November 17, 2015
Employees who average 30 or more hours a week, and who are not eligible for the State of Illinois Employees Group Insurance Program (SEGIP), may be eligible for minimum essential health insurance coverage with the University of Illinois. This does not apply to employees who are eligible for or covered under the SEGIP plans.
If you receive an email or letter extending you an offer of coverage under the new plan, then you must respond by December 7 to either enroll in or waive the coverage. If you do not respond to the offer, then you will be enrolled by default into employee-only coverage.
Due to recent healthcare reform changes resulting from the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), you are now eligible to elect insurance coverage through a new university benefit program called “RSL BasicCare” offered by Reliance Standard and administered by Mercer Health & Benefits.
Open Enrollment for these new benefits runs November 18 (tomorrow) through December 7, 2015, for coverage effective January 1, 2016.
ACTION REQUIRED: You must either ENROLL IN or WAIVE this coverage by no later than December 7, 2015.
- You have the option to enroll in a two-part health plan, offered at no cost to you for employee-only coverage.
- Essential Plan: This part is intended to provide minimum essential coverage (MEC) by covering the preventive services as required under PPACA.
- BasicAdvantage Total Plan: This part is an optional limited medical plan that pays a daily benefit for certain covered services. It is not a substitute for comprehensive health insurance, but is intended to provide basic insurance coverage.
- You also have the option to enroll in the following supplemental coverage, at your own cost. Please note, contrary to language in both the brochure and the enrollment form, you cannot pay for these plans through payroll deduction at this time. The University will bill you directly for the cost of dependent or supplemental coverage.
- A Dental plan, Life Insurance and Short-Term Disability (STD) plans are available.
- You may enroll eligible dependents in any of the coverage offered under this program, also at your own cost.
What if I don’t take action?
If you do not return a paper form indicating that you elect to either enroll in or waive coverage, then by default you will be enrolled in the two-part health insurance coverage for yourself only. This means you forfeit the opportunity to enroll in dependent, dental, life insurance and short-term disability coverage.
Why is the University of Illinois offering me this insurance coverage?
You are receiving an offer of coverage because University records indicate you either 1) averaged at least 30 hours per week over the last 12 months, or 2) were hired in a position to work at least 30 hours per week on a temporary or intermittent basis.
Why might I be interested in this plan?
- The two-part health insurance plan is offered at no cost to you for your employee-only coverage.
- It provides a low cost option to purchase minimum coverage for your spouse and/or children who might otherwise have no coverage.
- The Essential Plan is intended to meet the IRS individual mandate requirement (i.e., your own individual obligation to carry health insurance), so it may help you avoid the individual tax penalty you would face if you otherwise do not have coverage.
What else should I consider about this plan?
- This is not major medical coverage and is not a substitute for comprehensive health insurance.
- This coverage alone will not meet the health insurance minimum requirements for a J-1 Visa holder.
What if I already have other coverage?
If you already have major medical comprehensive health insurance, then you should carefully consider whether you need this additional coverage when making the decision whether to enroll in this two-part health plan.
- If you already have other coverage, and this two-part plan represents your only employer-provided coverage, then your healthcare providers would seek payment under this program first before any other coverage you may have.
- You will be responsible for submitting any claims to your other carrier after the claim has been processed under this two-part plan.
- If you already have a major medical plan, please review the details of how that plan would pay when it is a secondary payer.
Yes, I accept! How do I ENROLL in coverage?
- To enroll, complete sections A and B of the enrollment form. In section B you must mark a box for each plan. You may elect both the Essential Plan and the BasicAdvantage Total Plan at no cost for employee-only coverage. Be sure to provide your Social Security number in section A, and sign and date the form in section B.
- Complete section C if you are enrolling dependents.
No thanks! How do I WAIVE coverage?
- If you already have other insurance coverage and you do not want to elect coverage under these new plans, then you must complete and submit the enrollment/waiver form by December 7.
- To waive coverage, complete section A and B. In section B, check all four boxes in the last row of the table, called DECLINE COVERAGE, to decline each part of the program.
Complete and return your enrollment or waiver form to University Payroll & Benefits (UPB):
Because it is time-sensitive, please fax your completed enrollment/waiver form to UPB at 217-244-3135 or hand-deliver no later than December 7, 2015:
- UIC – 1st Floor, 809 S. Marshfield Ave
- UIS – Room 85, Business Services Building
- UIUC – Room 177, Henry Administration Building
If you need assistance:
- Completing the form: call Mercer Health & Benefits Call Center at 1-888-201-2204.
- Returning the form: call UPB at 217-333-3111 or fax form to 217-244-3135.
This form asks for personal information, how do I know this is legitimate?
The RSL BasicCare Program is a new, official benefit program offered to eligible employees by the University of Illinois. The security of your personal information is important. You can check the NESSIE website to view this message and confirm it is legitimate.
Who Do I Contact with Questions?
If you have questions about this new insurance program, please contact Mercer Health & Benefits Call Center at 1-888-201-2204.
For NON-STUDENTS:
If you have questions about your employment status, please contact your campus/central HR office:
For STUDENTS:
If you have questions about how these plans will interact with your Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), then please consult with your campus Student Insurance office. These plans are NOT a comparable substitute for the Student Health Insurance Plan.
Urbana-Champaign Campus
217-333-0165 or insure@illinois.edu
Chicago Campus
Campus Care at 312-996-4915 or cchealth@uic.edu.
Springfield Campus
217-206-6670 or studentinsurance@uis.edu.
If you are a student employee at the University, and have questions about your employment status, please contact your Student Employment or Human Resources office:
Urbana-Champaign Campus
Chicago Campus
- UIC Student Employment: 312-996-3130 or studentjobs@uic.edu
- UIC HR Service Center (Graduate Student Employees): 312-413-3490 or 312-996-7606
Springfield Campus
- Undergraduate Office of Student Employment in the Office of Financial Assistance: 217-206-6724 or finaid@uis.edu
- Graduate Student Employment: gaprog@uis.edu or 217-206-6544
University Administration
The Essential Plan and BasicAdvantage Total Plan are not substitutes for comprehensive health insurance. This offer of insurance coverage is contingent on your continued employment and the university meeting minimum enrollment requirements set by Reliance Standard. In the event of differences between these communication materials and the official plan policies, the official plan policy documents will govern.
