The San Francisco Health Services System (HSS) Open Enrollment period will begin on October 1st, 2016. During the month of October, employees can choose to switch healthcare providers and/or enroll in the new voluntary benefits being offered.
Last year, HSS moved to a paperless system, which caused confusion for many employees. A committee of union members reviewed the complaints and sent suggestions to HSS Director Catherine Dodd, which were well received. This year, some of the changes we suggested are being implemented and will hopefully make the Open Enrollment process smoother and more transparent for all.
Employees should expect to receive booklets in the mail during the first week of October going over the major changes to their plans such as rate increases or additional new benefits being offered.
HSS will no longer be mailing the full guides to every member. However, if you are interested in obtaining the full guide, you can call HSS at (415) 554-1750 and they will mail you a copy first class. The Human Resources (HR) of every department will have 5-10 guides on hand that you can peruse if you have questions. Employees can also stop by the HSS office at 1145 Market St., 3rd FL San Francisco, CA 94103 during normal business hours and pick up a guide. Additionally, HSS is working with HR to allow employees to use the payroll kiosks to access HSS information.
Throughout the month of October, all major worksites will have Benefit Fairs in conjunction with Flu Shot Clinics. Employees are encouraged to attend the Benefit Fair near you. Finally, myhss.org will be updated regularly with new information regarding Open Enrollment and your benefits.
If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns please contact Local 21 representative Emma Erbach at eerbach@ifpte21.org.
