Open enrollment runs Sept. 30-Oct. 25
State Health Plan rates will not increase this year, but employees must act on any changes and tobacco attestation.
Staff and faculty will be able to make changes to benefit plans during the four weeks of open enrollment, Sept. 30-Oct. 25, 2024. The changes made during this period will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025.
What to know about this year’s Open Enrollment
*No rate increases for the State Health Plan.
*You will receive a new health insurance ID card sent from Aetna; this card goes into effect Jan. 1, 2025.
*The State Enrollment Portal will only have the State Health Plan and tobacco attestation, while the UNC System Enrollment Portal will have all the other benefits.
*Everyone in the State Health Plan defaults to the 70/30 health plan for 2025; if you want the 80/20 health plan, you must select enrollment in that plan.
*Make sure to fill out the tobacco use attestation during open enrollment, or you will pay $60 more a month in premiums.
*To have a flexible spending account (FSA) for 2025, you must enroll (or re-enroll) in the UNC System Enrollment Portal.
How to complete your open enrollment
You will use two enrollment portals to make your benefits selections. Links to both portals are available online when you log in to Connect Carolina , select “Self Service”, and go to the “My Benefits” section. On the left, select “Benefits Enrollment”; there you can select both enrollment portals for your open enrollment. You may also enroll or update by phone.
*State Enrollment Portal for only the State Health Plan and tobacco attestation. To enroll by phone, call 855-859-0966.
*UNC System Enrollment Portal for all other benefits plans. To enroll by phone, call 833-862-1490.
Open enrollment is the only time you can make changes to your benefits plans unless you experience a qualifying life event such as a change in your employment or marital status outside of the annual enrollment period.
Transition to Aetna
The State Health Plan is transitioning to Aetna starting Jan. 1, 2025. Because the State Health Plan is a self-funded plan directed by the State Treasurer’s Office, there are no changes to coverage with this administrator. Learn more on the State Health Plan website about the move to Aetna in 2025.
As one of the steps for open enrollment, you will select your primary care provider through the Aetna link provided in the State Enrollment Portal. You can search a list of in-network providers on the Find a Doctor page of State Health Plan website. By selecting a primary care provider, you will pay less for the copays when seeing that provider.
In 2025, Aetna will be providing new services for State Health Plan members, including a teledoc platform for virtual visits, a 24/7 Ask-a-Nurse phone line and a new concierge phone service.
Tobacco attestation
All employees in the State Health Plan must complete a tobacco attestation every year.
If you are a tobacco user, you can take action now to save $60 on your monthly premium credit for the 2025 State Health Plan.
Through Nov. 30, tobacco users can attend a free tobacco cessation counseling session at their primary care provider’s office to earn a wellness credit that will reduce the monthly premium for employee-only coverage under the State Health Plan. If you completed a session last year and have continued to use tobacco products, you must complete another session to earn the credit for 2025.
If you are not a tobacco user, you will simply need to attest to that online during open enrollment to avoid the $60 monthly surcharge.
Find out more on the Tobacco Attestation Information page of the State Health Plan website.
Read more about open enrollment on the UNC Human Resources website.
