Conference 7.286::digital

    Open Enrollment for LTD took place about two years ago and was highly
    advertised (several Email messages, home mailings, posters, VTX, etc).
    
    At the time it was clear to me that this was the only time you could
    make your LTD choice.
    
    Were you living under a rock?

    Not only that I, considering that I should have some incentive to
    return to work should I become disabled, just, as a part of the recent
    open enrollment, decreased my coverage to 75%. I suspect that had I
    been at 75% this time and planned to long term malinger (just kidding,
    as if anyone plans to become disabled) could have increased to 100%.
    
    Bob

    I was in the field at the time, as a software resident working on a
    DOD classified project. We barely had phones in there, let alone a 
    terminal I could dial into the DEC office with. My packet kept bouncing
    between WAO and OFO (my location was WAO, but my district wa in OFO and
    some well meaning mail person in WAO kept sending it to OFO, who kept
    sending it to WAO, etc). I finally got it a week after enrollment
    closed. I asked personnel if there was anything I could do. to sign up.
    I was told that there was never going to be another open enrollment
    UNLESS the price went up, and the only opportunity to change it would
    be if my marital or family status changed. No one told me that there was an
    exception process that I could go through, and I never persued it any
    further because  being at the kind of customer site I was at it wasn't
    really in a position to spend my time trying to fight it.  Tom, I'd be
    interested in persuing it.
    
    Deb
    
    P.S. The only home mailing I got said I'd be getting something through
    interoffice mail.

    Well, this is news to me.  I checked and am also at 50% ... I don't
    live under a rock and this is probably more surprising to more people
    than we think.
    
    Regarding change of marital status .... does anyone know what you
    should do if this does happen.  For instance, if you get married, will
    you have the ability to make a change?

    Item 3 on "YOUR BENEFITS AUTHORIZATION" form, which was mailed to each
    employees  home  quite  prior  to  the  November  18th open enrollment
    deadline, is titled DISABILITY COVERAGE. There are three choices; 
    
    1) CORE (50% company provided benefit)
    2) OPTION A (75%)
    3) OPTION B (100%)
    
    One may select an option and enter an effective date.

    >Regarding change of marital status .... does anyone know what you
    >should do if this does happen.
    
    I think that they have a form that you fill out.
    
    >                                For instance, if you get married, will
    >you have the ability to make a change?
    
    I believe that was the jist of it; married (or divorced?). Also, I
    think that I was told that the birth or adoption of a child would allow
    you to enroll. 
    
    Since we pay for any additional coverage, I really don't understand why
    we can't change it. Afterall, the additional coverage isn't costing
    DEC anything (beyond the admin costs of enrolling and payroll
    deduction)
    
    
    Deb

    RE: .5
    
    >Item 3 on "YOUR BENEFITS AUTHORIZATION" form, which was mailed to each
    >employees  home  quite  prior  to  the  November  18th open enrollment
    >deadline, is titled DISABILITY COVERAGE. There are three choices; 
    >
    >1) CORE (50% company provided benefit)
    >2) OPTION A (75%)
    >3) OPTION B (100%)
    >
    >One may select an option and enter an effective date.

    It may be on the form, but if you read the booklet that they sent you
    in the packet, changing disability coverage isn't an option. The one
    page letter that they sent in the packet says "you can enroll or make
    changes in medical, dental, reimbursement accounts and some life
    insurance options." No mention of being able to change disability
    coverage.
    
    Deb
    

Re: .1   I followed the procedure at the time & think the other stuff is ok-
         BUT---who knows??  I have a problem with a system that changes 
         your coverage down if you do nothing!  

Re: .2   Can you reduce your benefit but can't increase it???  Bob--- 
         I'd like to verify this before I talk to U.S.

Re: .4   I have a strong feeling that the numbers affected would blow your hair
         back!

Re: .5   I see the block on the form -but- it is not listed in the open
         enrollment book, or among "Your Choices for 1995" on p14.  And the 
         U.S.Benefits rep told me it was not part of the open enrollment. 

Re. .3 & .6  Deb---Your situation is like mine in that I don't feel like 
         I am requesting to have my benefit increases.  I feel like I am
         only trying to correct the benefit back to where it should have 
         been all along.  THEY changed it without my intent and it 
         -should- be fixable!!!

---Tom
         

    This reminds me of a problem I had with Life Insurance before we
    changed carriers.
    
    The form was coded incorrectly so if you chose 5X salary for Life
    Insurance, it was entered into the system as 3X.  After 3 years, I
    noticed the error and called to see if I could correct it.  I was told
    that I would have to pay the difference for the period of 3X in order
    to raise my coverage to 5X.
    
    I declined -- why should I have to pay retroactive life insurance in
    order to increase my coverage; I'm glad I didn't die!  ;}

    Well; I thought that I was going to be able to select lower coverage...
    NOT.... . I had called the hotline as I filled out my open enrollment 
    forms and the person there said I could lower my LTD to 75% by marking
    the appropriate spot and including an effective date. Today was
    supposed to be the magic day since my effective date was 11/28. It
    is not reflected on todays check stub. This will obviously not help
    anyone trying to increase their coverage. Someone from Utah? was
    asking for the outcome of my attempt to lower LTD coverage figuring
    if decreasing was possible increasing should also be possible.
    
    Regards;
    
    Sukovich

    According to the LTD open enrollment info., you can decrease coverage
    in the future, but not increase it until another open enrollment.  I
    remember reading this and specifically thinking I should get the 100%
    option which I could always lower at any time, and keep all my options
    open...
    
    Also, those of you insisting that you didn't want to change your
    previous coverage, that was never an option.  The previous coverage was
    2/3ds of your gross salary, tax-free, paid by an insurance
    company/policy.  The current plan offers 50%, 75%, and 100% of your
    gross salary, TAXABLE, paid for by Digital.  The plan is self-insured,
    just administered by an insurance company.  Key differences here...
    
    If I were in your position, I'd stop wasting time with Digital's
    mediocre disability plan (that's fraught with perils for you), and get
    a better quality plan outside.  Yes, it will cost more, but it is more
    than worth it if you can afford a few extra dollars per week.  I always
    planned to do so when I got my next raise....!  (Still do!)
    
    Things you can get externally that Digital won't provide:
    
    	- inflation protection for the lonnnnggggg-term
    
    	- specific job/occupation protection 
    
    	- portable coverage (ie: leave or get tfso'd from digital, and your
          coverage ceases precisely when you may need it most...)
    
    There's more, but I would encourage you to simply carefully read and
    re-read all the Digital LTD provisions keeping in mind that Digital
    takes your money weekly, decides the terms and conditions of
    disability, has no insurance policy to cover your benefits, pays
    benefits via payroll from company funds that are 100% taxable income to
    you, and now considers this a discretionary fringe benefit...
    
    Good luck.

Does anybody know why the LTD plan enrollment is not part of the open enrollment
(benefits express) this year. I am interested in changing my optional LTD 
coverage but the benefits express people have never heard of it and did not
provide any clues.

thanks,
Avinash

    It is never a part of our annual open enrollment.  
    
    When the plan changed significantly a couple of years ago, there
    was a special open enrollment for Long Term Disability.  
    
    Details on the plan, including circumstances under which you can 
    make a change, are outlined in VTX BENEFITS_US, under the heading
    "If You Become Sick or Disabled".
    
    Sue

    Call PSN at dtn 592-7500 to get LTD Open Enrollment information.
    
    Benefits under VTX (option 32), choose 3, then 1, then 6, then 8 for
    details.
    

You can only change LTD when you have a change in family status (birth,
adoption, divorce, marriage, etc.).

re. last three

Thanks for the explanation.

Avinash