Fall has arrived in Minnesota. The State Fair has come and gone, kids have returned to school, the leaves are starting to turn, and you are beginning to hear more about Open Enrollment, happening this year between November 1 and November 15.

Open Enrollment is your opportunity to make sure that your benefits are working for you. It is your annual chance to make changes. Outside of Open Enrollment, you may only make changes if you have a qualifying life event.

The choices that you make will be effective for the 2019 plan year, beginning January 1, 2019. If you don’t make any changes during Open Enrollment, all of your coverages, except for your pretax accounts, will continue as they currently are. Only your pretax choices need to be made each year. These include the Medical/Dental Expense Account, Dependent Care (Daycare) Expense Account, and Transit Expense Accounts (Bus Pass/Vanpool Expense Account and Parking Expense Account).

Not all benefits are available during every Open Enrollment. While medical coverage is offered each year, dental coverage is typically open every other year. Certain benefits are rarely, if ever, open. 

We offer a variety of ways for you to learn which benefits are open this year:

• Sign up for text alerts from SEGIP by texting mn segip to 468311. We will send you the latest Open Enrollment news and information.
• Watch your mailbox in early October for the Open Enrollment newsletter. It contains important updates as well as information about the benefits that are available during Open Enrollment.
•  A digital newsletter will be sent to your email in mid-October.
• Employee Open Enrollment meetings are held throughout the state. These meetings feature presentations by insurance representatives and SEGIP staff with the latest information about the available benefits. They will be available to answer any of your insurance questions. Visit the SEGIP homepage for the meeting schedules in the metro, greater Minnesota, and for retiree exclusive meetings.
  
• All of the information you need to have a successful Open Enrollment will be available on the SEGIP website beginning early October, all information will be available by October 15, 2018.
• The SEGIP Service Center is available for questions at 651-355-0100 or 800-664-3597. It’s open 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, from October 1 through November 15 (our office will be closed on Monday, November 12, 2018 in observation of Veteran’s Day).

Take the time before Open Enrollment starts to learn more about the changes you can make for 2019. This could be your only opportunity for an entire year, don’t let it pass you by.