The Summary Plan Description (SPD) is a document that provides a detailed description of the Health Plan’s benefits; it is generally required by law to be published every five years. A new SPD is on its way, and for the first time, we are going to have an interactive electronic version that will have better information accessibility than is available on paper. If you would like to receive the electronic version, you can help the environment and have access to the most powerful version of the SPD available.
We have worked very hard to make this next SPD the best one ever. As you make your way through the paper version you will find examples in many sections to help the reader better understand how a particular benefit works. We have also added a more detailed FAQ section. We have also included contact information for outside organizations and healthcare vendors associated with the Plan.
If you opt for the electronic SPD, you will find that there are many places throughout the document where you can hover over a term and get a detailed definition rather than have to flip through pages to find it. There are also places where you can click on a policy and see examples of how it actually works. If there are outside organizations (e.g., VSP for eye care, Delta Dental for teeth), you’ll be able to go to the relevant portion of their websites with a simple click and get more information about any number of issues. You can also navigate the document by clicking on links. We will add even more features to the electronic version as technology allows.
Paper or electronic, we want Participants to be able to get the most from the health benefits available to them. The advantage of the electronic version is that we can provide examples, informative clarifications, pop-ups, easy-to-use navigational tools, and video demonstrations. Also, the electronic version features will continue to be enhanced over time as technology allows. When changes are made to the Health Plan, all participants will continue to receive a letter from the Health Plan called a Summary of Material Modifications (SMM) detailing the changes. The SPD will be kept current, and you will be able to access it via our website (and print it out by relevant sections or in whole) at any time.
We want Participants to be able to get the most from the health benefits available to them. The advantage of the interactive electronic version is that we can provide – right on the screen in front of you – examples, informative clarifications, pop-ups, and easy-to-use navigational tools. Also, the electronic version features will continue to be enhanced over time as technology allows. When changes are made to the Health Plan, paper SPD users will receive a letter from the Health Plan called a Summary of Material Modifications (SMM) detailing the changes. The SPD will be kept current, and you will be able to access it via our website (and print it out by relevant sections or in whole) at any time.
Paper or electronic, it’s up to you. We hope you’ll choose electronic, and we hope you’ll do it before April 1st so that we can save the cost of mailing a paper version. Either way, the 2018 SPD should be the best one.