May 1 thru May 31 is when we have an opportunity to re-evaluate and switch our Medical and/or Dental plans for the next year...this is the only time of the year that you can do this unless there is a "life change" such as childbirth, marriage, divorce, death). Changes can be made directly thru your CORE-CT portal for those who have CORE-CT access and these changes will be effective July 1, 2025. If you do not want to make any changes then do nothing and your current plans will simply continue.
A few things to note about this year's plans:
First, there will be an audit of dependents this year so if you are carrying someone on your insurance who shouldn't be there then make sure you remove that person from your insurance plan; that means remove ex-spouses (unless ordered by the court to carry them), children over 26 (unless allowable by other circumstances),no boy/girlfriends, no neighbors, no pets, no golf partners, etc)...there are consequences for improperly carrying people on your insurance so make sure to remove them.
Next: the prices for Medical went up. While the overall trend of rising healthcare costs is not something we can control, these increases would have been higher had they not already been mitigated by numerous initiatives of the joint Health Care Cost Containment Committee with the State Comptroller, and it is hoped that next years’ experience will be much better. Because these increases are high in comparison to what we’ve seen in most years, employees are advised to look carefully at their plan choices to see if alternative plans may be available.
Next: The big change this year is in the Quality First Select (narrow network ) Plan. This plan is only available to CT residents and has a smaller network of providers, however, this year Hartford Healthcare has joined this network which greatly expands the plan's range and appeal. Adding Hartford Healthcare should make the Quality First Plan more appropriate/attractive for many members. There is a price difference for those already in the network compared to those switching into it, this change is due to an initial "promotional" agreement offered to those who jumped on board when it was first introduced several years back.
Next: As our Medical/Dental plans have shifted and morphed over the years it may have gotten a bit overwhelming and confusing, fortunately this has been streamlined and nearly everything you want to know about your health plans (providers, HEP requirements, forms, pharmacy, plan info, programs, contact info, etc) can all be found in one spot: carecompass.ct.gov If you need guidance or information you can head to that site to seek most answers.
Lastly: The Comptroller's Office has compiled its annual "Healthcare Planner" which helps to walk you thru selecting a plan. A&R has taken elements of that planner and linked them on our website under our tab labeled "Resouces | Healthcare Plan" so you can quickly find them throughout the year if you ever wish to do so. Some of those elements are:
2025/26 Progress on Your Personal HEP Requirements
2025/26 Payroll Deduction Amount
2025/26 A Basic Guideline To Navigating our Healthcare Plan