Open Enrollment Update: What You Need to Know Before Enrollment

Dear Colleagues,

Open enrollment for 2020 benefits will take place Oct. 21 through Nov. 4. As you prepare for open enrollment, we want to help you make the best decisions. Over the next few weeks, you will receive information about changes to the benefits plan and enrollment process.

Open enrollment is the one time each year that you can review your elections and choose the coverage that will work best for you and your family in the coming year. This is your only opportunity to enroll in or make changes to benefits, unless you have a qualifying change in status such as a birth, marriage or loss of coverage. Any changes you make will become effective Jan. 1, 2020.

Note: Before you enroll for 2020 benefits, check SmartSource and make sure your home address is up to date to guarantee your insurance card will be sent to the correct address. To make address or profile updates, log in to employee self-service (ESS) and make the change.

1. Log on to hopkinsbenefits.org to make your benefits selections.
2. Enter your JHED ID and password.
3. Select the "M" enrollment icon for access to SmartSource.
4. Make your enrollment selections.
5. Review your benefit selections and complete the checkout process.
6. Retain a copy for your records and print your confirmation statement – you will need this in case you have any questions later about the benefits you have elected for 2020. Don’t forget to confirm your dependents and beneficiaries!

If you do not make changes during the open enrollment period, your current benefits elections will remain in effect in 2020. However, you will not be enrolled in a flexible spending account, have vision coverage or receive a tobacco-free credit for 2020.

You must enroll online to:

• Elect vision coverage. As of Jan. 1, 2020, Employer Health Programs (EHP) will begin offering a standalone vision plan. A routine vision benefit will no longer be included in your medical plan. If you want vision benefits for routine services including regular eye exams, frames and contact lenses, you must enroll in the EHP vision plan during open enrollment and pay the biweekly premiums. Your existing vision coverage that is included with your medical plan will end Dec. 31, 2019.
• Sign up for Direct Primary Care (DPC). This innovative primary care practice will continue to be a benefit for Johns Hopkins Health System employees. Interested employees, including current DPC patients, need to sign up during open enrollment using the SmartSource benefits portal. Space is limited, and employees will be selected based on a first-to-register basis. More information is available on DPC’s website, including benefit features, enrollment-specific updates, interviews with the providers, practice location and contact information, and frequently asked questions.
• Earn the tobacco-free credit. Each year during open enrollment, you can affirm your tobacco-free status. When you do, you will receive a credit each pay period for the following year if you are enrolled in one of our medical plans. If you have already tested as tobacco-free for two years in a row, you do not need a new screening! Just sign on during open enrollment and affirm your status. Otherwise, to begin receiving the tobacco-free credit, you must have a voluntary tobacco screening through LabCorp, free of charge. We no longer offer on-site screenings — you need to schedule an appointment with LabCorp.
• Enroll or reenroll in a flexible spending account (FSA). An FSA, which lets you set aside pre-tax funds each paycheck for eligible health care expenses, is available to all employees. We offer two FSAs: a health care FSA and a dependent care FSA. You may enroll in one or both. You must enroll each year if you want to participate.
• Update beneficiaries and enroll dependents. Make sure your family’s information is up to date, and confirm that your dependents are enrolled.

An open enrollment newsletter will be mailed to homes in mid-October. This will contain detailed information about premiums and changes to benefits. If you have questions about open enrollment, please contact the Johns Hopkins HR Solution Center at 443-997-5400 or hrsc@jhmi.edu, or contact your human resources benefits representative.