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A message from the Coach (For Active Employees)

Dear Employees,

This city can’t run without you, its dedicated and hard-working employees. It benefits the residents for you to be at your job and feeling healthy, so providing good health-care coverage for you and your loved ones is an important part of my new job. And I know that you deserve quality coverage as part of your employment with the city.

Health-care costs are expected to increase 9 percent nationwide in 2010. For the city, it’s expected to increase from $289 million in FY10 to $311 million in FY11. Maintaining the high level of coverage and quality you have is important to me, but that means we’ll all have to share some of the increased cost. I have served on the city’s benefits committee for eight years. As a result, I can assure you that every option has been explored to keep the health plans affordable for you.

The city will maintain the 79 percent city, 21 percent employee ratio for active employees in the HMO plan, your most affordable option. But we’re all going to have to pay a little more, and to help offset the increase, we’ve increased copayments for doctors’ visits and non-generic prescription drugs by $5 starting May 1. Additionally, your contribution is increasing by an average of 8 percent for May 2010. View your new contributions.

I know it’s tough to pay more. But it’s the tough reality of health care today. I believe these new rates are very reasonable and certainly better than employees in other companies and industries are paying. Your dental coverage and DHMO rates are remaining the same. Rates will increase 9 percent for the indemnity dental plan.

If you have questions, please contact your HR liaison or attend an open-enrollment meeting.

You’re all valuable partners helping us keep down health-care costs through wise use of your health-care dollars. If you continue to do that and we continue to work together, we should be able to retain quality, accessible and affordable benefits.


Respectfully,

Annise D. Parker

Mayor

 

A few new plays for May 2010
  • Doctor copayments are going up $5. For members of the HMO, a PCP visit will now cost you $25, and a specialist visit will cost you $50. For members of the PPO, a PCP visit will cost you $35, while a specialist visit will cost you $55.
  • Copayments for brand-name prescription drugs are increasing $5 for a 30-day supply. Preferred brand-name drugs will be $35, and non-preferred brand-name prescriptions will be $50. Generic medications will remain $10 or less.
  • With the opt-out opt-in feature, retiring employees can disenroll from their city medical and dental insurance and re-enroll during a future open enrollment or when they have a family status change.
  • Your biweekly contributions to the medical plan will change.
  • Time limitations on mental-health and substance-abuse treatment are being removed.
  • By mid-May, HMO and PPO members will receive new ID cards to show the new copayments for prescription drugs, PCPs, and specialists.

Active Employee Guide

The starting line up:

Here are the plans you may choose during open enrollment.

Health plans:

  • HMO
  • PPO

Dental plans

  • Dental HMO
  • Dental indemnity

Supplemental insurance plans

  • Cancer
  • Hospital
  • Accident/disability

Flexible-spending account

  • Health care


On the bench:

Other benefits offered year-round:

  • Life insurance – one times salary, paid by the city
  • Voluntary life insurance – up to four times salary, employee-paid
  • Time off – holidays, vacation, sick and wellness leave, personal days for full-time employees and paid time-off for police officers
  • Long-term disability – paid by the city, for full-time municipal employees and firefighters
  • Pension – defined benefit plan with unique plans for civilians, police and fire classified employees
  • 457 pretax deferred-compensation savings plan
  • Subsidized transportation benefit
  • Accrued leave donation program

 

Get a $50 gift card

It’s easy to get a $50 gift card and an evaluation of your overall health: Just complete your Health Risk Assessment. Log on to www.bcbstx.com and click on “Personal Health Manager.” Then click on “Health Risk Manager.” The assessment is a short series of easy-to-answer questions. You’ll then receive an evaluation of your overall health, along with scores on your job satisfaction, risky lifestyle choices, stress, nutrition and sleep habits.

The first time you complete the assessment and authorize its release to BlueCross BlueShield, you’ll be sent a $50 gift card to Academy in Texas or The Sports Authority for nonresidents. One card per employee/family. The card should arrive in about six weeks.

More immediately, you’ll get important guideposts to making healthier lifestyle choices, improving your performance in the game. It’s a good idea to complete the HRA every year, or as often as you like, but you will be eligible for the gift card one-time only.

 

Medical Plan Expenditures in Millions

 

  
 
 
 
 
 

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If there exists a conflict between this Enrollment Guide Website and the official plan documents for each plan, the official plan documents will prevail. The city of Houston reserves the right to change, modify, increase or terminate any benefits.