State of California

  M E M O R A N D U M

  REFERENCE CODE:
  97-034

  DATE:
  September 9, 1997

  TO:
  Personnel Officers
  Personnel Transactions Supervisors
  Personnel Transactions Staff

  FROM:
  Department of Personnel Administration
  Benefits Division

  SUBJECT:
  Group Legal Services Plan Special Open Enrollment --
  Bargaining Unit 12 Employees Only

  CONTACT:
  Susan Wong, Personnel Management Technician
  (916) 324-9378, CALNET 454-9378
  FAX: (916) 322-3769
  OFFICE VISION: DPA(SEWONG)
  INTERNET: SEWONG@SMTP.DPA.CA.GOV


  A special open enrollment will be conducted from October
  1, 1997 - December 1, 1997 to provide Bargaining Unit 12
  employees an opportunity to enroll in the Group Legal
  Services Plan prior to the annual open enrollment
  (March/April).  Unit 12 employees recently became eligible
  for the plan as a result of a Side Letter Agreement which
  was signed by the State and the International Union of
  Operating Engineers (IOUE) on July 22, 1997.
  
  Nonrepresented employees and all other eligible rank and
  file employees cannot enroll during this special
  enrollment period.  "Newly eligible" employees continue to
  have a 60-day eligibility period to enroll in the plan.
  
  Eligible Criteria
  
  Only individuals who meet the following criteria are
  eligible to enroll during this special open enrollment
  period:
  
  1.Permanent or probationary employees in Bargaining
  Unit 12 who work a half-time or greater timebase.
  
  2.Dependents of eligible BU 12 employees as defined
  below are eligible for coverage:
  
  a.A lawful spouse;
  
  b.Any unmarried, dependent children under the age
  of 23.  Children include natural, step-children,
  adopted children, and children for whom the
  employee is the legal guardian.
  
  c.An unmarried child, 23 years or over, if he or
  she is incapable of self-support because of
  physical disability or mental incapacity and
  he/she is chiefly dependent on the eligible
  employee for support and maintenance.
  
  Permanent-intermittent BU 12 employees are not eligible to
  enroll.
  
  Effective Dates of Coverage
  
  Plan coverage will begin on the first day of the pay
  period following the pay period from which the first
  premium deduction is made. Specifically, if the employee's
  enrollment form is processed by the Personnel Office and
  forwarded to the State Controller's Office (SCO) by
  October 10, 1997 (and there are no errors on the form),
  the first effective date of coverage will be October 31,
  1997.  For those employees whose enrollment forms are
  received at SCO by November 10, 1997, the benefit will
  become effective on December 2, 1997.  Enrollment forms
  received in Personnel Offices by December 1 and forwarded
  to SCO by December 10, 1997 will have a January 1, 1998
  effective date.
  
  Employees cannot receive a retroactive effective date.
  SCO will return any incorrectly completed forms to the
  Personnel Office for correction, which will result in a
  delay of the effective date.  The "cut-off" date upon
  which the corrected form is returned to SCO will determine
  the employee's effective date of coverage.
  
  In addition, given the close proximity of the annual open
  enrollment to the BU 12 special enrollment period, DPA
  will not be approving requests for exceptional enrollments
  (ie, enrollments past the December 1 deadline), unless the
  Personnel Office can substantiate via a "department copy"
  (pink copy) that an enrollment form was submitted during
  the enrollment period and forwarded to SCO.  Any requests
  for exceptional enrollments should be sent to Susan Wong,
  of the Benefits Division no later than January 30, 1998.
  BU 12 employees who miss enrolling during this special
  enrollment period will have another opportunity to enroll
  in the plan in March/April, 1998 when the annual open
  enrollment is conducted.  
  
  
  Employee Communications
  
  A variety of communications will be used to inform
  Bargaining Unit 12 employees of the Group Legal Services
  Plan special open enrollment.  The current plan provider,
  Midwest Legal Services, will be mailing an enrollment
  packet directly to the home address (on file at SCO) of
  all eligible Bargaining Unit 12 employees (approximately
  9,600 employees) in early September.  The packet will
  include a cover letter announcing the enrollment period, a
  plan brochure, a listing of plan attorneys and an
  enrollment form.
  
  In addition to the enrollment packet, eligible employees
  will be notified about the special open enrollment through
  a global message on their September 30, 1997 paycheck.
  
  IUOE will also be including an article in their October
  newsletter.
  
  Plan Brochures and Enrollment Forms
  
  It is not necessary for departments to maintain a large
  supply of plan brochures and enrollment forms as these
  materials are mailed directly to eligible employees' homes
  during enrollment periods.  However, department Personnel
  Offices should make sure that an adequate supply of
  enrollment forms and brochures are in stock for use in
  enrolling "newly eligible" employees.  Additional supplies
  can be ordered by calling Midwest Legal Services at 1-800-
  247-4184.  DPA does not maintain these forms for
  distribution to departments.  Please ensure that the
  enrollment forms you have in stock list the current
  monthly premiums of $9.49 for single coverage and $17.32
  for family coverage.  SCO will not process and will return
  to Personnel Offices any enrollments completed on outdated
  enrollment forms.
  
  We appreciate your assistance in making this a successful
  enrollment for BU 12 employees.  If you have any questions
  regarding this memo, please call Susan Wong at (916) 324-
  9378 or Calnet 454-9378 or Vallita Lewis at (916) 324-9362
  or Calnet 454-9362.
  
  
  
  Kathie Vaughn, Chief
  Benefits Division