Open enrollment — your chance to make major changes in your insurance coverage — starts October 1.

Open enrollment is the only time you can enroll in or drop health and dental coverage for yourself and your dependents, without a special eligibility situation. You can also make other changes. Everything you can do during open enrollment is explained in The Insurance Advantage, which you will receive by October 1.

All subscribers can use MyBenefits, the Employee Insurance Program’s (EIP) online enrollment system, to make open enrollment changes. If you haven’t registered for MyBenefits, visit EIP’s Web site, www.eip.sc.gov, and click on “MyBenefits” on the left side of your screen. You will be able to make open enrollment changes October 1-31.

You can also use MyBenefits throughout the year to print a copy of your benefits statement, change your contact information and change your beneficiaries.

Effective January 1, 2010, a surcharge will be added to the health insurance premiums of tobacco users covered by the Employee Insurance Program (EIP). The South Carolina Budget and Control Board approved the surcharge because of the high cost of tobacco use to all EIP health plans — an estimated $75 million a year for tobacco-related illnesses.

If you — or anyone you cover under your health plan — smokes or uses tobacco, you will pay the surcharge each month. You will be automatically charged the tobacco-user premium unless you certify no one covered under your health insurance uses tobacco and no one has used tobacco within the past six months. If more than one covered family member uses tobacco, the surcharge is the same amount.

All subscribers must submit certification concerning their tobacco use to EIP by October 31. You may submit your certification one of two ways:

• You can certify online at MyBenefits. Certifying online is fast and easy. Once you log in, you will see a link to certify. You can print a copy of the certification for your records. 
• You can complete a paper Certification Regarding Tobacco Use form and return it to EIP.

For more information on the tobacco surcharge and certification, visit EIP’s Web site, www.eip.sc.gov, and click on “Tobacco Use Certification” on the left side of the page.

If You’re Ready to Quit

If you participate in a Medical Spending Account, you should use your new myFBMC Card^SM Visa^® Card to pay for eligible medical expenses. Your EZ REIMBURSE^® MasterCard^® Card is no longer valid, and you should destroy it.

If you did NOT receive your new card, contact FBMC’s Customer Care Center immediately at 800-342-8017.

Prevention Partners Chronic Disease Workshops are a great way to learn how to care for yourself, or members of your family, in a supportive environment.

Programs are offered on a variety of topics, including diabetes, heart disease, smoking, men’s health, women’s health and weight management. Classes are free and are open to everyone covered under any health plan offered through the Employee Insurance Program, including dependents and retirees. All programs provide time for questions.

To see what is available in your area, go to the EIP Web site and select “Prevention Partners” and then “Training Calendar.” There is still time to sign up for these classes:

• Living with Diabetes — August 12, Florence
• Something’s in the Air (asthma, allergies, bronchitis) — September 1, Columbia
• Tobacco Management — September 16, Aiken
• Tobacco Management — September 23, North Charleston and Charleston.

All you have to do is select “Register” and complete the form. If your job title isn’t listed under “Title,” select “Other Designee.” If you don’t know your Employer ID, type in “10.”

Preventive Worksite Screenings are another popular program. Ask your benefits administrator or Prevention Partner coordinator when one will be offered where you work. Regional screenings are listed on the Prevention Partners home page. The next one is September 9-10 in Columbia.

With a new school year right around the corner, now is a good time to look at another advantage of higher education.

When your dependent turns 19, you can continue to cover him if he is a full-time student.

If you are an active employee, the Employee Insurance Program (EIP) will send a Student Certification letter to your benefits administrator (BA) approximately 90 days before your dependent’s 19^th birthday. To continue coverage, this letter must be completed and returned to EIP within 31 days of the child’s 19^th birthday. You must also include a statement on letterhead from the educational institution he is attending that confirms he is a full-time student and gives the dates of enrollment. This statement must be dated after the start of the semester. Evidence of pre-registration is not adequate.

If your child’s 19th birthday occurs during the summer, return the Student Certification letter to EIP with the “Pending Student Certification” block marked. You must submit the letter from the institution by September 30 verifying that your child is a full-time student. EIP must receive this certification by September 30, or the dependent child will lose coverage effective October 1.

If a child loses eligibility for coverage, the subscriber may enroll the child for coverage when he is once more a full-time student, within 31 days of a special eligibility situation or during open enrollment.

If your child is younger than 25 and has graduated from college but is going to graduate school, he can be covered during the summer if you send EIP an acceptance letter and verification of full-time student status.  

If your 19-year-old is certified as a full-time student while he is in high school, you must notify your benefits administrator within 31 days of the date he leaves high school.

When your child is covered as a full-time student, his eligibility for coverage ends the last day of the month in which he graduates, is no longer a full-time student, marries or the last day of the month in which he turns 25, unless he is covered as an incapacitated dependent. It is your responsibility to notify your benefits office that your child is no longer a full-time student and submit a Notice of Election form dropping him from your coverage. If notification is received within 60 days of when coverage would have been lost due to the event, continuation of insurance under COBRA will be offered.

The State Employee Adoption Assistance Program has been approved for Fiscal Year 2009-2010. Eligible employees who finalized an adoption between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009, may apply for financial assistance relating to the adoption. All completed applications under the terms and conditions of the program will be accepted from July 1, 2009, through September 30, 2009. The maximum benefit for adopting a non-special needs child is $5,000, and the maximum benefit for adopting a special needs child is $10,000.

Eligible employees include permanent or probationary, full-time or part-time employees of any department, institution, board, commission, council, division, bureau, center, school, hospital or other agency of the State of South Carolina, including temporary grant employees and time-limited employees. Law enforcement officers and employees of public schools and special purpose districts are also eligible. Employees must participate in the Employee Insurance Program (EIP) and be employed when the adoption is finalized, when the application is submitted and when the benefit is paid.

The financial assistance employees receive through the Adoption Assistance Program is subject to federal income and FICA payroll taxes, but is not subject to state income taxes. The employer is responsible for the employer payroll tax match. This amount must be reported on the individual’s W-2 at the end of the year. The employee is responsible for calculating and paying any federal income taxes due as a result of the financial assistance.

According to IRS Publication 15-B, Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits for Benefits Provided in 2009, an employer must report all qualifying adoption expenses reimbursed to an employee under an adoption assistance program. IRS Publication 15-B is available at www.irs.gov. EIP will withhold the employee’s share of the FICA payroll taxes from the adoption assistance benefit. The withholdings will be forwarded to the employer.

For more information or for an application, employees may call EIP’s Financial Services Unit at 803-734-1696 (Greater Columbia area) or 888-260-9430 (toll-free outside the Columbia area).