Notice of Special COVID-19 Dental and Vision Enrollment Opportunity

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  • To assist our members in accessing care in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, UnitedHealthcare is providing its fully-insured dental and vision plan customers with a one-time Special COVID-19 Dental and Vision Enrollment Opportunity (“Special Enrollment Opportunity”) to enroll employees who previously decided not to enroll in coverage. The opportunity will be limited to those employees who previously waived or did not elect coverage.

  • Existing eligibility and state guidelines will apply.

  • Employees who previously elected self-only dental and/or vision coverage will be able to change their election to include coverage of eligible dependents, such as spouses and children, as long as they are enrolled in the same coverage or benefit option as the employee.

  • The Special Enrollment Opportunity is limited to employees and their dependents who waived coverage at the time when they were first eligible for coverage in this plan. This is not an open enrollment period where all covered employees are required to change a benefit election.

  • The one-time special enrollment opportunity will extend from May 18, 2020 through May 29, 2020 for fully-insured dental and vision plan customers.

  • Customers are not required to adopt or participate in the Special Enrollment Opportunity. This is an option for those who wish to do so. Customers should make their own determination.

  • UnitedHealthcare will provide a “Notice of Special COVID-19 Dental and Vision Enrollment Opportunity” to be used by our customers to inform employees of this opportunity to enroll in their group dental and/or vision plan. Customers wishing to offer this one-time special enrollment opportunity should complete the Notice and distribute it to employees who are eligible for this specific coverage under the plan.

  • There will be no need to separately amend the plan policy or certificate of coverage. Employers may use the “Notice of Special COVID-19 Dental and Vision Enrollment Opportunity” that will serve as the plan certificate of coverage amendment.

  • We recommend that customers speak with their benefits counsel or tax advisor for more information as to any customer impacts.

This notice contains important information about a change to your enrollment rights under your employer’s group dental and/or vision plan underwritten by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York (the “Plan”). You should read this notice carefully and keep it in the same place where you keep other Plan information.

This notice amends your Certificate of Coverage(s) by changing your plan’s enrollment and benefit election provisions. The changes are effective June 1, 2020.

  1. Your employer is offering employees who have not enrolled in the plan a Special COVID-19 Dental and Vision Enrollment Opportunity (“Special Enrollment Opportunity”). For the period of time described below, employees who did not previously enroll will be allowed to elect coverage.

  2. Employees who previously elected self-only coverage will be able to change their election to include eligible dependents, such as spouses and children, so long as they are enrolled in the same coverage that you are enrolled in under the Plan.

  3. This is not an open enrollment period where all covered employees may change their existing benefit election. It is limited to the situations described in sections (a) and (b) above

If you wish to elect coverage under the Special Enrollment Opportunity, you will have from May 18, 2020 through May 29, 2020 to make the election. Coverage will be effective as of June 1, 2020, provided your plan administrator receives your properly completed enrollment form and any required contribution for coverage during the special one-time enrollment period.

This one-time Special Enrollment Opportunity expires on May 29, 2020.
For more information, contact your UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits representative.

CIRCKA