Eligibility

Health insurance is available to all salaried employees. Coverage is not available to Other Personal Services (OPS) employees. The University of West Florida and the employee share the cost of premiums on either a pre-tax or post-tax basis. Employees have 60 days from their date of hire to enroll. Plan changes are only allowed during the annual open enrollment or as a result of an approved qualifying status change.

How to Enroll

Begin your enrollment by completing the enrollment form and submitting it to Human Resources. People First is the benefits plan administrator for the State of Florida. Their responsibilities include, but are not limited to processing enrollments of pre-tax insurance, processing qualifying status changes (QSC), verification of dependent eligibility, and COBRA benefits.

Summary

Although the benefits are similar from all providers, there are some differences. For example, out of pocket expenses differ between plans, but the premiums are the same. The monthly premiums are $50 for individual coverage and $180 for family coverage. If you elect to participate in the HIHP (Health Investor Health Plan), the premiums will be $15 for individual coverage and $64.30 for family coverage. For additional information on the HIHP click here.

HMO: (Health Maintenance Organization)

The self-administered, pre-paid health plan is available to employees who live or work within the HMO's service area. There is no coverage for services outside of their service area except for life or limb threatening emergencies. You must select a primary care physician that will authorize all medical care, including referrals to specialists and hospital admissions. In the HMO plan, you will pay a co-payment for routine services and emergency room visits.

PPO: (Preferred Provider Organization)

This self-insured health plan administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc. This plan provides you with the freedom to go to any health care provider. In-network providers meet a lower deductible and lower co-payment for services than non-network providers. With the PPO plan, you do have the flexibility to receive medical attention wherever you are.

To assist in your decision making process visit http://www.myflorida.com/mybenefits/Health/Health.htm. This website includes a wealth of health-related information, as well as Health Insurance and Flex Spending Calculators.