Dear Illinois Tech Faculty and Staff,

Illinois Tech’s annual open enrollment period for benefits will run from Monday, November 1, 2021, through Friday, November 12, 2021. Changes made during Open Enrollment become effective January 1, 2022. You are encouraged to attend a live informational session to learn about benefit changes for 2022, or you can watch the recording of the first session which will be posted on the HR Portal Benefits page following the presentation.

Important information, dates, and times to keep in mind with detailed directions below:

• Open enrollment for Medical, Health Savings Accounts, Dental, and Vision is done through Banner self-service (via my.iit.edu).
• Open enrollment for Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts is done through Wageworks (www.wageworks.com).
• Open enrollment for life insurance for yourself and eligible members can be done by contacting me directly.
• The Banner open enrollment tool will be open for elections until 11:59 PM on November 12, 2021.
• Wageworks will be open for elections until 10:59 PM on November 12, 2021 (they close one hour early due to timezones).
• Team members from the Office of Human Resources will be available on November 12, 2021 to answer any of your questions until 5:00 PM CST.

Open Enrollment is the one time of year when benefits-eligible employees can change plans, add or drop coverage, and/or add or drop eligible dependents, unless a qualifying Life Status Changing Event has taken place (examples of qualifying Life Status Changing Events throughout the year include, but are not limited, to birth/adoption of a child, loss of benefits coverage external from the university, change in marital status, etc.).

Read on to discover more about what’s available to you and your families for 2022. You can also click here for our 2022 Benefits Guide.

BENEFITS EVENTS
This year we are pleased to once again offer flu shots on-site, and to be hosting a virtual financial wellness presentation by Fidelity, one of the university’s 403(b) vendors.

• Flu Shot Event: Wednesday, November 10, from 11am-1pm in the MTCC Brown Room. Reserve your space by clicking here.
• Financial Wellness Workshop: Friday, November 19, at 10am, virtual. Sign up by clicking here, and then clicking on “Attend a learning event.”

OPEN ENROLLMENT INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS
This year, we are returning to in-person benefit presentations. The first session will also be live-streamed, as well as recorded and posted on the HR Portal Benefits page for on-demand viewing throughout Open Enrollment. Live sessions will be held as follows:

• Monday, November 1, at 11 a.m. in the MTCC Auditorium, also available for viewing live by clicking here.
• Wednesday, November 3, at 3 p.m. at the Conviser Law Center, Room 580
• Tuesday, November 9, at 1 p.m. in the MTCC Auditorium
• Thursday, November 11, at 9 a.m. at the Conviser Law Center, Room 580

Those who wish to discuss individual concerns are encouraged to email Viktoria Rill at vrill@iit.edu to schedule a virtual appointment.

A Benefit Resources page is available: Do you need benefits information broken down, or don’t know the difference between PPOs, HDHPs, HSAs, FSAs, or DHMOs? A series of short videos on the new Benefit Resources HR Portal page are now available to help. Videos cover the basics of all of our benefits plans, and most are three minutes in length or less!

Changes for medical, dental, and vision benefits must be made online through Banner self-service, accessible through your MyIIT portal. Click here for instructions on how to make changes in Banner Self Service. Individuals making changes are strongly encouraged to contact Anjuli Rabindranath at arabindr@iit.edu or x73398, Viktoria Rill at x73353 or vrill@iit.edu, to verify changes have been successful. If you are not making changes, no action is required.

In Case You Missed It: New in 2021

PET INSURANCE – NATIONWIDE
We are pleased to be able to offer preferred pricing on pet insurance through Nationwide. These plans include both medical and wellness options, and reimburse up to 90% for veterinary bills including accidents, illnesses, and other conditions. Those interested can enroll or cancel at any time directly through Nationwide. For complete information, including a summary, FAQs, and information on how to access this benefit can be found on the HR Portal Pet Insurance Benefits page.

PERKSPOT – PERKS AND DISCOUNTS
Illinois Tech is pleased to offer this program, which offers thousands of perks and discounts. From travel to cell phones, steaming services to groceries, there are over 30,000 national and local offers available through Perkspot. This benefit even provides preferred pricing for home and auto, and legal insurance plans. For more information and how to register, please visit the HR Portal Perks and Discounts page.

2022 CONTINUING BENEFITS

The university has decided to absorb the marginal BCBS premium increase cost for calendar year 2022 so there will be no increases to the BCBS premiums. Our dental insurance premiums are going down by 3%. 

MEDICAL – BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD

• There will be no rate changes, and no changes to the structure of either the In Network Only PPO or HDHP.
• For HDHP members, the Health Savings Account (HSA) maximum limits increase.
  • The combined IRS maximums for HSA accounts will increase to $3,650 for single and $7,300 for family coverage in 2022, plus an additional $1,000 in catch-up contributions allowed for those 55 and over.
  • Illinois Tech will continue to contribute to HSAs for HDHP members at the rate of $500 for single, $1,000 for self+1, and $1,500 for family-level plans for the 2020 plan year. IIT contributions are prorated monthly, with contributions deposited at the end of each month.
  • On the fence about the HDHP? Try this HSA vs PPO Calculator to see which plan might work best for you. There are also in-depth videos on the Benefit Resources page.
• All members continue to have access to Blue Value Advisor (BVA) and Member Rewards. BVA is a price-comparison service; Member Rewards pays a cash incentive when you use a more cost-effective option.
• Wonder Health (formerly Naturally Slim) sessions continue. Visit the HR Portal Health Benefits page for sessions and registration information.
• Hinge Health joint pain management program continues. Visit the HR Portal Health Benefits page for additional information.
• Livongo diabetes and hypertension management program continues. Visit the HR Portal Health Benefits page for additional information.
• MD Live Virtual Visits program continues.

For complete information on both plans, including plan summaries and rates, please visit the HR Portal Health Benefits page (or connect through MyIIT, Work tab, HR Announcements box).

DENTAL – DELTA DENTAL

• Rate DECREASE for both PPO and DHMO members.
• Orthodontia coverage maximum age under PPO increases from 18 to 25. DHMO covers orthodontia at all ages.

For complete information on both plans including plan summaries and rates, please visit the HR Portal Dental Benefits page (or connect through MyIIT, Work tab, HR Announcements box).

VOLUNTARY VISION – EYEMED
There will be no changes to the EyeMed Vision plan. For complete information, including a summary and rates, please visit the HR Portal Vision Benefits page (or connect through MyIIT, Work tab, HR Announcements box).

SUPPLEMENTAL LIFE/AD&D INSURANCE – BCBS ANCILLARY 
(formerly Dearborn National)
There will be no changes to these plans; however, BCBS Ancillary will allow those covered at one time their annual salary in supplemental life coverage to increase to two times their annual salary without Evidence of Insurability (EOI, or medical underwriting). Revisions for self, spouse, and/or dependent children must be submitted to HR via the forms on the HR Portal Supplemental Life page by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 12.

HEALTH AND DEPENDENT CARE FLEXIBLE SPENDING, AND PRE-TAX COMMUTER PROGRAMS – WAGEWORKS/HEALTH EQUITY

• Flexible Spending—2021 elections do NOT carry forward. If you wish to continue health and/or dependent daycare flexible spending, you MUST re-enroll for the 2022 plan year at www.wageworks.com. WageWorks closes for open enrollment at 11pm CST on November 12. The IRS has not announced an increase to the annual maximum election amounts for Flexible Spending Programs. They remain at:
  • Healthcare Flexible Spending: $2,750 per year per individual
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending: $5,000 per year per household
• Please note that HDHP health plan members may only open a Limited Purpose FSA, allowing funds to be used only for dental and vision expenses. HDHP members should select “FSA-Compatible” when making their 2022 FSA election. All others should select “standard coverage.”
• Illinois Tech utilizes the WageWorks online enrollment tool for Flexible Spending Accounts, available at www.wageworks.com. Once you log onto the WageWorks website, simply follow the prompts for Open Enrollment. If you do not remember your username or password, you can utilize the “Forgot” link and follow the steps for username or password recovery. If you continue to experience difficulty, please contact WageWorks customer service at 877.924.3967, as Illinois Tech does not have access to this information.
• Pre-Tax Commuter Program—There will be no changes to the current plan. Pre-tax commuter (transit and parking) elections may be made at any time during the year and are not limited to Open Enrollment. WageWorks elections can be used for transit passes and parking, and are now compatible with uberPOOL, Lyft Link, and SpotHero. Orders are due by 10:59 pm EST on the 10th of the month for the following benefit month (i.e., December orders are due by 10:59 pm EST on Tuesday, November 10). The IRS announced no increases to monthly maximum amounts for pre-tax transit and parking elections, therefore they remain at $270 per month.

403(B) RETIREMENT PLAN – TIAA & FIDELITY
There will be no changes to the current plan. If you are not currently participating in the 403(b) plan and/or receiving the employer match and have met the eligibility requirements listed below, now is a good time to enroll. The university contribution begins at 5% of the annual base salary with no employee contribution and it caps at 9% with a 4% employee contribution. If you are not yet match-eligible, please consider participating on an unmatched basis by setting up your contribution in Banner Self-Service and enrolling with TIAA and/or Fidelity. Additional information including the form can be found on the HR Portal Retirement Plan page.

The IRS has not announced increases to contribution limits for 403(b) plans as of October 27, 2021. Therefore they will remain at $19,500 per year for participants under age 50, and $26,000 per year for those age 50 or over. If you wish to contribute the IRS maximum to the 403(b) plan and did not do so in 2021, you will need to complete a new Salary Reduction Agreement form for 2022.

You may change your 403(b) contributions at any time during the year. Most changes can be made via Banner Self-Service, however, those electing the match for the first time must complete a Salary Reduction Agreement form. Please note that the match is NOT automatic. You are responsible for enrolling or updating your election when you become match-eligible. You must complete a Salary Reduction Agreement form when electing the match for the first time.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM – LIFEWORKS
There will be no changes to the current plan. Lifeworks remains as Illinois Tech’s Employee Assistance Program. This program provides employees and their families voluntary, confidential, and free access to short-term counseling, with operators available 24/7, 365 days a year. Online resources and toolkits cover a wide range of topics that include emotional, physical, and financial well-being, as well as work-life issues. Log in for access to articles and videos, and to access discounts. The phone number, website, and username/password information can be found on the HR Portal Employee Assistance Program page .

TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
There will be no changes to the current offerings. Illinois Tech continues to offer various tuition benefits to benefits-eligible employees and their families. For more information on these benefits and to apply, please visit the HR Portal Tuition Assistance page.

If you have questions regarding Open Enrollment, please contact me at x7-3353 (312.567.3353) or via email at vrill@iit.edu.

Thank you.

Viktoria Rill
Associate Director, Total Rewards
Human Resources