LTD Recipients Open Enrollment Benefits Overview
2024 Open Enrollment Period: October 9 - 27, 2023
Welcome to the 2024 Benefits Open Enrollment season!
Open Enrollment begins on Monday, October 9, 2023, and closes at 8 p.m. (ET) on Friday, October 27, 2023.* The Open Enrollment period is your annual opportunity to review the benefits offered by the university and to change your benefit selections for the upcoming year. You can add or remove benefits, dependents and more. Any changes requested to your health and welfare plans after the Open Enrollment period will require a Qualified Life Event (QLE), such as a change in marital status, spouse’s work status or coverage, etc.
To review the full benefits guide and rate information coming soon for 2024, please visit go.gwu.edu/2024OE and click on "Long Term Disability."
*Important: The Open Enrollment period that runs October 9-27, 2023, is only for those LTD recipients or dependents who are continuing benefits via bswift. For those continuing benefits through Via Benefits, please see the "Post-Age 65 LTD Recipients and dependents" section below.
Benefits Overview
It is important to prioritize your health and well-being goals. Open Enrollment 2024 provides the opportunity for you to reevaluate your current benefits and make choices for the year ahead that will allow you to maximize your health and well-being.
Please take a moment to review this summary of what’s changing and what’s staying the same for the upcoming year.
Post-Age 65 LTD Recipients and dependents
For LTD recipients and dependents age 65 and older enrolled in coverage with Via Benefits, the Open Enrollment period will be October 15 – December 7, 2023. For more information, contact Via Benefits at (855) 232-5748.
Note: LTD recipients enrolled at Via Benefits who opted to continue dental and/or vision coverage through bswift, please see “How to Enroll” section for more Open Enrollment details.
UnitedHealthcare Vision Plans for 2024
Participating LTD recipients and dependents will experience an increase of 1.5% in their vision contributions across both plans and all coverage tiers. The monthly contribution increases will be less than $1 for all plans and coverage tiers. Both the GW Basic and Enhanced vision plans will continue to be offered. There will be no changes in coverage.
DID YOU KNOW?
Your UHC Vision plan includes express vision exams (some state restrictions apply), a broad pediatric vision benefit, expanded benefits for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and a hearing discount.
Aetna Dental Plans for 2024
Dental contributions will increase approximately 4% in 2024 across all three dental plan options for each coverage tier. The monthly contributions will increase between $2 and $6 depending on your plan and coverage tier. There will be no changes to coverage. The High PPO, Low PPO and DMO plans will continue with no changes in coverage.
What's Staying the Same for 2024?
- Medical Plan Features/Programs
- Centers of Excellence
- Freestanding Imaging and Labs Preferred Network
- GW Medical Faculty Associates (MFA) Benefit Coverage Tier on the LTD PPO medical plan
- Virtual Visits
- Prescription Plan Features/Programs
- Diabetes Management Program
- Mandatory Maintenance Choice-All Access Opt Out
- PrudentRx available via the GW PPO Pharmacy Benefit
- Basic and Enhanced Vision Plans
- Group Home and Auto Insurance
- Health Advocate
- Identity Theft Protection by AllState
- Pet Insurance by Nationwide
GW Benefits Enrollment System: How to make elections for 2024
Your eligible 2023 benefit elections will roll over to 2024. If you do not wish to make any changes, no action is needed; however, we do recommend that you review your current elections to ensure that they still provide the coverage you need.
If you are enrolled in benefits through bswift: Beginning October 9, 2023, you may log in to the GW Benefits Enrollment System at go.gwu.edu/directbill to review, change or select your benefits options. You may log in to the enrollment system and make changes as often as you would like during the three-week Open Enrollment period.
The deadline to make changes is 8 p.m. (ET) on October 27, 2023. New plan elections and/or coverage level changes will become effective January 1, 2024.
If adding a dependent for the first time, you may upload your supporting documentation directly into the enrollment system or scan and email your dependent documentation to GW Benefits, [email protected] or mail to 44983 Knoll Square, Suite 391, Ashburn, VA 20147 by Friday, November 3, 2023. Dependent enrollment is pending until documentation is received and verified. Please note that your spouse/domestic partner and dependents cannot enroll in any university-sponsored plan unless you are also enrolled.
If emailing your supporting documentation, please send encrypted.
IMPORTANT: If you choose not to continue medical coverage during Open Enrollment, you will not be eligible to participate in GW medical plans in the future.
GW LTD PPO Medical Plan Pre-Medicare and Medicare Rates
The GW LTD PPO has different rates for plan participants depending on the Medicare eligibility of the LTD recipient and dependents. If you and/or your dependents are eligible for Medicare, are paying the higher GW LTD PPO Pre-Medicare rates and would like to be enrolled at the GW LTD PPO Medicare rates, please contact GW Benefits at [email protected] or (571) 553-8382 for further assistance.
We strongly encourage you to contact Health Advocate at (866) 695-8622 prior to enrolling in medical coverage especially regarding your Medicare eligibility status and how Medicare coordinates with the university’s medical insurance plans.
Flu Shots
LTD Recipients covered by a GW medical plan can visit area pharmacies and convenience care clinics to receive a flu shot at no cost. GW medical plan participants will need to show their CVS Caremark ID card at the time of your flu shot. If you are not covered on a GW medical plan, please verify costs with your health insurance company. Most plans will cover the full cost of seasonal flu shots.
Direct Bill Premiums
Once you make your Open Enrollment coverage selection(s), you will receive payment invoices after the Open Enrollment period has ended, which you can use to submit your payments to bswift beginning January 2024 and going forward. Note: your monthly plan cost(s) may change for the new plan year even if you do not make any changes to your coverage.
Reminder: 1095-C Tax Form Electronic Consent
Did You Know that you can receive your 1095-C form electronically? Save time, support sustainability, and keep things secure. Login to go.gwu.edu/directbill to complete your online consent form to receive your 1095-C electronically. Once available, your form will be securely posted and stored to your employee file.
What is a Form 1095-C?
Eligible plan participants will receive a Form 1095-C tax document annually, which reports information about your medical coverage.
While you will not need to include your 1095-C with your tax return filing, or send it to the IRS, you may need information from your 1095-C to help complete your tax return. Think of it as your “proof of medical insurance” for the IRS.
Please contact the GW Benefits Call Center at (866) 365-2413 or email [email protected] for questions about benefits coverage, plan eligibility, or enrollment assistance.
Call Center representatives are available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.