Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment for the 2025 Plan Year IS NOV. 1 -  nov. 15, 2024

Open Enrollment is the time to make benefit elections and enroll in Flexible Spending for 2025. Add or update your beneficiaries; is everything correct? If not, let the Benefits team know ASAP!

NO CHANGE TO EMPLOYEE MONTHLY HEALTH INSURANCE COST SHARE

• The same cost will be $95 ($90 for medical + $5 for dental) for Employee Only and $116 ($111 for medical + $5 for dental) for Employee with Dependents for 2025

What can I do during Open Enrollment?

NOW -- Log into Employee Self Services (ESS) now to make sure your login credentials are up to date so you don’t have issues during Open Enrollment.  Stuck in Employee Self Services (ESS)? Check out the step by step guide HERE.

November 1 – November 15

Open Enrollment for Deschutes County Employee Health Plan begins on November 1^st and closes November 15^th.  All changes and elections need to be submitted to HR no later than 5 PM on Tuesday, November 15^th.

• Deschutes County Employee Open Enrollment Instructions
• ESS Open Enrollment Instructions

During Open Enrollment (OE) all benefit-eligible employees must make choices regarding their benefits.

Even if you are not changing any benefits, you must make benefit elections for the 2025 plan year. Beginning November1^st you will have to go to Employee Self Service (ESS) and review your benefits and select:

• Decline benefit
• No change
• Make New Election

You must submit your choices even if you are not changing your benefits.

Open enrollment informational meeting will be presented via 1 hour Teams meetings.  A recording of the presentation will also be posted on the open enrollment page shortly. Join on your computer, mobile device or room device.
Virtual meeting times:

THIS ELECTION IS FOR THE CALENDAR PLAN YEAR: 1/1/2025 - 12/31/2025

1. Review and select your medical/dental plan enrollments for 2025.

2. Review your dependents.
   • Have you had family changes? Did you get Married? Divorced?
   • Remember only qualifying dependents are listed on your benefit plans: spouse, same sex domestic partner, and children.
3. Enroll in a tax-saving 2025 flexible spending account. You must enroll at Open Enrollment each year to participate!
   • Medical (HRE) & Dependent care (DCE)
   • Per IRS guidelines, you must reenroll in Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) every year.
   • Please review your FSA account balances as soon as possible. All Dependent Care Expense (DCE) and Heath Related Expense (HRE) funds must also be used for expenses incurred in the current plan year with the exception of the IRS HRE rollover amount allowed at the end of the year.
   • The IRS HRE rollover maximum for 2024 is $610.  You must enroll in a Health Related Expense (HRE) account in 2025 to rollover any 2024 funds. 
   • There is no rollover for the Dependent Care Expense (DCE) accounts.  Your balance must be used for expenses incurred in 2024.
4. Enroll or increase your supplemental life and accident insurance.
   • CIGNA is now New York Life (NYL).  You will see updated information brochures when you complete open enrollment.  The rates will not change for the 2025 plan year.
   • The only voluntary life insurance increase that is not subject to medical underwriting during open enrollment is a $20,000 increase to Employee & Spouse Voluntary Life, and only if your current coverage amount is less than $100,000 for employee or $30,000 for spouse.  All other increases or new coverage requests for an employee and/or a spouse will require medical underwriting by NYL to determine insurability.  Medical underwriting will occur after open enrollment is complete.
   • Voluntary life and ADD changes can be made any time throughout the year.  These will also require medical underwriting
5. Deferred Compensation
   • Two of our deferred compensation carriers have changed their names.  Mass Mutual is now Empower and ICMA is now MissionSquare.  Nationwide did not change their name.
   • DEFERRED COMPENSATION CHANGES MADE DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT WILL NOT BE EFFECTIVE UNTIL JAN 1, 2025
     • You can make changes effective for December 2024 through the regular process.  Reminder that changes must be submitted through ESS the month prior to the effective date.  If no further change is received, a December change will carry forward into 2025 until you make a new change. 
6. AFLAC
   • Enroll/re-enroll in pre-tax voluntary benefits through AFLAC representative Becky Swanson at (541) 531-5759 or by email at rebecca_swanson@us.aflac.com. 
7. LegalShield
   • Enroll/Cancel paid subscription to legal services through LegalShield.  Information on services provided can be found on the LegalShield Plan Overview

For a detailed explanation on Open Enrollment options, and changes this year, click on the links below. Open Enrollment details are emailed to employee's work email addresses and copies provided to those without an email address.  You must make benefit elections even if you are not making changes to your health care coverage.  If you want to enroll in or continue Flexible Spending for the next plan year, you must enroll at each Open Enrollment.    

Human Resources staff is available for questions; just give us a call  (541) 317-3154, or send us an email at benefits@deschutes.org.