The 2025 Open Enrollment Period for the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) and NJ Tax$ave Program runs from October 1, 2024, to October 31, 2024. This is your annual opportunity to assess your benefits needs and revise your medical, prescription, dental, and pre-tax flexible spending account selections. The deadline for modifications is October 31, 2024, for an effective date of January 1, 2025.
UHR Benefit Fairs and Vendor Webinars
UHR will be hosting a number of Open Enrollment fairs across the University. This will be your opportunity to ask questions related to medical and dental benefits, retirement plans, voluntary savings plans (for both retirement and flexible spending), and other related topics.
Stop by to meet your UHR team, vendor representatives, and take advantage of the opportunity to receive a flu vaccine! Visit the Rutgers Occupational Health Flu Vaccine webpage, to view offerings at your campus.
While you do not need to make an appointment to receive your flu shot, please be sure to bring your medical insurance card and a completed copy of the informed consent form that can be found on the Rutgers Occupational Health Flu Vaccine webpage.
New Brunswick
- October 15, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
College Avenue Student Center
Multipurpose Room
126 College Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ - October 24, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Busch Campus Center Multipurpose Room
604 Bartholomew Road, Piscataway, NJ
Camden
- October 16, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Camden Athletic and Fitness Center
301 Linden Street, Camden, NJ
Newark
- October 16, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Rutgers Health
Medical Science Building - B Level Grand Foyer
185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ - October 22, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Paul Robeson Campus Center - Essex
Multipurpose Room
350 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Newark, NJ
Benefit Vendor Webinars
Horizon BCBS, Aetna, OPTUM, Horizon MyWay and more of your benefit vendors will host live (and recorded) webinars throughout the month of October 2024. You may register by accessing the Webinar Calendar Link. Choose any of the “SHBP State/State Colleges” webinars.
Medical Plans
Employees can make changes to their medical and dental plans through BenefitSolver, the State’s online Open Enrollment tool, by logging in or creating a MyNewJersey portal account. If you have trouble creating an account or logging in, please contact NJ OIT support. If you have problems with the BenefitSolver tool, please utilize the support service within the application.
Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Aetna continue to be the providers of medical insurance plans for the SHBP. In addition to PPOs, HMO, Tiered Network, and High Deductible health coverage plans, they both offer resources for virtual medical and behavioral health care (telemedicine) as well as a host of other services and tools. More information regarding both Horizon and Aetna can be found below, as well as on their websites.
The current Aetna and Horizon medical plans will continue to be available for the 2025 plan year. While the plan offerings remain the same, rates may change. Finalized rates and calculators will be posted on the NJ Division of Pensions and Benefits (NJDPB) website, once available and below.
Available Medical Plans
The following medical plans administered through Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey will continue to be available to employees effective January 1, 2025
Horizon 2025 Contribution Calculator.
- NJ DIRECT/NJ DIRECT 2019 PPO
- NJ DIRECT15
- NJ DIRECT1525
- NJ DIRECT2030
- NJ DIRECT2035
- Horizon HMO
- Horizon OMNIA
- NJ DIRECT HDHigh
- NJ DIRECT HDLow
The following medical plans administered through Aetna will continue to be available to employees effective January 1, 2025.
- Aetna Freedom/Aetna Freedom 2019
- Aetna Freedom15
- Aetna Freedom1525
- Aetna Freedom2030
- Aetna Freedom2035
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Liberty Plus
- Aetna Freedom HDHigh
- Aetna Freedom HDLow
Incentive Program for Tiered-Network Plan
The Incentive Program for Horizon OMNIA and Aetna Liberty Plus will be extended for State employees with modifications to past years’ incentives. The program will offer a financial incentive of $1,000 to first-time enrollees who remain enrolled for one year for all coverage levels (i.e., Single, Member and Spouse, Parent and Child, or Family coverage). Incentive awards are sent out quarterly and are typically received 3-4 months after you have enrolled. Aetna Liberty Plus incentives are issued in the form of gift card. Employees earning a Horizon Omnia incentive will be contacted and given the choice between a check or a Zelle payment for their incentive. Anyone who earns the incentive may see imputed income applied to their pay in the year the award was earned. The incentive shall be forfeited and returned to the SHBP if the subscriber fails to remain enrolled in the Tiered-Network Plan for at least one plan year. This program does not extend to children over the age of 26 or COBRA members.
Prescription Drug Plan
OptumRx will continue to be the prescription plan vendor for prescriptions through your local pharmacy as well as mail order prescriptions. Once available, prescription plan information will be posted here and on the NJDPB website.
Dental Plans
In 2025 there will be one Dental Plan Organization (Aetna DMO) and two Dental Expense Plans (Aetna DEP and Horizon DEP) offered. Employees currently enrolled in Cigna DHMO, Horizon Dental Choice, or MetLife DPO will be automatically defaulted to the Aetna DMO plan. Should you choose not to enroll in the Aetna DMO, you must go online and make another dental plan election. Finalized rates are posted on the NJ Division of Pensions and Benefits (NJDPB) website.
The '12-month rule' will be suppressed, allowing members to select a new dental plan even if they have not been enrolled in their plan for at least 12 months.
Tax$avings Plans
Flexible Spending Accounts
If you are interested in enrolling into a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for the 2025 plan year, enrollment must be completed during the 2025 Open Enrollment Period, regardless of if you have previously had a flexible spending account. All changes made during the Open Enrollment Period will be effective as of January 1, 2025. To learn more visit the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Quick Reference Guide. Horizon MyWay will be hosting informational webinars throughout the month of October. To attend a webinar, please click the appropriate registration link below.
Webinar Registration Link
Wednesday, 10/9 at 12pm ET https://horizonsalestraining.webex.com/weblink/register/r04f775573c6cc250113e56b82cc2d78b
Thursday, 10/17 at 1pm ET https://horizonsalestraining.webex.com/weblink/register/rfe55d0b2161f38234e908e109d2299d8
Wednesday, 10/23 at 12:30 pm ET https://horizonsalestraining.webex.com/weblink/register/r355cff5654ab2dbb49e1ec14a7b48830
If you are participating in a Flexible Spending Account, you MUST make an election. Your 2024 FSA election will NOT carry over to the 2025 plan year. Detailed information can be found on the 2025 FSA Essential Guide. Click here to enroll for plan year 2025.
Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
Health Savings Accounts are available to employees who enroll in either the NJDirectHigh, NJDirectLow, Aetna Freedom HDHigh or Aetna Freedom HDLow plans. Employees will be notified via email, as soon as the 2025 contribution limits become available.
To learn more about the additional offerings as a Rutgers employee, visit UHR’s Benefits and Wellness webpage.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the OneSource Rutgers Faculty and Staff Service Center at 732-745-SERV (7378) or visit the OneSource webpage.