Open Enrollment for Employers

Partner with CalPERS health plans to host virtual or onsite Open Enrollment Health Fairs for your agency, where they'll answer benefit questions and provide resources to help your employees as they explore their options during the upcoming Open Enrollment. Onsite events are subject to city and county ordinances or health plan discretion.

Request Support or Printed Materials

Use the Open Enrollment Tool to submit your Request Form for virtual or onsite support or printed materials. The Request Form is open from July 22 through August 30. Once you submit a request, each health plan will receive a notification and they'll contact you directly.

Tips for Virtual or Onsite Open Enrollment Health Fairs

• Beginning July 22, submit a request for virtual or onsite support using the Open Enrollment Tool Request Form.
• Create or use existing external/internal websites that'll house all virtual resources.
  • Market the website(s) and resources to your employees through email and mail.
• Email weekly Open Enrollment reminders to your employees.

Important Dates

To register for a class, log in to your myCalPERS business partner account, then select Education. Participate in the Health Business Rules class to increase your understanding of the following:

• Eligibility & enrollment requirements
• Health Plan options
• Health benefits into retirement
• Best ways to manage resources

The information below outlines roles and responsibilities for processing enrollment transactions for your employees.

Contracting public agencies, schools, and state agencies, along with their active employees, can make online health enrollment changes. When your employees use this functionality, you do not need to collect the HBD-12.

Use of the functionality is at the discretion of your agency and does not change your roles and responsibilities as outlined below.

Health Benefits Officer Role

As the designated health benefits officer or assistant health benefits officer, you're the authorized point of contact to process CalPERS health transactions and provide health eligibility and enrollment information to your employees. Encourage your employees to reach out to you directly for any questions or assistance related to Open Enrollment transactions.

To ensure successful ongoing CalPERS health benefits and communication, all employees should:

• Have a myCalPERS account.
• Maintain a current email address, health eligibility ZIP code, and communication preference.
• Submit supporting documentation needed to verify their dependents.
• Confirm their new health plan and monthly premium adjustments in their January 2025 paycheck.

Verify and Maintain Supporting Documentation

You have a fiduciary responsibility to manage the CalPERS Health Program by ensuring that only eligible employees and their dependents are covered. Employers are responsible for obtaining and maintaining records of all supporting documentation that determines the eligibility of enrolled dependents. At the time of enrollment – or anytime thereafter – you have the right to request additional supporting documentation needed to verify a dependent's eligibility.

To find a list of eligible dependent types and for additional information, refer to the Health Program Guide (PDF) (available September 9).

Submitting and Approving Transactions

All health enrollment transactions should be submitted through myCalPERS. If your employees are using online health enrollments self-service, you will need to review and approve those transactions in myCalPERS. Early submission and approval will ensure timely processing of health plan ID cards and proper payroll deductions. For more information on adding and updating health transactions view our myCalPERS Student Guides.

• The deadline for processing all Open Enrollment transactions is 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Friday, November 8, 2024.
• Your employees may choose to use their employer ZIP code as their health eligibility ZIP code when they first enroll in CalPERS health, upon a move, or during any Open Enrollment period.
• If you're unable to complete all Open Enrollment transactions before the processing deadline, contact us at 888 CalPERS (or 888-225-7377). Don't forward unprocessed Open Enrollment request forms to us.

COBRA

During Open Enrollment, you're responsible for submitting transactions for former employees or their dependents enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage who want to change or cancel health plans or add/delete eligible dependents.

Employees on Leave of Absence

You're also responsible for submitting transactions during Open Enrollment for employees on a leave of absence who want to change plans or add/delete dependents. Employees who do not change plans or add/delete dependents during Open Enrollment may do so within 60 days from the date they return to regular pay status.

Rescinding Transactions

You can rescind health transactions when the effective date of the transaction occurs in the future. For example, before the January 1, 2025 effective date, if an employee decides they no longer want to change health plans, you can rescind the transaction in myCalPERS.

Rescinded transactions must be updated before the December 2024 cutoff date. Open Enrollment transactions rescinded after the December 2024 cutoff date will be adjusted during a subsequent pay period.

State and CSU Agencies

Visit the Civil Service Benefits Cutoff Calendar to view the State Controller's Office (SCO) benefit cutoff dates.

Contracting Agencies and Schools

Refer to the 2024 Health Billing Cutoff Dates, Contracting School Districts and Public Agencies (PDF) attachment linked in Circular Letter 600-004-24 for 2024 health billing cutoff dates and payment information.

Review Health Premium Adjustments

If an employee's January 1, 2025 pay warrant does not reflect the proper premium payment of a health plan change, the premium payment will be adjusted during a subsequent pay period.

Advise the employee they should've discontinued using their prior plan after December 31, 2024. Verify that myCalPERS reflects the appropriate enrollment and advise the employee that the payroll discrepancy will be resolved.