Annual Enrolment Campaign

The 2009 Annual Enrolment Campaign will begin on 1 June and will extend through 30 June. Staff members who are currently enrolled in a United Nations health insurance plan do not need to take any action unless they wish to change plans or add eligible dependants. Staff members at Headquarters who wish to enroll, change their current plan or add eligible dependants must come in person to the Insurance and Disbursement Service to submit the application form and other forms as necessary.

On 15 and 16 June, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., representatives of the insurance companies will be at UNHQ to provide information about the various health insurance plans offered. The insurance company desks will be located in the staff activities area near the Secretariat cafeteria entrance. The Health & Life Insurance section will have a desk in the Secretariat during these 2 days to answer questions and accept applications.

Applications will be accepted by the Insurance Section throughout the campaign period. Customer service hours at 304 East 45th Street, 3rd Floor, Room 300 will be as follows:

1 - 12 June 2009:               1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays

9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Wednesdays

15 - 30 June 2009:             9:30a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday

Potential co-payment and annual deductable provisions that would reduce premium requirements are still under discussion. The 2009 Information Circular including the new premium rates is, therefore, not ready for distribution but is expected to be finalized for release shortly. A summary of the updates included in the circular will be posted on the insurance website at: www.un.org/insurance.com

Staff members are reminded that this will be the only opportunity until the month of June 2010 to enroll in the United Nations medical and dental insurance plans, to change to a different plan or to add eligible dependants, aside from specific "qualifying" circumstances, such as marriage, transfer, birth or adoption of a child, regarding which special provisions for enrolment between campaigns are established.

The medical and dental plans being offered during the June campaign and the links on which plan outlines may be found are as follows:

• Empire Blue Cross PPO
• Aetna "Open Choice" Plan
• HIP Health Plan of New York (HIP)
• CIGNA Dental PPO Plan (CIGNA)
• Vanbreda International
• ActiveHealth Management program
• MEDEX

The effective date of insurance coverage for all campaign applications, whether for enrolment, change of plan or change of family coverage, will be 1 July 2009.

Staff members who switch coverage between the Aetna and Blue Cross plans and who have met the annual deductible or any portion thereof under either of these plans during the first six months of the year, may be credited with such deductible payment(s) under the new plan for the second six months of the year under certain conditions. The deductible credit will not occur automatically and can be implemented only if the staff member takes the following actions: (a) formally requests the deductible credit on the special form designed for that purpose; and (b) attaches the original explanation of benefit (EOB) statements attesting to the level of deductibles met for the staff member and/or each eligible covered dependant. The deductible credit application form, which will be available at the office of the Insurance and Disbursement Service during the enrolment campaign, must be submitted to the Insurance and Disbursement Service (not to Aetna or Blue Cross) together with the relevant EOB statements no later than 31 August 2009 in order to receive such deductible credit.