State of California

  M E M O R A N D U M

  REFERENCE CODE:
  2001-015

  DATE:
  May 1, 2001

  TO:
  Personnel Officers
  Personnel Transactions Supervisors
  Personnel Transactions Staff

  FROM:
  Department of Personnel Administration
  Benefits Division

  SUBJECT:
  Long Term Disability for Excluded Employees - Open 
  Enrollment

  CONTACT:
  BethAnne Roberts, Benefits Program Analyst
  (916) 324-0533, CALNET 454-0533
  FAX: (916) 322-3769
  Email: BethAnneRoberts@dpa.ca.gov


  Open enrollment for Long Term Disability (LTD) insurance 
  for excluded employees will be held from June 1, 2001, 
  through July 13, 2001.  This memo provides information on 
  the eligibility criteria, effective dates of coverage, and 
  the various communication methods that will be used to 
  provide open enrollment information to eligible employees.
  
  Eligibility Criteria
  
  To be eligible to enroll in the LTD plan, an employee must 
  be permanent or probationary, excluded from collective 
  bargaining, have a time base of half time or greater, and 
  have one of the following designations:
  
  Managerial (M, E59, E79, E99)
  Supervisory (S, E48, E58, E68, E78, E98)
  Confidential (C, E97)
  Excluded/Exempt (E88, E89)
  E01 through E21, E67, E77
  
  Employees on limited term appointments who otherwise meet 
  these eligibility criteria may enroll in the LTD plan only 
  if they have a mandatory right of return to a position and 
  status that also meets these criteria.  Excluded employees 
  who are permanent intermittents are not eligible.
  
  Rank-and-file employees are not eligible to enroll in the 
  LTD plan.
  
  Employee Communications
  
  In mid-May, the Department of Personnel Administration 
  (DPA) will mail an information packet to the homes of 
  approximately 30,000 eligible employees notifying them of 
  the LTD open enrollment.  It will include a cover letter 
  with detailed information on the open enrollment and a 
  flyer summarizing the LTD plan.  The packet also will 
  include a pre-addressed postcard to Metropolitan Life 
  Insurance Company (MetLife).  Employees interested in 
  enrolling in the plan are instructed to mail the postcard 
  to MetLife for a detailed plan brochure and enrollment 
  form.
  
  There will be an article regarding LTD in the May/June 
  issue of Benefits News, distributed by DPA to departmental 
  personnel offices and employee organizations.  It can be 
  reproduced and distributed or posted on bulletin boards as 
  an additional method of notifying your employees of the 
  upcoming LTD open enrollment period.
  
  There also will be a global message on the June 1, 2001, 
  paycheck stub reminding employees of the LTD open 
  enrollment. 
  
  Completion of the LTD Enrollment Authorization Form
  
  During open enrollment, new enrollees are required to 
  complete Sections A and B of the LTD enrollment 
  authorization form (GR-11513-9) and submit the form to 
  their departmental personnel office.  
  
  When personnel offices receive the enrollment form, they 
  are responsible for verifying the employee's eligibility, 
  gross salary, premium amount, and retirement category 
  (safety or miscellaneous/non-safety).  The personnel office 
  also needs to complete Section C and submit the enrollment 
  form to the State Controller's Office (SCO) by the dates 
  indicated below.
  
  Effective Date of Coverage
  
  If the employee's enrollment form is processed by the 
  personnel office and forwarded to SCO by June 10, 2001, the 
  effective date of coverage will be July 1, 2001.  If the 
  completed enrollment form is forwarded to the SCO between 
  June 11 and July 10, 2001, the benefit will become 
  effective August 1, 2001.  If the form is received and 
  forwarded to SCO between July 11 and July 13, 2001, the 
  effective date of the benefit will be September 1, 2001.
   
  
  LTD Plan Brochures and Enrollment Forms
  
  MetLife has agreed to be the primary contact for 
  distribution of plan information and enrollment forms to 
  eligible employees interested in enrolling.  This will help 
  minimize departmental personnel office workload during the 
  LTD open enrollment. We anticipate that the majority of 
  interested employees will return the pre-addressed postcard 
  to MetLife to receive these items.  However, a small number 
  of employees may contact personnel offices directly for the 
  LTD flyer and enrollment form.  Therefore, please ensure 
  that you stock an adequate supply of these materials.  To 
  obtain enrollment forms (GR-11513-9) and flyers, call 
  BethAnne Roberts of DPA's Benefits Division at (916) 324-
  0533/Calnet 454-0533.
  
  We appreciate your assistance informing employees about the 
  LTD plan and the open enrollment.  Since the last open 
  enrollment for this plan was conducted in September 1999, 
  we anticipate a great deal of interest from eligible 
  employees.  Through your continued support and DPA's 
  implementation of improved marketing materials, we believe 
  we will increase enrollment in this valuable plan. 
  
  If you have any questions, please contact BethAnne Roberts 
  at (916) 324-0533 or Calnet 454-0533.
  
  
  
  Terri Westbrook, Chief
  Benefits Division