Final days for Open Enrollment 2006
UC’s annual Open Enrollment for health and welfare plans is almost over – it ends at midnight (PT), November 30. Personal information about your current enrollments, actions you can take, 2006 plan rates and plan changes, eligibility rules, decision-making tools, and enrollment instructions are online. There is a special one-time opportunity this year to enroll in Supplemental Disability or change your disability waiting period without completing a statement of health.

Your ideas about shaping UC’s future
Take a few minutes to visit an exciting UC website–"UC 2025, Long-Range Guidance for UC"–where you can send in your ideas about what you think UC should be working towards for the year 2025. Your anonymous comments will be sent to a long-range guidance team of UC Regents, faculty, staff, and students established by UC President Robert C. Dynes to help formulate strategies for the course UC will take over the next two decades. At the site, you’ll find a wealth of information about major UC planning issues, and have access to public forum schedules and web chats about long-range planning. The next chat is scheduled for December 7.

UC contributing to hurricane relief
Following Hurricane Katrina’s devastating sweep, President Dynes stated, "We at the University of California are pursuing every possible option for contributing our assistance to the recovery effort." Among the University’s efforts to date, UC campuses have made more than 500 offers of accommodation to students displaced by the hurricane, and more than 280 of these students have enrolled on a temporary basis at UC campuses this fall. All five of the UC medical centers registered to supply personnel, supplies, and equipment for the recovery effort. Detailed information about UC resources and contributions to hurricane recovery is available online.

Tax rules: Health plan coverage for non-tax dependent children
Beginning in January, faculty and staff will need to notify the University if they have UC health plan coverage for natural or adopted children who do not qualify as tax dependents under IRS rules. More >>

Generic drugs

There is a common misconception among both consumers and physicians that generic medications are in some way inferior to brand-name medications. "Most people believe that if something costs more, it has to be better quality. In the case of generic drugs, this is not true," says Gary Buehler, Director of FDA's Office of Generic Drugs.
More >>

Health plan profile
Delta Dental Plan: network dentist the wisest choice
To get the most from your Delta Dental Plan, select a Delta Dental PPO dentist. PPO dentists are Delta dentists who have agreed to charge PPO enrollees reduced fees. When you visit a PPO dentist, you will receive better benefits and lower out-of-pocket costs. More >>  

U.S. savings bonds
In previous issues of this newsletter, we reported that a new Savings Bond program featuring I-Bonds would soon be available. The decision has been made not to go forward with a new program at this time. The existing UC-administered program will continue while the search continues for a new program.

Academic personnel policy update

• Summary of Academic Personnel Manual (APM) policies issued
• APM sections and proposals under formal review

The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act
Annual notification of rights
The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 (Women’s Health Act) requires group medical plans such as those offered by UC that provide coverage for mastectomies to also provide certain related benefits or services.

Under a UC-sponsored medical plan, a plan member (employee, retiree, or eligible family member) who receives a mastectomy and elects breast reconstruction in connection with the mastectomy must receive coverage for the following: reconstruction of the breast on which the mastectomy was performed; surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to produce a symmetrical appearance; and rostheses and treatment of physical complications of the mastectomy, including lymphedema.

Coverage will be provided in a manner determined in consultation with the patient’s physician and is subject to the same deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments that apply to other medical or surgical benefits covered under the plan.

If you have questions, please contact your medical plan carrier or refer to your carrier’s plan booklet for specific coverage.