Benefits to be extended to employees' children ages 19-26

Endowed faculty and staff members will soon be able to cover their children between the ages of 19 and 26 on their Cornell health and dental plans. In addition, both contract college and endowed faculty and staff with children in this age range will be able to cover those children on their Select Benefits medical reimbursement plans.

These changes are a result of the new national health reform legislation, the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Cornell will make this coverage possible early, holding a special 30-day status change enrollment period Sept. 1-30, with coverage retroactive to Sept. 1. The federal mandate requires employers to have this coverage in place by Jan. 1, 2011.

"We are pleased to hold this special enrollment period in order to give Cornell faculty and staff the opportunity this fall semester to better meet the medical needs of their children ages 19 to 26," said Mary George Opperman, vice president for human resources. "In light of the current economic challenges, Cornell families with young adults will especially benefit from this early coverage period."

To cover children ages 19-26 on health or dental plans, endowed faculty and staff will need to complete an enrollment form during the status change enrollment period. Participants who already have endowed family plan coverage that includes other children will not experience increased premiums for the expanded coverage. Those who move from individual (or spouse/same-sex partner) to the most inclusive family coverage level will see an increase but will not have to pay COBRA premiums for children until they reach age 26 and age out of the plan.

Children in this age range may be added regardless of their status -- it doesn't matter if they are full-time students, married, live at home or not, work for an employer that offers health insurance or are claimed as dependents on their parents' tax returns -- and can be covered until Dec. 31 of the year in which they reach age 26.

New York state has not yet released details for how or when changes to the contract college health plans will be implemented, but they will need to make coverage available for children up to age 26 under normal family premium rates by Jan. 1, 2011.

Already in effect: Endowed and contract college faculty and staff currently in the Select Benefits program have recently been granted the ability to submit medical bills incurred by their children ages 19-26, going back to March 30, 2010, for reimbursement. As always, these bills must be for expenses that insurance plans did not or will not cover. Select Benefits allows enrolled employees to receive pre-tax reimbursements for medical bills they would otherwise have to pay for with post-tax dollars.

During the status change enrollment period (Sept. 1-30), contract college and endowed faculty and staff will be able to enroll in or increase their current financial commitment to their 2010 Select Benefits Medical Reimbursement Account to help accommodate the expenses of their newly eligible children ages 19-26 by completing a simple enrollment form. Any increases in the amount withheld for the Select Benefits Medical Reimbursement Account will be withheld over the remaining paychecks of 2010. The effective date for Select Benefits changes is also Sept. 1, and employees will have through March 15, 2011, to incur expenses and until April 30, 2011, to submit claims for reimbursement.

The special status change enrollment period applies only to faculty and staff members with children between ages 19 and 26. The general benefits Open Enrollment period, during which all participants can make changes, will take place as usual in November, with changes taking effect Jan. 1, 2011. More information can be found at http://www.hr.cornell.edu/benefits, or call the Resource Center at Benefit Services at 607-255-3936 workdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. with questions.

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Joe Schwartz