Decision Support
Resources to Help You Choose
With so many benefit choices, you have important decisions to make. You will have support every step of the way, with access to education and resources that help you understand your options and the enrollment process.
Mercer Marketplace 365+ enrollment website – Visit the Mercer Marketplace 365+ website to find educational information and decision-support tools to help you select the benefits that are right for you. These tools allow you to:
- Model different cost scenarios;
- Compare plans side-by-side;
- Get personalized “Best Match” plan suggestions; and
- Learn about the advantages of health savings and flexible spending accounts
2020 benefits program presentations – Watch the Overview module. At the end of the presentation, you’ll be prompted to open a PDF document with links to view other presentations which include specific plan details. These recorded presentations can be watched at your convenience, from work or home with your spouse.
2020 Premium Rates
As you review your options, take an active role in managing your costs by selecting the right amount of coverage for your needs — remember, you’ll pay more from your paycheck for plans with lower deductibles and higher cost-sharing when you need care, but if you don’t expect to need a lot of care, higher deductible plans could save you money overall.
You can view your 2020 premium rates for medical, dental and vision coverage through the links below:
Enrollment Checklist
Use this checklist to prepare.
- Learn about your benefit options by reviewing the online Benefits Decision Guide.
- Think about your coverage needs, including how much health care ― and what type of care ― you anticipate needing for yourself and your family.
- Think about how you prefer to handle costs. For instance, would you rather pay more from your paycheck for a medical plan that covers more of your costs when you need care or pay as little as possible from your paycheck — even if that means bigger bills when you need care?
- Consider if you have enough protection to provide sufficient income for your loved ones in the event of a disability, dismemberment or death.
- Verify your dependent eligibility and submit required documentation within 31 days from the date you add your dependent to your coverage.
- Enroll in an FSA and/or HSA to help you save money — these accounts allow you to pay for eligible expenses with pre-tax money ― and if you are enrolled in one of the three high deductible health plans, you are eligible to receive Reward Dollars for completing wellness activities between January 1 and November 30, 2020.
- Add your beneficiaries during the enrollment process.
- Complete your benefits enrollment.
- Print your confirmation statement.
TIP: Think about the whole cost.
When choosing a medical plan, it’s important to think about the whole cost of coverage — the amount you’ll spend out of your paycheck, as well as out of your pocket (deductibles and coinsurance).
Top 4 Questions
- What happens if I don’t enroll within 30 days of my first day of employment?
If you do not enroll within 30 days of your first day of employment, you will only have Company-provided benefits, as applicable.
After you make your initial benefit elections, you will only be able to change or add benefits if you have a qualifying change in status, such as a marriage or the birth of a child in the middle of the year. Go to the Making Benefit Changes section to see a more complete list of the events that would qualify you to change your benefit elections mid-year.
- How are the medical plans different?
The key difference between the plans is how much you pay from your paycheck and how much you pay toward the cost of health care you receive throughout the year. Consider how you prefer to handle costs. For instance, would you rather pay extra every pay period for a medical plan that covers more of your costs when you need care, or pay as little as possible from your paycheck — even if that means bigger bills at the time you receive services? The other consideration is that the three high deductible health plans allow you to contribute to an HSA, but the $900 Deductible Plan does not.
- What’s the difference between the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and the Health Savings Account (HSA)?
The way the Health Care FSA and the HSA work is largely the same — you contribute to your account through automatic, pre-tax payroll deductions, then use the money to pay for eligible health care expenses. However, there are some important differences. For example, all the money in an HSA rolls over year after year and is always yours to keep, whereas you can only carry over $500 in a Health Care Flexible Spending Account. With an HSA, you must have the funds available in your account to pay for an expense; an FSA allows you to reimburse yourself up to the total amount you choose to contribute for the year — even if the money has not yet been contributed to your account. It’s also important to note that you cannot contribute to both an HSA and Health Care FSA at the same time; however, you can contribute to both an HSA and a Combination FSA.
- I have questions about my benefits. Whom do I contact?
Benefits counselors are available by phone through Mercer Marketplace’s dedicated Transamerica Benefits Center at 866-891-4274 or via secure online chat on the Mercer Marketplace 365+ website, Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET.
After your benefits enrollment ends, benefits counselors can assist you with making coverage changes if you have a qualifying event during the year, help you locate providers and specialists and answer questions about how your benefits work.