covered by your medical plan.
You and others can deposit money into your HSA up to contribution limits set annually by the IRS. Any unused funds will automatically roll over each year.
If you are eligible for an HSA:
- You can sign up for pretax payroll deductions to make tax-free contributions to your HSA. (Personal contributions are not required.)
- Eligible ORNL employees additionally benefit from ORNL contributions to HSAs.
- In 2024, you may contribute up to $8,300 (Employee + 1 or More) or $4,150 (Employee Only) to your HSA through ORNL and personal contributions; if you’re over age 55, you can contribute an additional $1,000.
HSA funds can be used to cover many health care expenses for you, as well as your spouse and tax dependents, even if they are not covered on your medical plan. Qualified expenses include doctors’ visits and prescriptions, as well as eyeglasses, hearing aids, dental treatments, and many other items and services.
Click here for a list of qualified medical expenses.
For more information on eligible expenses, visit IRS.gov and see Publication 969.
To open an HSA, make sure you are:
- A Consumer Choice participant
- Not covered by any other non-Consumer Driven Health Plan (CHDP)
- Not enrolled in Medicare or TRICARE
- Not claimed as a dependent on another individual’s tax return
Make sure your spouse does not participate in a Health Care Spending Account.
For additional information, visit IRS.gov and see Publication 969.
If you plan to enroll in Consumer Choice and want to know how to open and contribute to an HSA, visit the HSA Tools and Resources on the HSA page.
You must be eligible to enroll in an HSA under IRS requirements in order to be eligible for employer contributions to your HSA.
Retirees and long-term disability participants are not eligible for ORNL contributions to HSAs.
If I am not eligible for an HSA, can I still enroll in Consumer Choice?
Yes, Consumer Choice plans are offered to all employees, even those who are not eligible to open or contribute to an HSA under IRS requirements. If you plan to enroll in Consumer Choice but are not eligible for an HSA, select the Consumer Choice Ineligible for HSA plan.
For more details, review Health Savings Accounts in Publication 969 at IRS.gov and visit the HSA Tools and Resources on the HSA page.
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account - FAQ
A Dependent Care FSA is a special account that allows you to save money to help pay for your expected dependent care expenses each year. Eligible employees can sign up for a Dependent Care FSA and set contribution amounts during Open Enrollment. With pretax payroll deductions, the money you contribute to your FSA is tax-free. You benefit from these tax savings when you pay for eligible expenses or submit claims for reimbursement from your FSA funds. Eligible dependents include your children under age 13, your disabled spouse, or disabled dependents of any age (including parents).
Important: Eligible employees who want to elect an FSA must do so each year during Open Enrollment. Be sure to estimate your expenses for the year before you set the amount you’d like to contribute during Open Enrollment. FSAs do not roll over, and contribution amounts can’t be changed without a qualifying life event.
Dependent Care FSAs: All full-time and part-time ORNL employees (including temporary but not casual employees) are eligible to open a Dependent Care FSA.
When you elect any FSA during Open Enrollment, you must designate your annual election, or how much you want to contribute to your account for your plan year through pretax payroll deduction. Once elected, you can only change or cancel your annual contribution if you have a qualifying life event.
Dependent Care FSAs: In 2024, you can contribute a minimum of $100 up to $5,000. This is a household limit. If your spouse also elects a Dependent Care account through their employer, your combined contribution is limited to $5,000.
Dependent Care FSAs do not roll over annually, even if you continue to participate in these benefits during the next plan year. You should always estimate your expenses carefully before you set your annual contribution to your FSA(s) because any unused funds could be forfeit at the end of the grace period.
Grace period information: Your FSA administrator, HealthEquity, offers a 2 1/2-month grace period that allows you to file health care and/or dependent care claims against unused funds for expenses incurred through March 15 of the following plan year.
Note: If you participated in the Health Care Spending Account in 2023, due to the fact that the plan is terminating, your claims must be incurred on or before 12/31/2023.
Dental - FAQ
Dental insurance covers a broad range of preventive, basic, and major services. On both MetLife and Delta Dental plans, preventive services such as oral exams, cleanings, and X-rays are covered 100%. For complete coverage information, visit the Dental Coverage Resources page.
To find a dentist in the MetLife network, visit www.metlife.com and use the Find a Dentist tool, located under the Support tab.
To find a dentist in the Delta Dental network, visit www.deltadentaloh.com and click Find a Dentist under the Using Your Benefits tab. Be sure to select the Delta Dental PPO plan to search in your network.
Rally - FAQ
Rally is an online resource available to UnitedHealthcare members that offers personalized recommendations to help you meet your health and wellness goals. Register or log in to Rally at myuhc.com to participate in the Rally Rewards program. Complete missions and challenges to earn credits (or “coins”) you can use to enter auctions and sweepstakes, make a charitable donation, or spend in the Rally marketplace.
ORNL has partnered with Rally to offer employer rewards through the ORNL Wellness Incentive Program. Eligible employees can receive a $35-per-month or $8.08 weekly reduction in medical premiums for completing program activities 100% before the deadline. The program runs annually from November 1 to October 31.
The ORNL Wellness Incentive Program is open to all employees, who are the primary policy holder on one of ORNL’s UnitedHealthcare plans.
Long-term disability participants and retirees are not eligible for the incentive program.
If you achieve 100% completion in the 2023 ORNL Wellness Incentive Program before the October 31 deadline, your medical premium reduction will be applied in January 2024 and effective through the calendar year. Look for the $35 per month or $8.08 per week reduction to be effective on your first pay statement in January .
Log in to Rally at myuhc.com to see a list of activities you can complete and which ones apply to the ORNL Wellness Incentive Program. Most Rally activities are tracked automatically and applied to your Rally profile when you complete them. To receive the Wellness Credit on your insurance, make sure you complete the employer rewards challenges 100% before the October 31 deadline.
Note: If you enrolled in one of ORNL’s UnitedHealthcare plans on or after May 1 and before October 1, you only need to complete the Rally Health Survey by October 31 to receive the Wellness Credit. Employees enrolled in a medical plan on or after October 1 are not eligible for the 2023 Wellness Incentive. You can begin earning Rally Rewards for the 2024 Wellness Incentive on November 1st.
Register and/or log in at myuhc.com to visit your personalized Rally dashboard. You can view a list of activities eligible for employer rewards and track your progress on completing the ORNL Wellness Incentive Program.
If you achieve 100% completion in the 2023 ORNL Wellness Incentive Program before the October 31 deadline, your medical premium reduction will be applied in January 2024 and effective through the calendar year. Look for the $35 per month or $8.08 per week reduction to be effective on your first pay statement in January.