Human Resources: Enrolling in Benefits
Choosing the right health insurance plan can be confusing. You can easily get lost in all of the acronyms like PPO, coinsurance, copay, deductible, and OOP Max. Fortunately, OEBB has developed informational videos ( each under 3 minutes long) to help you make the right decision for you and your family. Many, if not all, of your benefit enrollment questions can be answered by watching these videos so please take advantage of this valuable resource.
Heath Insurance 101: The Basics
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Enrolling in and Changing Benefits: The Game Plan
HSAs and HDDPs: Your Healthcare Nest Egg
Planning For Retirement: Your Blueprint for Success
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Plans and Pricing
Open Enrollment is August 15th - September 15th for benefits effective October 1st every year.
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2020-21 Plan Year
To review the plans, pricing, and incentives available to you, please select the appropriate employee group below:
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2019-20 Plan Year
To review the plans, pricing, and incentives available to you, please select the appropriate employee group below:
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OEBB Enrollment Guide (walks you through signing up for benefits on the OEBB website
Important Plan Selection Facts
12-Month Waiting Period if you delay enrolling in Dental Coverage
If you do not enroll yourself and/or your dependent(s) in dental and/or vision coverage when initially eligible, then choose to enroll during an Open Enrollment period, you and your dependent(s) will be considered a “late enrollee” and will be subject to a 12-month waiting period on all dental plans, meaning only diagnostic and preventive care on the dental plans will be covered for the first full 12 months of coverage.
Why is this waiting period in place? Dental services tend to be less urgent than medical services, which leads to “adverse selection”, meaning people who know they need costly services are most likely to enroll. The uninsured have greater leeway to postpone needed services until they attain insurance to cover them. If left unregulated, this can cost the plan more in claims than the premiums it brings in. The waiting period helps control costs, maintaining a balance between premiums coming in and claims paid out.
Why is this waiting period in place? Dental services tend to be less urgent than medical services, which leads to “adverse selection”, meaning people who know they need costly services are most likely to enroll. The uninsured have greater leeway to postpone needed services until they attain insurance to cover them. If left unregulated, this can cost the plan more in claims than the premiums it brings in. The waiting period helps control costs, maintaining a balance between premiums coming in and claims paid out.
New to Willamette Dental or Kaiser Permanente?
Willamette Dental Group and Kaiser Permanente both require you to use their facilities and providers to have services covered. If you are currently covered by a different carrier and switching to one of these plans, be aware that you will need to change providers.
What is an incentive dental plan?
Moda's Delta Dental Premier Plans 1 and 5 are "incentive plans," meaning as long as you visit the dentist at least once during the plan year, the level of benefit for certain services will increase the following year (up to a maximum of 100 percent). If you switch to one of the other non-incentive or "constant" plans - the Kaiser Dental Plan, Willamette Dental Plan, or Moda's Delta Dental Premier Plan 6 or Exclusive PPO Plan - you will not retain any higher benefit level you previously earned. If you switch back to the incentive plan in the future, your benefit will start over at 70 percent.
Kaiser Vision Must Be Paired with Kaiser Medical
You must be an OEBB subscriber (employee or early retiree eligible for OEBB benefits due to your own employment status) enrolled in an OEBB Kaiser Medical Plan in order to enroll in the Kaiser Vision Plan. You may enroll in a Moda vision plan with a Kaiser medical plan, but you cannot enroll in a Kaiser vision plan with a Moda medical plan, or if you opt-out or waive OEBB medical coverage.
Dependent Eligibility
Make sure everyone you cover meets one of the definitions of an eligible dependent. Definitions of eligible dependents, including child, spouse, and eligible domestic partner, can be found on the OEBB website
Thinking about covering your grandchild?
Grandchildren are only eligible when the eligible employee is the court-ordered legal guardian or adoptive parent of the grandchild. Please review the Dependent Eligibility Requirements for additional information.
Considering Short-Term Disability?
If you apply for Short-Term Disability (STD) more than 31 days after first becoming eligible, the late enrollment penalty applies. That means the benefit waiting period is 60 days for a disability caused by physical disease, pregnancy, or mental disorder for the first 12 months you are insured under the OEBB short-term disability plan. For more information about Optional STD please review the Short Term Disability Insurance brochure from Standard Insurance Company.
Adding Long-Term Care coverage?
If you apply for long-term care coverage more than 31 days after first becoming eligible to apply, satisfactory evidence of insurability is required. You will need to complete and submit a Medical History Statement. In some cases, Unum may request additional medical information or a physical exam. Coverage will not become effective until the first of the month following Unum’s approval. For more information about Long Term Care Insurance, please visit UNUM Life Insurance Company of America.
Considering Optional Life Insurance?
Starting, the 2019-20 Plan Year:
If you apply for optional life insurance within 31 days of first becoming eligible to apply as a New Hire, your enrollment has a guarantee issue amount of $200,000 for the employee and $30,000 for spouse/partner coverage.
Any requested amount in excess of the guarantee issue amount or requested at a later date such as during an Open Enrollment period, will be subject to medical underwriting approval. For more information about Optional Life please review the Group Optional Life Insurance brochure from Standard Insurance Company.
If you apply for optional life insurance within 31 days of first becoming eligible to apply as a New Hire, your enrollment has a guarantee issue amount of $200,000 for the employee and $30,000 for spouse/partner coverage.
Any requested amount in excess of the guarantee issue amount or requested at a later date such as during an Open Enrollment period, will be subject to medical underwriting approval. For more information about Optional Life please review the Group Optional Life Insurance brochure from Standard Insurance Company.
How To Enroll
For medical, dental, vision, life, accidental death and dismemberment, and long term care insurance, you must enroll online in the OEBB system within the specified enrollment time-frame.
- New Employees and Newly Eligible Employees: Review the benefit information and enroll within 31 days of benefit eligibility in MyOEBB
- Mid-Year Changes: Certain life events such as the birth or adoption of a child, marriage, newly formed domestic partnership, or loss of other coverage may permit insurance enrollment outside of the open enrollment period. Complete the Enrollment Change Form and send it to Human Resources within 31 days of the event.
- 2020-21 Open Enrollment: Your annual opportunity to add, cancel and or make changes to your current medical, dental and vision benefits. The Open Enrollment period begins August 15th and ends September 15th of each year.
