OPEN ENROLLMENT 2023

Attend The 2023 Benefits Fair!

Our in-person Benefits Fair will be held in The Alameda Free Library conference rooms on September 22nd from 11:30am to 1:30pm.

Medical Enrollment is Now Online!

Login to my.calpers.ca.gov to make your selections. All changes must be submitted by October 14, 2022. Paper forms will not be accepted. Watch the video below for step-by-step instructions.

Medical Waivers must be renewed each year. Completed Waivers and proof of coverage must be submitted to HR before October 14, 2022 or you will be enrolled in the Kaiser HMO at the employee only level. 2023 Health Waiver Form.(PDF, 104KB)

2023 Out-of-Pocket Premiums by Bargaining Unit

The chart below shows the City's contributions to Medical Coverage based on coverage level and bargaining unit.

The next charts will show your monthly cost after the City's health contribution. $0 means the plan is fully covered by the City.  

Out of pocket premiums are split and then deducted twice per month. Deductions for the 2023 plan year will begin on pay date 01/06/2023. (Employees who pay a portion of their premium will have their share of the premium deducted from their final paycheck at time of separation).

If you have questions regarding whether your premium will be fully covered please reach out to Human Resources at hr@alamedaca.gov.  

CalPERS Enrollment Resources

Note that that not all plans listed are available in every county. Check which plans are available in your county on page 6 of the CalPERS 2023-Health-Benefit-Summary.pdf(PDF, 2MB) .

Health Plan Information

Below you'll find plan information for each of our CalPERS health plans. You can find additional resources and plan documents on our Employee Benefits Page.

• Anthem Blue Cross HMO (Anthem Traditional & Anthem Select)  
  Visit the Anthem HMO Traditional and Anthem HMO Select website here: www.anthem.com/ca/calpers/

•  Anthem Blue Cross PPO (PERS Gold & PERS Platinum) 
  Visit the PERS Gold & Platinum website here: www.anthem.com/ca/calpers/

•  BlueShield Access+ (HMO), Trio (HMO), & BlueShield EPO 
  Visit the BlueShield website here: https://myoptions.blueshieldca.com/calpers

• Health Net SmartCare (HMO) 
  Visit the HealthNet SmartCare website here: calpers.healthnetcalifornia.com/

•  Kaiser Permanente (HMO)
  Visit the Kaiser Permanente website here: my.kp.org/calpers

Dental Coverage is Fully Paid by The City!

Make sure you and your family are taking full advantage of your City paid Dental Coverage. 

Dental enrollments are still done though paper forms. Please return your completed form to HR by October 14, 2022.

• Enroll your dependents with the Enrollment and Change Form(PDF, 141KB)
• Check out what's covered (PDF, 671KB)Dental Benefits - Miscellaneous(PDF, 671KB) | (PDF, 696KB)Dental Benefits - Safety(PDF, 696KB)
• Visit www.deltadental.com to register your online account, find a dentist, and keep track of your used benefits.

See Your Vision Benefits Clearly!

Vision is an optional employee paid coverage. 

Vision enrollments are still done though paper forms. Please return your completed form to HR by October 14, 2022.

• Make changes to your Vision Enrollment with the 2023 Enrollment and Change Form(PDF, 2MB)
• See what's covered in the Vision Benefit Summary(PDF, 227KB)
• Visit www.vsp.com to register your online account, find a eye doctor, and keep track of your benefits. 

*Safety groups pay half of the listed premium. 

FSA Enrollment & Renewal

FSAs must be renewed each year during open enrollment.

FSA enrollments are still done though paper forms. Please return your completed form to HR by October 14, 2022.

The IRS hasn't released contributions limits yet bet we expect them to be similar to previous limits

Medical

Your Medical FSA lets you set aside money from your paycheck on a pre-tax basis to use for eligible out-of-pocket expenses. You can spend your FSA contributions on the eligible general-purpose health expenses such as: copays and coinsurance from your health plans for you and your eligible dependents, over-the-counter medications including feminine products, diabetic supplies, braces, dental implants or other major dental services; and eyeglasses or contact lenses. Elected amount is available on the 1^st day of the plan year (January 1^st)

Dependent Care

Your Dependent Care FSA lets you save money on day care expenses for children up to age 13 or a disabled spouse or dependent of any age who are incapable of self-care. Eligible expenses include: After-school Care or Extended Day Programs, Licensed babysitting and childcare providers, summer or sports camps (overnight or sleepaway not eligible), disabled dependent care expenses, elder care. Reimbursements cannot exceed the election amounts deposited into the account to date (money in, money out).

Transportation Savings Account: Transit or Parking

FSAs also allow you to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible commuting expenses, like bus, train, or metro fares, as well as parking fees. This benefit does not cover things like gas or vehicle maintenance. 

2023 Grace Period

FSA funds do not rollover from year to year and must used by the end of the grace period. You have until March 15, 2023 to use funds saved in 2022, and you must submit all reimbursement requests before March 31, 2023. 

FSA Resources

Supplemental Life Insurance

Open Enrollment is a great time to review your extra life coverage and update your beneficiaries.

• Where can I find my current Supplemental Life enrollment and Beneficiary information?
  We're working on adding this information to your ESS portal, but in the meantime, you can reach out to HR to find out. If you'd like to make changes, use the forms below to add or subtract additional coverage, or add/remove beneficiaries. 

It's your responsibility to keep HR updated with any beneficiary changes. Make sure your beneficiaries are up-to-date by submitting the Beneficiary Designation Change form.

Use the chart below to calculate your the cost of additional Life Insurance Coverage.

Employee Assistance Program  

Did you know that everyone in your household has access to free on demand services through MHN? MHN is the City's EAP partner providing a wide range of service to employee and their dependents. 

• Mental Health Services
• Financial Services
• Legal Services
• Identity Theft and Recovery Services
• Childcare, Eldercare and Daily Living Services

Visit members.mhn.com and use company "alameda," or call 1-800-242-6220. 

Don't see an answer to your question?
Contact Human Resources hr@alamedaca.gov or call (510) 747-4900.

• If I don't plan to make any changes to my medical or other benefit plans, do I need to do anything?

No, unless you currently waive medical coverage or want to enroll in an FSA for 2023. If you currently waive medical coverage you are required to fill out the Waiver form yearly and recertify that you have other medical coverage, download the form by clicking here(PDF, 235KB). You must also re-enroll in the Flexible Spending Account yearly, each year you must fill out the enrollment form and certify the amount you wish to withhold, download the form by clicking here(PDF, 326KB).

• I am covered by my spouse's or parents' medical plan, can I waive coverage and get money back?

Yes, you may waive coverage by completing the Health Insurance Waiver Form, download by clicking here(PDF, 235KB), and providing proof of the other coverage. This can be done by your provider (spouse’s or parent’s employer) filling out the Health Insurance Waiver Form or providing a letter certifying your enrollment. If you have access to your enrollment online, you can submit screenshot of your enrollment that shows your name, the name of the health plan, and the effective date. 

• If I waive coverage now and suddenly lose coverage after open enrollment ends, will I be able to enroll in medical coverage through the City later?

Yes, loss of coverage is a qualifying event, contact Human Resources as soon as you learn you will lose coverage and they can assist with your enrollment. Remember you will have 60 days to enroll in benefits from the date you lose coverage, but if you contact Human Resources early you may be able to avoid a gap in coverage.

• How do I figure out what I am paying for medical coverage now and what I will be paying in the 2023 plan year?

You can figure out your current out of pocket premium contribution a couple different ways. You can login into your Employee Self Service portal and click on "Benefits" to see your current enrollments and monthly premiums. You can also look at your pay stubs for the deduction line titled “Health.” If you pay a portion of your premium you will see this line on the first two paychecks of the month, as your monthly contribution is split over two pay periods per month. Add those amounts together and that is what you are paying monthly. 

To determine if you will be contributing to your 2023 monthly premium, look at the Out-of-Pocket Premium chart for your bargaining unit under the Medical section above.

If you need help, contact Human Resources, hr@alamedaca.gov.

• I am thinking of changing my health plan in 2023, where do I even start?

There are a few resources that you will want to look at to assist you in picking a new plan; download the 2023 Health Benefit Summary(PDF, 22MB) and 2023 Premium Rate Sheet for your Region by clicking here. 

1. Determine which plans are available in your County. Check pages 6-7 of the 2023 Health Benefit Summary to determine which plans are available in your County. For example, the plans available in Alameda County are: Anthem HMO Select, Anthem HMO Traditional, Blue Shield Access , Health Net SmartCare, Kaiser, PERS Gold, and PERS Choice. 
2. Determine which plan(s) cover your physician/group/hospital. If you have a specific physician, hospital, or group that you would like to keep, this may limit the number of plans available to you. Use the websites and numbers on page 14 of the 2023 Health Benefit Summary to check which groups, physicians and hospitals are in each plans network. If you need assistance contact Human Resources at hr@alamedaca.gov.
3. Compare the plans available to you. If your physician/hospital/group are covered by multiple plans use pages 16 – 23 of the 2023 Health Benefit Summary to compare the coverage by each plan. HMOs are listed in blue and PPOs are listed in orange. 
4. Compare the monthly premium for plans available to you. Now that you know what plans are available to you and the structure of each plan, look at the Out-of-Pocket Premium chart for your bargaining unit under the Medical section above.
5. Choose your plan by logging into your mycalpers account. Once you have selected a plan, log into your account at my.calpers.ca.gov, and follow the steps to enroll. Be sure to submit any required documentation or your enrollment will be rejected. Email hr@alamedaca.gov with any questions.  

• What supporting documents do I need to provide if I am enrolling my dependents?

If you choose to enroll your dependents in medical, dental, or vision please provide the following documents with your enrollment forms:

• Spouse: Marriage Certificate
• Domestic Partner: State of California Domestic Partnership Registration
• Child(ren): Birth or Adoption Certificate(s) 
• Step Child(ren): Marriage Certificate/Domestic Partner Registration & Birth or Adoption Certificate(s)

• I am making changes to my benefits, when will the changes be effective?

Changes made to your medical, dental, vision and FSA accounts during Open Enrollment will be effective January 1, 2023.