The Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE) period is an annual opportunity for eligible employees to enroll in or make changes to select benefit plans for the upcoming year.

This is the only time during the year when you are eligible to make benefit plans changes to most plans unless you have a life event (e.g. family or employment change) that allows you to change your benefits.

Changes made during this period will be effective January 1, 2022.

Important: This website will contain information about benefit opportunities and changes for 2022. For information about current UW System benefits (2021), please visit the Employee Benefits Website.

Informational Session Presentation – this provides details on the specifics for changes related to all insurances and providers as well as benefit fair sessions and how to obtain assistance with self-service. Go to the Informational Session Presentation section below for details.

View the UW System video highlighting the general changes for 2022 – A high-level overview that does not include specifics to provider changes or options for assistance at UWO. View the Informational Session Presentation for those details.

Learn All The Changes – Visit the UW System ABE webpage

• Changes Allowed During ABE
• 2022 It’s Your Choice (IYC) Health Benefits Decision Guide

Must Enroll in Every Year

• Flex Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Account
• Health Opt-Out Incentive
• Note: Parking and Transit is not available for UW employees if you are having parking deductions taken pre-tax from your paycheck.

If you have questions for the vendors, please visit the Virtual Benefits Fair Sessions section below.

Facilities Specific Trades Employees: Change effective January 1, 2022

• Eligible for full employer contribution rate towards health insurance
• Eligible for employer contribution towards the Health Savings Account (HSA) if elect the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)
• Eligible for the opt-out stipend if elect
• Must elect the insurance during Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE) period Sept. 27 – Oct. 22, 2021.

Once you have made your benefits plan decisions, enroll through Self Service. All elections must be completely submitted by 4:30pm on Friday, October 22, 2021.

You will be required to provide the below information, so have this information handy.

• Dependent names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth
• Copy of health insurance card (if you have other health insurance coverage)

Tipsheet for How to Enroll or Make Changes

Video on How to Make Changes

High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) Enrollment Requirement:
Employees who enroll in HDHP must provide updated coverage information every year via the Personnel Information module on the My UW System portal. Click here on how to update information under ‘Coordination of Benefits’

Must Enroll in the following EVERY YEAR:

•  Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
•  Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
•  Opt-Out Incentive for Health Insurance

Individual and Family Life Insurance

• For increasing coverage, do so online via self-service
• For decreasing coverage, complete a paper application and submit to Human Resources
  • Do not email application as our email is not secure

All elections must be completely submitted by 4:30pm on Friday, October 22, 2021.

ALEX

• online decision-support tool that acts as an informative, personalized benefits counselor.
• ALEX will help you learn more about ALL the benefits that UW System offers and make the benefit plan decisions that may be best for you and your family.

ETF Benefits Mentor

• For health insurance only
• IBM Benefits Mentor is the new interactive benefits counselor* for active state employees and non-Medicare retirees.
• Powered by ETF’s secure data warehouse, Benefits Mentor will use your claims information (if available) as a basis for personalized plan design recommendations.
• Benefits Mentor also considers your medical needs and what is most important to you when choosing a health plan.

These virtual Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE) presentations are held by the UWO Human Resources Benefits Specialist. Come hear the changes that are taking place for 2022.

You do not need to RSVP to attend.

This presentation is being recorded if you are unable to attend any of the session dates listed.

Click here to join the meeting Or call in (audio only) +1 608-440-8168,,131702569# , Phone Conference ID: 131 702 569#

Session Dates/Times:

• Thursday, September 30  – 8:00am – 9:00am
• Thursday, September 30 – 3:30pm – 4:30pm
• Wednesday, October 6 – 11:30am – 12:30pm
• Friday, October 8 – 1:30pm – 2:30pm

View the Informational Session Presentation PowerPoint

Virtual Benefit Fair Sessions with individual vendors, including ETF, are available. This is the time to ask questions directly with the vendors regarding coverage, etc.

Visit here to register for a session. You will be sent an email with a link to participate in the session.

Appointment times will be made available from October 4 through October 21.

These 15-minute one-on-one appointments are opportunities to gain assistance with completing the self-service online enrollment/change processes and answer basic ABE specific questions. You choose the method: virtual, phone, or in-person.

This is not a time to learn about the changes; This is a time to gain assistance with the changes you wish to make or ask personal questions.

Sign-Up is Required: The 15-minute time slots in October are specifically for ABE questions.

Click here to sign-up if you need assistance with enrolling/making changes or have basic ABE specific questions.

You will be enrolling/making changes via Self Service. You may be required to provide the below information, so have this information handy.

• Dependent names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth
• Copy of health insurance card (if you have other health insurance coverage)

Deadline to enroll/make changes is Friday, October 22, 2021 by 4:30pm.