Health insurance for graduate employees at UO is switching from Regence to PacificSource! This change will take effect on September 16, 2024. Aside from updating your address on the GTFF website and DuckWeb, there is nothing any health insurance enrollee needs to do at the moment.
Why are we changing our insurance provider?
When Regence offered a very high renewal rate, PacificSource offered us a comparable plan to Regence’s for less money. This plan will save both the union and individual members money. PacificSource is also a smaller and more local company and will likely be more responsive to your needs than Regence.
Who made this decision?
As part of GTFF managing our own health insurance, we have a Health and Welfare Trust to manage our health insurance. They made the decision to switch to PacificSource. The trust consists of the GTFF Benefits Administrator, the GTFF President, the GTFF Treasurer, the GTFF VP of Operations, two elected GTFF members at large, and a UO representative.
What does that mean for my coverage?
PS has agreed to match all of our existing benefits, especially mental health services including telehealth. Many local providers take both Regence and PacificSource, so you may not experience any changes. Our vision coverage will also be moving to PacificSource, which will be a big improvement! PS’s network of providers is in the PNW (OR, WA, MT, ID), but never fear: if you are outside of the PNW, you will still have access to huge network of providers; PS has contracted with the national Aetna group and you will find in-network providers in all 50 states.
Summary of the GTFF benefits here
Quick Guide to PacificSource here
When is the switch occurring?
Coverage is switching over September 16, 2024.
What do I need to do?
New insurance cards will be sent out via mail! Please visit gtff3544.net/member-profile/ to update your address–you can do this even if you are not a member. To assure we have the correct address, please update your address on duckweb. To do so, go to duckweb.uoregon.edu, click on Personal Information, click on Personal Information Application, and update your address there. If you are concerned about whether a provider will be covered by PacificSource, please reach out to that provider.
What if I want to know more specifics?
You can consult this FAQ document! We will also be having a town hall (in person and over zoom) on August 7th 1-3pm where anyone with questions can talk to members of the Health and Welfare Trust and Glenn, our benefits administrator. Please stay tuned on our socials and slack for more details about this event!