Benefit Strategies | Trust Administration for MCO Health & Welfare Fund

General Information

Open Enrollment is typically held every year in November. Employees who wish to enroll for the first time in the new plan year or make any changes to their existing coverage can do so through the Open Enrollment form in the section below.
Mid-year changes are only permitted if you have a life changing event, such as recently married, divorced, or birth of a new child or adoption. If you’ve experienced one of these events, you can enroll into the Dental & Vision benefits within 60 days from the event, with proof of the event (i.e. marriage certificate, divorce decree, birth certificate).
If you are a new hire employee with MCOFU and working for Dukes County Sheriff’s Department, there is a 9-month waiting period before you’re eligible to enroll for Dental/Vision benefits. All other departments have a 6-month waiting period before enrollment eligibility.
Premium contributions for these Dental/Vision benefits are payroll deducted from your bi-weekly paychecks.
Insurance ID Cards: members receive a set of two insurance ID cards from both Delta Dental and Eye Med Vision (if enrolled in the vision plan), both ID cards will be printed with the member’s name only! If member needs extra/replacement ID cards, you have two options: you can either request a paper copy of your ID card(s) to be emailed/mailed to your home, OR you can download the mobile app for Delta Dental and/or Eye Med Vision, complete your member registration, and you will have access to your ID card from your cell phone. If you would like a paper copy of your ID cards be emailed or mailed to your home, please submit an email request to TrustAdministration@voya.com
Vision Voucher Plan: MCOFU offers a voucher program option in lieu of their regular vision plan, you cannot have both visions plans, and cannot switch between plans mid-year, only during Open Enrollment. Members can choose to enroll in the voucher program, which allows them to purchase glasses and/or contacts made by inmates at the Gardner Prison for a discounted price. Vouchers are allowed 1 per person on the plan, once every 24 months. Each voucher is good for 45 days and worth up to $150. If you are enrolled in the voucher program and would like to request a reimbursement voucher form, please submit email to TrustAdministration@voya.com which must include: member’s full name and state employee ID#, whom is the voucher for, and how would you like it to be sent to you (email or mail)
Medical Leave: If you have a medical leave of absence for any period of time during which your payroll contributions stop for any reason, you can continue your Dental/Vision benefits through Benefit Strategies as a Direct Billed member. Once your leave ends, or if your payroll contributions resume, the member needs to notify Benefit Strategies when leave ends and payroll deductions will resume.
COBRA: If your employment with MCOFU ends for any reason, including retirement, your Dental/Vision benefits will continue for 1 full month after your separation date (i.e. separation date 3/07/2020, benefits will continue through 4/30/2020), at which time you will be offered COBRA continuation for 18 months. Benefit Strategies also administers the COBRA benefits for MCOFU, you will receive an offer packet along with the cost per month. If you choose to elect COBRA, elections and payment can be made online through the COBRA portal or return your election form back to Benefit Strategies along with your premium. Once your 18 months of COBRA ends, you can shop on the open market for other Dental/Vision insurance or speak with Group Insurance Commission (617-727-2310) for other options. The cost for COBRA is $70 per month for Single coverage and $77 per month for Family coverage.
Retiree Benefits: When you retire from MCOFU, aside from being offered COBRA continuation for 18 months, you will also be offered the Retiree Dental/Vision benefits which is for life! In order to enroll into the Retiree Benefits, you would need to pay off the remainder balance – while an active employee, you’ve already contributed towards the buy-in cost amount of $1,974.00. Whatever the unpaid balance is at the time of your retirement date, Benefit Strategies will mail you a packet with that remainder balance, which needs to be paid within 12 months. Once the balance is paid in full, your Dental/Vision benefits will remain active for life. In addition to the $1,974.00 buy-in cost amount, there will be a monthly $13.00 administration fee billed by Benefit Strategies to service these benefits for you. Effective May 2019, MCOFU Union Board has approved to also allow spouses to be included into this Retiree dental/vision plan at no extra cost. Effective 4/1/2020, the union board of Trustees has clarified that a retiree can add a dependent “plus one” to their Retiree dental/vision benefits – it is no longer specific as spouse, it can also be one child, at no additional cost. The carriers have been updated, and when a request is sent to them, it will indicate EE + Spouse, or EE + Child. The Retiree packet you receive from us will still indicate coverage is for Employee Only – if you wish to add your spouse OR one dependent child, please send this request via email to TrustAdministration@voya.com to include your spouse or child’s full name and date of birth. This will only be effective 4/1/2020 forward – no retro back changes.
NOTE: If you do not wish/need to be enrolled in this MCOFU Retiree dental/vision plan, please submit a request via email to TrustAdministration@voya.com to cancel your coverage. Be advised that any and all premiums that you’ve already paid into the plan will not be refunded back to you! Funds are forfeited back to MCOFU.

Benefit Plans Information

2023

Forms - only for valid mid-year changes

2023PY Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment for 2023PY has closed as of midnight on 11/30/2022. If you have questions or concerns about your 2023 plan year dental & vision benefits, please reach out to us at TrustAdministration@voya.com.
Delta Dental of MA Customer Service #800-872-0500, your Group ID# 006350 (for active enrolled members, and COBRA enrolled), also for retirees the Group ID# 013885www.deltadentalma.com
Eye Med Vision Customer Service #866-939-3633, your Group ID# 9737008 (for active enrolled members, and COBRA enrolled), also for retirees the Group ID# 1005246 www.eyemedvisioncare.com

Trust Administration for MCO Health & Welfare Fund

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