For this installment of APA Questions From The Trenches, we asked APA President Maury Koffman to highlight a few questions raised by members regarding the discontinuation of the MEBS optional vision coverage.
What is the date the MEBS optional employee-paid vision will be discontinued?
MSU employees enrolled in the MEBS/CLO vision plan were recently informed by MEBS that their coverage under the plan has been canceled effective February 1, 2014.
Why has the employee-paid MEBS optional vision program been discontinued?
The company that administered the vision plan, Michigan Employee Benefits Services (MEBS), publicly announced that it is going out of business and will no longer offer benefit products.
What do I do if I had a claim to submit for costs incurred prior to February 1, 2014?
If you have questions about outstanding claims for services that occurred up to January 31, 2014 under the MEBS Vision Plan, please contact MEBS directly at 1-800-968-9682.
Do I need to take any action to cease payroll deduction of my monthly MEBS payments?
No deductions for February coverage were taken from APA members. There will be no further deductions taken by MSU moving forward and those individuals enrolled into MEBS automatically had payroll deduction terminated.
Is an alternative employee-paid optional vision plan available?
An employee-paid vision plan through VSP is available with payroll deduction of premiums to benefits-eligible MSU employees and their eligible dependents through MSUBenefitsPlus.com, MSU’s voluntary benefits program.
When do I enroll for the VSP employee-paid option vision coverage?
Enrollment for the VSP coverage is limited to the annual open enrollment period in October. Therefore, the next open enrollment period is in October with coverage effective in January 2015.
Where can I obtain additional information regarding the VSP employee-paid optional vision coverage?
You can get more information about the VSP plan at http://www.hr.msu.edu/benefits/benefits_docs/VSP_Summary.pdf
Who should I call with my additional questions?
APA members should feel free to directly contact MEBS at 1-800-968-6327, choose option 6, or by email at [email protected].