2021 Open Enrollment
OPEN ENROLLMENT IS ONLINE THIS YEAR
Bulloch County strives to provide a comprehensive and competitive benefits program designed to help our employees balance work and life responsibilities. This information is provided to assist you in making the best decisions regarding your benefits.
From now through May 21, full-time employees are able to change, add, drop, or re-enroll in certain county benefits plans. For most benefits, this is the ONLY opportunity to make arbitrary changes to your coverage. The choices you make during open enrollment will become effective July 1st.
- Employees will select benefits options through ESS. Depending on your choices, forms may also be required.
- Be prepared to update beneficiaries and dependents through ESS.
- Your open enrollment selections will become effective July 1st.
- Complete ESS open enrollment even if you are not making changes.
- There are no cost increases for employees this year.
Click each benefit below for more information!
Questions?
| How does online Open Enrollment work? | Open Enrollment will be accessed through your Employee Self-Service Portal. Read How to Complete Open Enrollment for step-by-step instructions. Please read the instructions carefully. |
| What if I have benefit questions? | Our vendors are available to speak with you by phone to answer questions. Click the benefit options above for contact information. Alternatively, you may contact Human Resources at hr@bullochcounty.net or 912-764-0164. |
| How long do I have to make changes? | Changes and/or enrollments MUST be received by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 21, 2021. No exceptions. |
| When does my coverage change start? | All choices elected during open enrollment become effective July 1, 2021. |
| What happens if I don’t do anything? | We strongly encourage ALL benefits-eligible employees to complete the open enrollment process. If you do not: * Your current health, dental, vision, dependent life, and AFLAC elections will remain the same. * You will not be enrolled in flexible spending and/or dependent care. * Your Air-Evac membership may expire. * Your life insurance beneficiary will not be verified and/or updated. |
| What about Air-Evac? | Air-Evac memberships will not automatically renew. You must re-enroll (unless you’re in the middle of a multi-year membership). Complete enrollment on AirMedCare’s website. Download the Air-Evac flyer for more information and instructions. |
Under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Code, you are allowed to pay for certain group insurance premiums with pre-tax dollars. This means your premium deductions are taken before federal income and social security taxes are calculated, resulting in a net savings.
However, you must make your benefits elections carefully, including the choice to waive coverage. Your pretax elections will remain in effect until the next open enrollment period unless you experience an IRS approved qualifying change in status.
After the Open Enrollment Period, you cannot make changes to your coverage during the year unless you experience a change in family status. You have 31 days from a change in family status to make changes to your current coverage. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- A spouse’s employment (and health coverage) begins or ends
- Loss of eligibility of a covered dependent (due to age, marital status, or employment)
- Death of your covered spouse or child
- Birth or adoption of a child
- Marriage, divorce, or legal separation
- You or your spouse experience a change in work hours that affect benefit eligibility
NOTE: The summary information on this site is for general reference only.
Your actual benefits are governed by the plan documents.