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 limited medical benefit plan 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 14 to either enroll in or waive the coverage. If you do not complete the online enrollment, then you forfeit the opportunity to enroll unless you have a qualified status change.
If you currently have RSL BasicCare coverage and you do not want to change health, dental, life or dependent coverage, your current elections will continue. Take no action at this time.
If you are a student who has health insurance coverage through the University's Student Health Insurance Plan, or under your parent's or spouse's plan, then you may wish to decline this offer of coverage. This new program is NOT a comparable substitute for the Student Health Insurance Plan.
Please continue reading to learn:
- Online Enrollment instructions
- Plan information
- Considerations for accepting or declining coverage
- Contact information should you have questions.
What if I don’t take action?
If you do not complete the online enrollment to enroll in coverage then you forfeit the opportunity to enroll unless you have a qualified status change.
If you are currently enrolled and want to keep your coverage, take no action at this time. Your current elections will continue.
1. ONLINE ENROLLMENT INSTRUCTIONS
1) Log into www.benedetails.com and enter the portal number 92518.
2) Enter your University ID number (your 9 digit UIN) and your password. Your password is your birth date in MMDD format. For example, if your birth date is April 11, your password would be 0411.
3) Review the benefit plan information on BeneDetails before making your choices.
4) Proceed through “Enroll Now” to ENROLL in coverage.
5) Under the Enroll Now header, click Select Benefits. You must review your Personal Information and enter/review any Dependent Information.
6) Follow the on-screen instructions to guide you through the benefit selection process. You must click Enroll beside each coverage option.
7) At the end, you will be asked to review and confirm your elections. You must click “Continue” on the Pre-Confirmation page to submit your elections. Please print the confirmation page and keep it in your records for future reference.
IMPORTANT: If you do not click “Continue” on the Pre-Confirmation page, then your elections will not be submitted and you will not have coverage!
2. PLAN INFORMATION
You have the option to enroll in a two-part limited medical benefits plan, offered at no cost to you for employee-only coverage. This is not a substitute for comprehensive health insurance, and is intended to provide very limited, basic insurance coverage.
- Essential Plan: This part is intended to provide minimum essential coverage (MEC) by covering the preventive services as required under PPACA, in order to meet the individual obligation to carry health insurance for someone who might otherwise have no coverage.
- BasicAdvantage Total Plan: This part is an optional limited medical plan that pays a daily benefit for certain covered services.
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.
Dental, 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.
3. CONSIDERATIONS
Why is the University of Illinois offering me this coverage?
Due to healthcare reform changes resulting from the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), you are now eligible to elect limited medical coverage through a new University benefit program called “RSL BasicCare” offered by Reliance Standard and administered by Mercer Health & Benefits.
You are receiving an offer of coverage because University records indicate you are currently in a University employment status that is not eligible for employer health insurance coverage through the State of Illinois Employee Group Insurance Program, but you may work on average 30 or more hours per week.
Why might I be interested in this plan?
- The two-part limited medical benefit 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, (including through the University’s Student Health Insurance Plan, another employer’s plan, or a spouse’s/parent’s plan), then you may not need this coverage. Please note, if you elect this coverage in addition to your current 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.
4. CONTACT INFORMATION
- Benefits and coverage or enrollment assistance: Mercer Health & Benefits Call Center at 1-888-201-2204
- Plan premiums (cost for dependent and/or supplemental coverage): University Payroll & Benefits (UPB) at:
Urbana: 217-265-6363
Chicago: 312-996-7200
Springfield: 217-206-7144
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’s continued participation in the Reliance Standard plans. Eligibility is reevaluated on your appropriate measurement period, and continued eligibility may be affected by your averaged work hours per week over that period. In the event of differences between these communication materials and the official plan policies, the official plan policy documents will govern.
