Annual Benefits Open Enrollment

FY2024 GIC OPEN ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 to Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 4:00PM EST 

For Changes Effective July 1, 2023 (Fiscal Year 2024)

View the FY24 Active Employee Open Enrollment Packet  

View the FY24 Retiree and Surviving Spouse Open Enrollment Packet

View the FY24 FSA Enrollment Form

View the Cigna Dental Enrollment Form

Annual open enrollment is here, giving you the opportunity to review your benefit options and choose a new health plan if you desire. 

Please carefully review the FY24 Open Enrollment packet and the GIC Decision Guide, as many carriers and insurance plans have changed!  

Our New Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) provider for July 1, 2023 is AmeriFlex by Colonial Life.  If you would like to enroll in a FSA Account, you must complete and return the FSA Enrollment Form to the Benefits Office or contact AmeriFlex.  Forms can be returned via email to benefits@springfieldcityhall.com or delivered to City Hall Room 18 Drop Box.  American Fidelity products will no longer be offered after June 30, 2023.

Please take this opportunity to think about what you and your family need in the way of health care.  Additionally, please review the list of additional required documents if you have dependents or are turning 65!

Be sure to read your FY24 GIC Benefit Decision Guide  for annual enrollment details. Please review the material provided during open enrollment, even if you don't plan to make any changes:

  • Review the GIC Benefit Decision Guide for benefit and rate changes effective July 1, 2023
  • Review the City of Springfield Rates Sheet  to see which plan fits into your budget!
  • Consider enrolling in a limited network plan to save money every month on your premiums.  These plans have the same benefits as the wider network plans, but save money because they have fewer physicians, hospitals, and other providers.
  • Contact the plans to find out if your doctors and hospitals still participate in your plan. 
  • Check on copay tier assignments that affect what you pay when you get physician or hospital services.  Copay tiers can change each July 1 with new data.

Your GIC Benefit Decision Guide is an overview of GIC benefits; it is not a comprehensive plan handbook.  There may be other services that you and your family need.  Contact each plan to find out details about those benefits. 

Keep in mind!  Once you choose a health plan, you cannot change plans during the year, unless you move out of the plan's service area. If your doctor or hospital leaves your health plan, you must find a new participating provider in your chosen plan. 

See the GIC website for the latest annual enrollment news, forms to expedite your decisions, and answers to frequently asked questions. A new Summary of Benefits and Coverage document, as required by federal health care reform, provides a summary of a GIC plan benefits and cost-sharing requirements.  View, fill out, print all GIC Forms from our website.

It is now possible to complete and sign GIC Enrollment Forms electronically through a secure email link. Simply call the Enployee Benefits Dept. at (413) 787-6055 or email: benefits@springfieldcityhall.com, provide us with an email address and the link will be forwarded to you immediately. 

All forms can be found on our Benefits Forms Website!

If you have questions, please contact us via email at benefits@springfieldcityhall.com or call 413-787-6055.

Mark the Date! Enrollment forms must be submitted to the Employee Benefits Dept. or the GIC no later than Wednesday, May 3, 2023 @ 4:00PM EST.

FY2024 GIC Plan FAQs

GIC Benefits Highlights for Fiscal Year 2024

  • Pharmacy/Prescription Benefits Managers:
    • Active Employees & Non-Medicare Retirees will now have prescription benefits administered by CVS Caremark. (*change from Express Scripts). Prescription benefits (deductible and copays) remain unchanged.
    • Medicare prescriptions will remain with CVS SilverScript

Please review the Health Insurance Plan Changes sheet as many carriers and plans have changed for benefits effective July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024. Detailed information can be found on pages 4-5 in the GIC Benefits Guide.  

If you are currently enrolled in a health plan that is being discontinued in FY2024 and you do not choose a new plan, you will automatically be default enrolled in a comparable health plan (Health Insurance Plan Changes) . It is important to evaluate your options and select a health plan that meets your needs. After evaluating your options, if you do not want to select a different health plan during Annual Enrollment, no further action is needed.

Non-Medicare Plan Changes

  • Tufts Health Plan & Harvard Pilgrim Health Care merge to become Point32Health July 1, 2023
    • Tufts Navigator and Harvard Pilgrim Indepence members will be enrolled in Harvard Pilgrim Explorer
    • Harvard Pilgrim Primary Choice and Tufts Spirit members will be enrolled in Harvard Pilgrim Quality
      • Tufts Spirit members living in Barnstable County will be enrolled in Unicare Commity Choice
  • UniCare Basic Members
    • Members living outside of New England (MA, CT, RI, ME, VT) will be automatically enrolled in a new plan offered through Harvard Pilgrim, the Access America PPO.  This will offer members access to a larger network of providers, particularly in Florida.  This plan replaces UniCare Basic for those members outside of New England.
    • Members living within New England or Internationally - UniCare Basic with CIC and without CIC will be enrolled in UniCare Total Choice.
  • AllWays Health Partners has changed its name to Mass General Brigham Health Plan, and their GIC health plan has been designated as a broad network plan, available to residents throughout Massachusetts. As a result, the AllWays Complete HMO plan has been renamed the Mass General Brigham Health Plan Complete.
  • Plans NOT changing are UniCare Plus, UniCare Community Choice, and Health New England

Medicare Plan Changes

  • UniCare Medicare Extension OME (with or without CIC) members will no longer have to pay separately for CIC coverage.  This plan will simply be called UniCare Medicare Extension.
  • Tufts Medicare Complement Plan is no longer available to members. Members who were in that plan may select a new Medicare plan, and if no action is taken, they will be default enrolled in the Harvard Pilgrim Medicare Enhance plan.
  • No changes for Tufts Health Plan Medicare Preferred (Medicare Advantage) or Health New England Medicare Supplement

AmeriFlex - Flexible Spending Accounts

*Active Employees Only*

AmeriFlex by Colonial Life is the City’s NEW FSA & Dependent Care FSA Provider

Enroll April 5, 2023 – May 3, 2023

FY24 FSA Enrollment Form

The City has partnered with AmeriFlex as the new Section 125 Plan provider (Health & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts). You may elect to set money aside directly from your paycheck for a Flexible Spending Account (Health Care FSA and/or Dependent Care FSA).  The FSA benefit allows you to contribute pre-tax dollars to individual accounts for eligible uninsured or unreimbursed medical, dental, vision, and dependent care expenses.

                                                Annual Minimum               Annual Maximum

Health Care Accounts                      $300                                    $3,050

Dependent Care Accounts               $500                                    $5,000 

The Health Care FSA is a DEBIT CARD which allows you to “Swipe-N-Go”.  You will only be able to use your debit card for eligible health care expenses.

A Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA) is a pre-tax benefit account used to pay for eligible dependent care services, such as preschool, summer day camp, before or after school programs, and child or adult daycare. If you sign up for a Dependent Care Account, you will need to submit for reimbursements. 

If you are currently participating in the FSA benefit, you will be required to RE-ENROLL for the new plan year July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.

Please email FSA Forms to benefits@springfieldcityhall.com or contact AmeriFlex by Colonial Life to enroll:

Chat: www.myameriflex.com

Phone: 888-868-3539 

Email: service@myameriflex.com

Please note that American Fidelity will no longer be offering Supplemental Benefits or Health & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts to City of Springfield and Springfield Public Schools employees effective July 1, 2023.  Employees may contact Colonial Life or Trustmark to enroll in Supplemental benefits.

Cigna Dental Plans - New for FY2024

*New Plans Available starting July 1, 2023*

Cigna Dental Enrollment Form

The City of Springfield will continue to provide dental and vision coverage through Cigna. Enrollment into the dental and vision benefit is automatic with your enrollment into any of the medical plans. You do not need to complete additional forms to be enrolled. Please review the Cigna Dental and Vision benefit summaries for more detailed information about Dental and Vision coverage.

The City is now offering two (2) new Dental plans for FY2024:

The current base DPO4 Dental Plan and PPO Vision Plan will continue to be offered. 

  1. Employees and Retirees can add supplemental Dental coverage by enrolling in a “Buy-Up” DPOB Plan.  The cost of this additional coverage will be paid by the Employee/Retiree. The City will continue to provide 75% of the cost of the DPO4 Base Dental/PPO Vision Plan.
  2. Employees and Retirees can opt into a lower cost narrow network DHMO Q5100 Dental/Vision Plan.  This plan has narrow network of providers and City will provide 75% of the cost of this plan.

Enrollment in either of these new plans can be completed by filling out the Cigna Buy Up form and returning it to the Employee Benefits Department.  Deductions for these plans will begin in June. View the City of Springfield Rate Sheet for Plan costs. 

*The cost of the Dental Buy-up DPOB is 100%covered by the employee/retiree and is in addition to the Cigna Base DPO4 Plan.  Therefore, if you are a 52 week Individual employee, your total weekly deduction for Dental/Vision would be Base DPO4 ($1.63) + Buy-up DPOB ($2.76) = Total $4.39 per week

**An 52 week Individual employee enrolling in the Narrow Network DHMO Q5100 would only pay $1.51 per week

***If you do not purchase the Buy-up DPOB or switch to the DHMO Q5100, your deduction will continue be the Cigna Dental/Vision Plan-Base DPO4

Please contact a Cigna Representative to discuss plan options and what might be best for you and your family! 

Plan Name  Coverage    52 Weeks     26 Weeks     22 Weeks     Monthly  
Cigna Dental/Vision Plan - Base DPO4  Individual               1.63              3.27              3.86            7.08
   Family               3.78              7.56              8.94          16.39
           
 Dental Buy-Up DPOB   Individual               2.76              5.52              6.52          11.95
 *Supplemental paid by EE/RET   Family               6.92            13.85            16.36          30.00
           
 Narrow Network Dental/Vision DHMO Q5100   Individual               1.51              3.03              3.58            6.56
   Family               3.27              6.54              7.73          14.16
Page last updated:  Friday, April 7, 2023 12:47 pm