 October For Your Benefit newsletter available now
The October PEBB For Your Benefit newsletter is all about open enrollment. You’ll find everything you need to know about what’s changing and what you need to do.
Read the full issue.
Open enrollment is November 1-30.
Early October
Annual open enrollment information is available on the HCA website on the PEBB open enrollment webpage.
A virtual benefits fair is available 24/7. Learn more on the virtual benefits fair webpage.
October 25-November 10
In-person benefits fairs are scheduled at nine locations around the state. Find the one closest to you and learn more by visiting the benefits fair webpage.
November 1
Open enrollment begins for coverage in 2023. Forms are posted on the PEBB open enrollment webpage.
November 3
Tune in for a Facebook Live Q&A about open enrollment from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the Washington Health Care Authority Facebook page.
November 30
Last day to make changes to your account. Open enrollment closes at 11:59 p.m.
Last day for most subscribers to qualify for the SmartHealth $125 wellness incentive for 2023.
January 1, 2023
New plan year begins.
Find all the changes to your benefits, including:
- Changes to copays
- New services
- PEBB rule changes
- Update: The UnitedHealthcare PEBB Balance copay for acupuncture or chiropractic visits is $15 and the UnitedHealthcare PEBB Complete copay for acupuncture or chiropractic visits is $0.
Don’t forget to visit our open enrollment webpage for more information.
About five years ago, the HCA began hearing from retirees that health care expenses were too high, so we took action. Last year, the UnitedHealthcare‘s
PEBB Balance and PEBB Complete health plans were introduced to provide lower-cost, high quality health care. Attend a town hall to Learn more about these Medicare advantage plans.
Three dental plans are available. DeltaCare and Willamette Dental are managed-care plans and Uniform Dental Plan is a preferred provider organization plan. Review to see which is right for you.
Want to make a change? During open enrollment, you can use PEBB My Account to:
- Change your medical and dental plan
- Add or remove a dependent
- Terminate your coverage
Don't have access to PEBB My Account? Submit your form to the PEBB program. We must receive it no later than November 30.
This year we're bringing back in-person benefits fairs. Check the schedule to find a location near you. Find maps, parking information, mask requirements, and additional details on the benefits fair webpage.
You can also visit our virtual benefits fair at anytime, from anywhere, on the virtual benefits fair webpage.
Drop by our virtual benefits fair, attend webinars, change your coverage easily using PEBB My Account, and visit our open enrollment webpage for more information.
You shared your ideas; we listened. Visit our new, user-experience inspired HCA website!
Learn when you should contact your plan carrier, and when to contact the PEBB program.
The IRS does not allow enrollment in Medicare at the same time as UMP Select, a UMP Plus plan, or a consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) with a health savings account (HSA). If you have a dependent enrolled in Medicare, you may choose to remove the dependent from your coverage in order to keep your current medical plan.
If you or your dependent are trying to quit tobacco, learn what resources are available to help.
The Affordable Care Act requires the PEBB Program and its contracted medical plans to provide a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) to help you compare medical plan benefits, terms, and your costs for care from network and out-of-network providers.
To get an SBC for your current PEBB medical plan, go to the benefits and coverage webpage (or the plan’s website) to view or print it. Or, call your plan to ask for a paper copy at no charge. Your plan can also provide copies translated into other languages.
For other PEBB medical plans, call the PEBB Program at 1-800-200-1004 (TRS: 711).
If you or a family member is (or will soon be) enrolled in Medicare, you may hear about your opportunity to enroll in Medicare Part D for prescription drug coverage.
Premera Blue Cross Medicare Supplement plans do not provide creditable prescription drug coverage. If you enroll in one, you will need to enroll in a Medicare Part D plan outside of PEBB. For pharmacy coverage, you will need to enroll in a Medicare Part D plan outside of PEBB.
All other PEBB medical plans provide creditable prescription drug coverage, so you do not have to enroll in Medicare Part D. The prescription drug coverage offered by these PEBB medical plans is expected to pay out, on average, as much as Medicare Part D coverage.
When you enroll in Medicare, you can keep your PEBB medical plan with creditable drug coverage and not pay a penalty if you enroll in Medicare Part D later.
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