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This year, health open enrollment for City of San Diego retirees will run from November 1st through November 30th. The calendar year 2023 City retiree health booklets have been mailed out to all eligible City retirees and beneficiaries, and should hit mailboxes this week. In the meantime, you can download an electronic version of the booklet here. You can also download and complete enrollment forms by visiting the City Retiree Health page. After you’ve completed an enrollment (or disenrollment) form, you must send it to SDCERS by November 30th – we prefer you scan your forms and email them as a PDF attachment to health@sdcers.org, but you may also fax them to (858) 581-5314, or mail them to our offices at:
SDCERS – Health Division
401 West A Street, Suite 400
San Diego, CA 92101
As always, if you do not wish to make any changes to your current healthcare coverage, you do not need to take any action during open enrollment and your coverage will remain the same. There are no new plans this year and no significant changes to existing plans in terms of coverage.
SDCERS will not be holding in-person open enrollment events. Instead, SDCERS will participate in a virtual health fair hosted by SDPEBA (San Diego Public Employee Benefit Association), which will be held on November 2nd from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (PST). You can register for SDPEBA’s virtual health fair at https://go.sdpeba.org/retireeOE/.
We anticipate that the plan providers will once again record the presentations they would have given at SDCERS’ live open enrollment events. For the providers that choose to do so, you will be able to access their videos on our website – this article and SDCERS’ Facebook page will be updated with more information once we receive the video presentations.
If you are comparing different plans and trying to decide which is best for you, don’t forget about CareCounsel! CareCounsel Member Care Specialists are available for your healthcare inquiries and concerns. You can call them at (888) 227-3334 or e-mail staff@carecounsel.com Monday – Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST. CareCounsel also provides helpful videos on their website that may answer your questions about Medicare, here: https://carecounsel.com/medicare.html.
SDCERS’ Call Center is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at (619) 525-3600 and (800) 774-4977. Please be patient with our hard-working staff; we are working with limited resources and call wait times may be longer than usual due to an expected increase in health-related calls.
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This article is only applicable to City retirees who have a health reimbursement plan through the City.
The City of San Diego and the San Diego Public Employee Benefits Association (SDPEBA) are changing the effective date of their retiree healthcare plan offerings. Starting January 1, 2023, the sponsored retiree healthcare plans will be effective based on the calendar year, rather than the fiscal year. However, the annual allowances for retiree healthcare will continue to be offered on the fiscal year, resetting each July 1st.
Below are the fiscal year 2023 retiree healthcare allowances (effective July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023).
Remember, if you would like to change plans before this year’s Open Enrollment in November, you may do so from June 1, 2022 through June 30, 2022. You will be able to choose from the current plan offerings. You can review information about the current plans and download enrollment/disenrollment forms on this page. All forms must be received by 5:00 p.m. (PST) on Thursday, June 30, 2022. All changes timely submitted will be effective August 1, 2022. You may submit your forms via email (attached as a PDF) to health@sdcers.org, by mail to SDCERS Health Division, 401 West A Street, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92101 or by fax to (858) 581-5314.
If you do not want to make any changes to your current healthcare, dental, or vision plan, you do not have to take any action during Open Enrollment and your coverage will remain the same.
For plans beginning in January 2023, you will receive the full Open Enrollment booklet in November 2022 with information on plans and premiums. If you do not want to make any changes to your current healthcare, dental, or vision plan for 2023, you do not need to take any action in November 2022 and your coverage will remain the same for 2023.
If you have any questions, you can contact the Call Center at (619) 525-3600, open on regular business days from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. PST. However, as this is a significant change to retiree health, we anticipate a higher than usual call volume over the next several months. If your question is not urgent, we recommend submitting your request electronically via the Contact Us page; SDCERS staff generally will respond to electronic inquiries within one business day. Please note that at this time, SDCERS’ physical downtown offices are still closed to members and the public.
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Health open enrollment for City of San Diego retirees began on June 1st and will end on June 30th. The fiscal year 2021 City retiree health booklets were mailed out to all eligible City retirees and beneficiaries on May 29th and an electronic version of the booklet is available here. You can also download and complete enrollment forms by visiting the City Retiree Health page. After you’ve completed an enrollment (or disenrollment) form, you must send it to SDCERS by June 30th – we prefer you scan your forms and email to health@sdcers.org, but you may also fax them to (858) 581-5314 or mail them to our offices at:
SDCERS – Health Division
401 West A Street, Suite 400
San Diego, CA 92101
As always, if you do not wish to make any changes to your current healthcare coverage, you do not need to take any action during open enrollment and your coverage will remain the same. The only exception to this is for those of you currently covered by United Concordia for dental insurance – effective August 1st, you will automatically be enrolled in the new Delta Dental plan, which is replacing United Concordia. If you do not want to enroll in the Delta Dental plan, you must provide SDCERS with a disenrollment form.
There is only one new plan this year – SDPEBA (San Diego Public Employee Benefit Association) is offering a new non-Medicare plan through Sharp. You can find details about this new plan, as well as all existing plans, in the City retiree health booklet referenced above. If you are comparing plans and trying to decide which is best for you, don’t forget about CareCounsel! CareCounsel Member Care Specialists are available for your healthcare inquiries and concerns. You can call them at (888) 227-3334 or e-mail staff@carecounsel.com Monday – Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST. CareCounsel also provides helpful videos on their website that may answer your questions about Medicare, here: https://carecounsel.com/medicare.html.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, this year’s open enrollment will be a little different than usual. Unlike years past, SDCERS will not be holding in-person open enrollment events this year, such as the annual Open Enrollment Kickoff or Help Day. Instead, the plan providers have recorded the presentations they would have given at SDCERS’ live open enrollment events, which you can access here.
SDCERS’ Call Center will be open for Open Enrollment, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at (619) 525-3600 and (800) 774-4977. Please be patient with our hard-working staff; we are still working with limited resources and call wait times may be longer than usual.
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At its May 10, 2019 meeting, the Board approved two Cost of Living Adjustments (“COLA”) that will be applied to eligible retirees’ monthly benefit from July 2019 – June 2020. Members whose retirement date is before July 1, 2018 will receive a COLA increase of 2.0%. Members whose retirement date is between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019 will receive a COLA increase of 1.9%. Also, 2019-2020 Health Open Enrollment for eligible City Retirees will run from June 3 – 28, 2019. This year’s Health Open Enrollment Help Day is Friday, June 14 at the Balboa Park Club Ballroom. There will be no formal presentations, but SDCERS staff and representatives from sponsored health plans will be available to answer questions from 10:00 a.m. – noon. You may also submit your enrollment forms directly to SDCERS staff at this event. Click here for more information
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2019-2020 Health Open Enrollment for eligible City Retirees will run from June 3 – 28, 2019. The Health Open Enrollment Kickoff is this Friday, May 24 at the Balboa Park Club Ballroom. The event will feature formal presentations by Kaiser, Cigna, SCAN Health Plan, and Sharp from 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., and retirees will be able to talk to the providers and ask questions until noon. Click here for more information
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Health Open Enrollment ran from June 4 to June 29, 2018.
Booklets containing rates and additional information were mailed. You can access an electronic copy here and the comparison charts.New for 2018: Health Net was replaced by Cigna and SCAN Health Plan.The Open Enrollment kick-off event was Wednesday, May 30. The event featured formal presentations by Kaiser, Cigna, SCAN Health Plan, Sharp and CareCounsel. Annual Help Day was held Friday, June 22, from 10a.m. to noon at the Balboa Park Club Ballroom.CareCounsel is there to help! CareCounsel Member Care Specialists are available for your healthcare inquiries and concerns. You can call them at (888) 227-3334 or e-mail staff@carecounsel.com Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST. Click here for additional information.
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Open Enrollment is Monday, June 5 – Friday, June 30. Take a look at these five facts - they’ll help you understand whether or not you need to take action during this year’s Open Enrollment period. And don't forget to join SDCERS on Friday, June 16th for our annual Open Enrollment Help Day from 10 a.m. to noon at the Balboa Park Club Ballroom.
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Join SDCERS and City health providers for an overview of retiree health coverage to assist you with planning for Open Enrollment 2017. Learn More...
Open Enrollment is Monday, June 6 – Thursday, June 30. Take a look at these five facts - they’ll help you understand whether or not you need to take action during this year’s Open Enrollment period. And don't forget to join SDCERS on Tuesday, June 14th for our annual Open Enrollment Help Day from 10 a.m. to noon at the Balboa Park Club Ballroom.
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Around 200 retirees attended SDCERS’ second annual City Retiree Health Coverage Presentation on April 8. Presenters from SDCERS, City of San Diego Risk Management, Health Net, Sharp and Kaiser shared a comprehensive overview of all health coverage services offered through SDCERS, in preparation for Open Enrollment, to be held June 6 through June 30. Don’t miss our next event, Open Enrollment Help Day, on June 14 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Balboa Park Club Ballroom. Learn More...
Join SDCERS and City health providers for an overview of retiree health coverage to assist in planning for Open Enrollment 2016. The Retiree Health Presentation will be held on Friday, April 8 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Balboa Park Club Ballroom. Learn More...
Click the title for the 5 most important facts you need to know, all enrollment details, and a list of Frequently Asked Questions.
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More than 400 retirees attended SDCERS’ first-ever City Retiree Health Coverage Workshop on April 20. Click here for more information. Learn More...
Monday, April 20, 2015 10 a.m. to Noon at the Balboa Park Club Ballroom
SDCERS invites you to a Retiree Health Coverage Workshop on Monday, April 20. Click here for more information.
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