This Month: Learn about Your New Health Plan Options at Union Town Halls

Our unions are fighting in Trenton to control health care costs, maintain the quality of benefits, and provide more plan options. During a Special Open Enrollment this month, you have the opportunity to choose from newly available Aetna health plans, change from one Horizon health plan to another, or stay right where you are now.

Having more plan choices is one way to control costs, maintain the quality of benefits, and hopefully meet your individual and family health care needs. You have until April 30 to review materials and make changes to your current health plan. If you make a change, it will be effective on July 1. You will still be able to make changes during the regular open enrollment during October, with those choices implemented on January 1, 2025. Changes to your dental plan or dependents can’t be made this month, but you can make changes in October.

If you want to stay in your current health plan, there’s nothing you need to do at this time. But we do encourage you to look at the new plan options and attend a union town hall.

Our unions are working with the the union coalitions at Rowan, UH, and Rutgers to run health care town halls throughout the month of April, with the first three on the following dates:

• Tuesday, April 16, 6–8 p.m. – Click here to register
• Wednesday, April 24, 6–8 p.m. – Click here to register

Aetna and Horizon will be running webinars throughout the month about the plans they offer—click here and look for the webinars labeled “SHBP State/State Colleges” (purple for Aetna and blue for Horizon).

There are also currently the following employer-provided resources available:

• Rutgers University Human Resources will run a webinar on Tuesday, April 16, at 10 a.m.
• University Hospital’s Benefits Team will host a benefits fair in the UH Cafeteria on Wednesday, April 17th from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM to provide information on the new plans.
• Rowan University has information about the special open enrollment period on their Benefits Website, where you can schedule an appointment with a specialist.

You’ll also find some useful links for the Special Open Enrollment below.

Our unions are fighting every day for our members who are in the state health plan, but we are also working to win health benefits for our adjunct faculty colleagues. Look for some exciting news on that front in the coming months and join the fight!

In solidarity,

Useful Links for 2024 Special Open Enrollment

• Plan Comparison Chart: https://www.nj.gov/treasury/pensions/documents/hb/oe2024/ha0895.pdf
• Calculate Your Costs
• Horizon Calculator: 2024-premium-contribution-calculator
• Aetna Calculator: https://aetnastatenj.com/2024-contribution-calculator.php
• State Health Benefits Program Home Page:https://www.nj.gov/treasury/pensions/hb-active-shbp.shtml
• Rutgers Open Enrollment Home Page:https://uhr.rutgers.edu/benefits/special-benefit-open-enrollment-2024
• Aetna Home Page: https://aetnastatenj.com/state-plans.php
• Horizon Home Page: https://www.horizonblue.com/shbp/2024-special-open-enrollment