Important information about health benefits from Todd Burson, vice president for finance

Dear colleagues,

For many families, and for many organizations, health insurance and health care can be some of the most significant expenses in an annual budget. Kenyon strives to keep costs down and benefits robust, and last year we introduced changes to our plan designs (summarized here) aimed at managing costs, maintaining coverage and expanding choices for employees. These changes were recommended by the College’s Benefits Committee (PDF), an advisory group made up of representatives from Staff Council, Faculty Affairs Committee, Faculty Executive Committee, Human Resources and Senior Staff, who gathered input from employees, researched plan designs and vetted proposals. The first phase of changes took effect on July 1, 2019; the second will take effect July 1, 2020. When implemented, the new plans will be in line with plans offered by peer schools in Ohio (PDF).

To review, for the 2019-20 benefit year, the College introduced new plan administrators for dental (Delta Dental) and prescription drugs (OptumRx). Faculty and staff saw expanded benefits for both dental and medical: in moving to Delta Dental, employees gained access to a larger network of dental providers and an increased annual maximum benefit ($1,500, up from $1,000); in retaining UMR as our medical plan administrator and implementing United Healthcare’s Choice Plus Network, employees also gained access to larger network of medical providers.

Looking ahead to the 2020-21 benefit year:

• UMR will remain our medical provider. A Plan Advisor service will be added to all of our plans. This service offers assistance with assessing plan options, finding providers, understanding coverage and reviewing claims.

• The Basic and Premium health plans will be modified. Deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums will increase. A summary of changes can be found here (PDF). 

• A vision plan will be introduced. For those who elect it, this new plan will offer a $10 co-pay for annual eye exams, $20 co-pay for materials, $225 retail frame allowance, $180 contact lens allowance and a 12-month benefit frequency.

• In addition to the current Basic and Premium health insurance plans, the College will add a third option, a High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with a Health Savings Account (HSA). Park National Bank, formerly known as First Knox National Bank, will partner with the College for this account, with no annual bank fees. 

• Teladoc services will be available for all medical insurance plans. This service offers one-on-one consultations with a physician via phone, video or mobile app for routine ailments. For those participants on the Basic or Premium plan, this will come with a $10 co-pay. For those participants on the HDHP plan, this will be a $45 charge. 

Equally important are decisions to lower premiums by 5% and to adjust the salary ranges for premiums. The College covers a greater percentage of premium costs for lower salary bands, and those bands have been adjusted for inflation. This link (PDF) shows the adjusted salary ranges.

Information sessions will be offered to assist employees with understanding the upcoming changes. Representatives from UMR and Delta Dental will be present at each session to answer any questions about current medical and dental issues and offer guidance for choosing a plan for the new benefit year. If you need assistance in choosing a plan, please bring as much information as possible on your prior usage of healthcare services.

Information sessions:

• March 17, 6 a.m. (Maintenance conference room)

• March 18, 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Gund Ballroom)

• March 23, 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. (Community Foundation Theater)

• April 16, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Community Foundation Theater)

• April 22, 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. (KAC Theater & Community Foundation Theater)

The open enrollment period for the 2020-21 benefit year will be April 6 through May 1.

I am grateful to the Benefits Committee, whose efforts were instrumental in designing a set of plans that improve health benefits and expand plan options while also slowing the pace of future cost increases for both employees and the College.

Sincerely,

Todd Burson
Vice President for Finance