2022 Health Care Benefits

Dear faculty and staff colleagues,

Health care benefits are an important component of compensation for faculty and staff members. Every year at this time we review and negotiate health care offerings and pricing to ensure we are able to provide our faculty and staff members, and their families, access to high quality health care with the lowest premiums possible. As open enrollment approaches, please find in this email important information about University of Puget Sound benefits effective Jan. 1, 2022.

Open Enrollment

Open enrollment is Nov. 5–19, 2021. This will be your opportunity to make changes to your benefit elections, add or drop partners and dependents, and verify that beneficiary documents are up to date. All enrollment forms will be completed electronically and will be available on the benefits website starting on Friday, Nov. 5. Human Resources staff members are here to help you through this process.

A separate communication will be sent to you on Friday morning, Nov. 5, to assist you in making elections and completing the required open enrollment forms.

Preview of 2022 Premium Costs

During the past year, our medical plan participants had greater need for medical care and medical claims costs have exceeded actuarial estimates and plan premiums. This increase in claims costs is projected to continue into 2022. As a result, medical premiums will increase by 10% in 2022. Premiums for dental and vision will remain the same in 2022. 

The university will continue to cover 100% of the health insurance premium for all eligible faculty and staff members enrolled in the university’s medical plan, as well as 50% of the premiums for dependent children and 25% of the premiums for spouse/partners. Both the university and faculty and staff members who cover a spouse/partner and/or dependent child/children will see an average increase in premiums of 10% in 2022. The university will continue making contributions to Health Reimbursement Arrangements to assist faculty and staff members with a portion of the medical deductible and pharmacy copayments. We appreciate that this is a very difficult time to encounter increases, and are committed to doing everything we can to provide quality health care at affordable rates.

Improvements for 2022

  • Chronic Condition Support with Livongo
    • Premera provides a comprehensive chronic condition support program through Livongo to help anyone managing diabetes or hypertension, or who may be at risk for developing diabetes, through their diabetes prevention program.
  • Specialty Medication Program with SaveonSP
    • For those who use specialty medications, our plan will now include the services of SaveonSP. This program allows you and our health plan to take advantage of discounts that the drug manufacturer gives through their payment coupon programs.

Look for an email from us on Friday morning as we launch open enrollment.

Sincerely,

Your Human Resources colleagues
Human Resources