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2025 Benefits for Active Employees

USG Open Enrollment ended November 8, 2024.  Learn about your 2025 benefits by using any or all of these resources:

Missed Open Enrollment?

Self-service enrollment through the OneUSG Connect - Benefits portal has closed.  To make your enrollment selections and/or complete surcharge certifications, you must contact OneUSG Connect - Benefits:

Online

  • Go to the Faculty and Staff page and click Manage My Benefits.  Start a new help request and submit a ticket detailing your selections and surcharge status.  You will receive a Confirmation of Benefits statement reflecting your elections and certifications in your secure participant mailbox.
  • Go to the Faculty and Staff page and click Manage My Benefits.  Start a web chat by clicking Need Help.  Submit a message detailing your selections and surcharge status.  You will receive a Confirmation of Benefits statement reflecting your elections and certifications in your secure participant mailbox.

By Phone

  • Call 844-587-4236 and use the callback option to preserve your place in line and receive a call to complete your 2025 benefit elections and certifications.  You will receive a Confirmation of Benefits statement reflecting your elections and certifications in your secure participant mailbox.
  • Call 844-587-4236 and hold for the next available representative to process your 2025 benefit elections and surcharge status.  You will receive a Confirmation of Benefits statement reflecting your elections and certifications in your secure participant mailbox.

Elections and certifications for 2025 must be completed by Dec 31, 2024.

Action Required: Surcharge Certification

If you are enrolled in a USG healthcare plan, you are required to complete certifications each year during Open Enrollment. You must certify whether you (and your covered family members age 18+) use tobacco and whether your spouse has access to coverage through their employer. 

Learn more  about the tobacco use and working spouse surcharges and when they apply. 

2025 Surcharges

NOTE: If you don’t certify, you will be charged the monthly surcharge(s).

Tobacco Surcharge 

Working Spouse Surcharge

 

Employee

 

Spouse

Children 18+ (one surcharge for all children who use tobacco)

(This surcharge does not 

apply to retirees.)

$150/month

$150/month

$150/month

$150/month

Remember to review your confirmation statement and make any corrections by December 31, 2024, to ensure your coverage and surcharge elections are captured correctly. That includes making sure your tobacco use and working spouse certifications are complete and have been captured correctly.

Trying to quit tobacco? That’s great! Select the “cessation” option to notify us of your intent to quit. By selecting the cessation option, you will not be charged the surcharge until April 1, 2025. View the list of no-cost cessation programs and resources available to you. Then, complete a tobacco cessation program of your choice and notify the One USG Connect - Benefits Call Center of your completion of the program. If you stop using tobacco products or complete a tobacco cessation program, you must update your tobacco use status with OneUSG Connect - Benefits at 1-844-587-4236 to avoid the surcharge. 

If you do not complete a cessation program, stop using tobacco or fail to update your tobacco use status, the tobacco surcharge will be applied beginning April 1, 2025. You may update your status at any time during the year, but the surcharge will be removed the first of the month following the date you update your status (e.g., status update May 15, surcharge removed effective June 1). 

What's New or Changing for 2025

  • Healthcare Plan Premiums

    For 2025, employee healthcare plan premiums will increase by:

    • 9.9% in the Consumer Choice HSA plan
    • 6.6% in the Comprehensive Care plan
    • 8.1% in the BlueChoice HMO plan
    • 9.2% in the Kaiser Permanente HMO plan
  • Healthcare Plan Design

    There will be some changes to the copayments, coinsurance, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums across all four USG healthcare plans in 2025. The Consumer Choice HSA and Comprehensive Care plans both offer in-network and out-of-network coverage. For complete details, review the 2025 Comparison Guide.

    You will see some plan design changes across all four USG plans, including:

    Keep tabs on your prescription coverage

    Your formulary can change throughout the year, so make sure to periodically check your medications against the approved drug list. To check coverage and copay amounts and get information about medications, visit benefits.usg.edu/health-and-well-being/pharmacy.

    The formulary can, and does, change during the year, but you can expect a number of changes beginning January 1, 2025. Even if your medications have not changed, the list of approved medications may have, so make sure you periodically check your medications against the approved drug list. To see the most up-to-date drug list, log in to your account with CVS/Caremark or Kaiser Permanente. 

    If you are not currently enrolled in coverage and want to view the current approved drug lists:

    CVS/Caremark 

    Kaiser Permanente: 

    Remember! Regardless of the pharmacy plan you are covered by, each plan has a list of ACA preventive medications that are covered at $0 employee cost-share, before the deductible. Log in to your account with CVS/Caremark or Kaiser Permanente for a list of preventive medications.

  • Dental Plan Premium

    For 2025, the employee dental plan premiums will increase by 7.7%.

  • New for 2025! Auto, Home, and Renters Insurance

    In 2025, you can choose to enroll in auto, home and renter’s insurance through Farmers Insurance Choice®. You can quickly and easily compare and save with multiple quotes on auto, home and renter’s insurance. Farmers Insurance Choice® makes it easy to choose the coverage best suited for your needs.

    Coverage offering:

    • Homeowners
    • Renters
    • Automobile
    • Watercraft
    • Mobile Homes
    • Motorcycles
    • Recreational Vehicles

    Farmers Insurance Choice® allows you to:

    • Compare and save with ease
    • Get personalized quotes by phone
    • Save even more when bundling auto and home or renter’s policies together

    To learn more visit metlife.com/borusg or call 1-866-586-6048.

  • Employee Assistance Program Enhancements

    The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Acentra Health offers you, your family and household members free, online resources and confidential services such as:

    • Highly qualified counselors for in-person, phone or video counseling sessions.
    • Master-level counselors and work/life specialists available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
    • Legal and financial consultation, work/life support and referral services and caregiver support services.
    • Online tools and resources such as webinars, self-assessments, soft skills training, podcasts, articles and more.

    New features for 2025!

    In 2025, the EAP offers you an expanded network of counselors and some great new features!

    • TALK NOW® On-Demand Counseling offers you immediate support and guidance through a real-time connection with a licensed mental health counselor. It’s completely confidential and always free to use — no appointments needed.
    • New Tools are available, designed to give you easy access and ensure you have a great experience. 
      • Online Request Form allows you to request EAP support through an online form, accessible right from the Acentra website.
      • Mobile App gives you easy access to articles, mood trackers, assessments, motivational exercises, TESS (our digital chatbot, which offers text-based mental health support) and Talk Now® to speak with an EAP counselor in real-time.

    Visit benefits.usg.edu to learn more or contact Acentra at 1-844-243-4440 or go to the usg.MyLifeExpert.com (company code: USGCares).

  • Well-being Rewards Program

    In 2025, https://www.webmdhealth.com/kp/750/landing earned rewards will be paid through payroll at the end of the calendar year. 

  • Other Noteworthy Well-being Program Information

    2024 Well-being Rewards Program 

    Don't miss out! Rewards earned in 2024 must be redeemed by December 31, 2024!

    Members and their covered spouses who complete the programs will each receive a $100 reward card — $200 per household — to spend on anything you choose!

    • Anthem: Download or log in to your no-cost Sydney Health app, select My Health Dashboard. To earn your rewards, scroll down and select My Rewards to view activities that you can complete. To redeem your rewards, select My Health Dashboard. Then, scroll down and choose Redeem Rewards.

     

    • Kaiser: To earn credit towards your Kaiser Permanente Wellness Program activities, you must sign your 2024 Wellness Program Agreement. Complete this step along with the rest of the program before December 31, 2024. Get started at my.kp.org/usg.

    Diagnosed with pre-diabetes or at risk for type 2 diabetes?

    USG offers the CDC-recognized diabetes prevention lifestyle change program, PreventT2 . PreventT2 can help you make lifestyle changes to prevent or delay diabetes. All employees, regardless of whether or not they are enrolled in a USG healthcare plan, can participate. Learn more at www.usg.edu/well-being/DPP

  • Flexible Spending Account Reminder

    The 2025 Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contribution limit is $3,300 for the healthcare and limited purpose FSA.  The dependent care FSA limit is $5,000.

    If you are contributing to a Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and/or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) you must re-enroll each year during Open Enrollment. Elections will not roll over for 2025. 

    Additionally, if you are currently enrolled in an FSA for 2024, you must incur eligible expenses by March 15, 2025. You must file for reimbursement by March 30, 2025. If you fail to use all your FSA contributions, you will forfeit those funds. Funds cannot be returned to you per IRS guidelines.

  • Health Savings Account Reminders

    The 2025 Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution limits are $4,300 Single, $8,550 Family. The HSA catch-up contribution limit is $1,000.

    If you are currently enrolled in a Health Savings Account (HSA) with HSA Bank, your elections and contributions will continue into 2025. Additionally, USG will match your HSA contributions dollar-for-dollar — up to $375 for employee and $750 for family. You can double your money by contributing to an HSA in 2025!

    If you are not enrolled in an HSA but are enrolled in the Consumer Choice HSA healthcare plan, you’re eligible to have a Health Savings Account (HSA) with HSA Bank. Think you can’t afford to contribute? Look at the illustrative examples below. Contributing to an HSA may be within your reach!

    Single Example

    • Employee makes $35,000 annually and is paid bi-weekly.
    • They are enrolled in the Consumer Choice HSA, Employee-only coverage.
    • If they contribute $14.42 per paycheck, they will have contributed $375 by December 31.
    • USG will also contribute $375, which adds up to a total of $750 at the end of the year.
    • Since these contributions are pre-tax, the approximate net reduction to the paycheck is $10.76.

    Family Example

    • Employee makes $45,000 annually and is paid monthly.
    • They are enrolled in the Consumer Choice HSA Family coverage.
    • If they contribute $62.50 per month, they will have contributed $750 by December 31.
    • USG also contributes $750, which adds up to a total of $1,500 at the end of the year.
    • Since these contributions are pre-tax, the approximate net reduction to the paycheck is $47.88.

    Switching from an FSA to an HSA?

    If you switch from a Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to a Health Savings Account (HSA) during Open Enrollment, you must have a $0 balance in your FSA as of December 31, 2024. If you do not have $0 as of the end of the year, your Health Savings Account contributions cannot begin until April 1, 2025, or later. Your contributions will not start automatically. You must contact OneUSG Connect - Benefits at 1-844-587-4236.

  • Shared Sick Leave

    Open Enrollment is your once-a-year opportunity to donate and/or enroll in the Shared Sick Leave pool. To participate, contact your institution’s HR/Benefits Department.

  • Update Your Beneficiaries

    Even if you’re not enrolling in healthcare, you need to add a beneficiary for your Basic Life and/or Health Savings Account. You will need to have your beneficiary’s name, contact information and Social Security number.

    • Life Insurance: During your enrollment, you will be prompted to add a beneficiary.
    • Health Savings Account: You will need to add a beneficiary through the HSA Bank portal at myaccounts.hsabank.com/Login.aspx.

    Also, remember to update your beneficiary information with your TRS or your retirement vendor (AIG, Fidelity, TIAA). Review the contact page for vendor information. 

    To update your beneficiaries, log in to oneusgconnect.usg.edu or call 1-844-587-4236 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

  • Retirement Plans and CAPTRUST Financial Advisory Services

    The 2025 contribution limit for the 403(b) and 457(b) plans is $23,500.  Age 50+ can contribute an additional $7,500.

    Need help planning for retirement? Schedule an appointment with an independent CAPTRUST advisor to get answers to your financial questions and clear action steps to achieve your financial goals 

    Visit CAPTRUST to get started.  

    To begin making contributions, log in at oneusgconnect.usg.edu and select OneUSG Connect. Visit the USG Benefits Website/Retirement for additional information.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • I am planning to retire in 2025. Do I need to add my spouse during Open Enrollment?

    If you are planning to retire in 2025, you must be an active USG healthcare plan participant immediately before you retire. You should enroll in the year prior to your retirement to be eligible to continue USG retiree healthcare benefits into retirement. If your spouse currently has other coverage with their employer, you do not need to add them during Open Enrollment. You can add them to your USG retiree coverage if they experience a qualifying life event (such as losing coverage from their employer) if you contact OneUSG Connect - Benefits within 30 days of the date of the life event.

  • I am actively working and turning 65 this year. Do I need to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B?

    No. As long as you are actively working and covered under a USG healthcare plan, you do not need to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B. Keep in mind, you may be automatically enrolled in Part A (no cost). Once you retire, you will need to enroll in Medicare Part B.

  • I do not use tobacco and I updated my status during Open Enrollment. Do I need to update my status again?

    Yes. If you are enrolled in a USG healthcare plan, you must update your status every Open Enrollment. If you do not update your tobacco use certification during Open Enrollment, you will default and be charged $150 per employee and covered dependents (age 18+). We recommend that you review your confirmation statement after enrollment and your first paycheck in January 2025.

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