Volume 15
July 2008

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

New  Commissioners & OSE Director
Open Enrollment
Open Enrollment
Dependent Eligiblity Guidelines
Required Documents for Dependents
401(k)/457 Options
Kids Need Mentors
Events

Meet The New Civil Service Commissioners

Andrew P. Abood

Attorney Andrew P. Abood is with the Abood Law firm in East Lansing.  He is a graduate of Michigan State University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School.   Mr. Abood served as a law clerk to the Honorable Michael F. Cavanaugh of the Michigan State Supreme Court.  He previously served as an adjunct professor at Cooley Law School teaching Scholarly Writing, past president of the Young Lawyer Section of the Ingham County Bar, and member of the Legal Authors Society.  Mr. Abood’s current areas of practice include commercial transactions and litigation, including real estate, corporate and business planning, and criminal law.  Commissioner Abood’s term expires December 31, 2012.

Thomas M. (Mac) Wardrop

Attorney Thomas (Mac) Wardrop is a partner with Wardrop and Wardrop, P.C. in Grand Rapids.  Mr. Wardrop specializes in civil practice, with an emphasis on commercial and tort litigation.  Originally from Mt. Pleasant, Mr. Wardrop received his Bachelor of Science degree from Central Michigan University and his JD from the University of Detroit School of Law, where he graduated cum laude and was a recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship for Academic Excellence.  He previously served as a member of the City of Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, St. Paul the Apostle School Board, and Kentwood Jaycees.  Commissioner Wardrop’s term expires December 31, 2008.

New Office of the State Employer Director Sharon Bommarito

We are pleased to introduce you to Sharon Bommarito who was recently appointed by Governor Granholm to serve as the new director of the Office of the State Employer (OSE). The State Employer oversees all collective bargaining, labor-management relations, and other employee services for more than 50,000 state workers in Michigan.

Ms. Bommarito previously served as a deputy director for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG). In this role she was responsible for programs such as unemployment insurance, wage and hour, workers compensation and MIOSHA.  She originally joined the department as the director of the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA).

Prior to joining UIA, Ms. Bommarito was director of personnel for the city of Lansing.  She was also special assistant and deputy director of personnel in Governor James Blanchard’s administration. 

Ms. Bommarito is a graduate of Michigan State University. She resides in Lansing.

Group Insurance Open Enrollment
August 11, 2008 —August 29, 2008

2008 Open Enrollment

The Open Enrollment period for State-Sponsored Group Insurance plans begins August 11, 2008, and ends August 29, 2008.  This is the time to make changes to your health, vision, dental, long-term disability, employee life, and dependent life coverage.  You may also add and/or make changes to your qualified dependents at this time.  Changes to your benefits can only be made during Open Enrollment or within 31 days of a life event, so please don’t miss this opportunity.

Important information regarding changes to the State’s health plans will be mailed to you in the near future.  Please read this material carefully before making your benefit selections to become aware of changes in health premiums, co-pays, deductibles, and prescription drug plans. Your benefit selections will remain the same for the 2008-2009 fiscal year if no changes are made.  Benefit changes will occur on October 1, 2008. The effective date for new and changed enrollments along with new premium deductions will be October 5, 2008. 

MI HR Self-Service Must Be Used For All Open Enrollment Changes

After you determine what, if any, changes you want to make to your benefits, you will need to access your MI HR Self-Service account to enter the selected changes.

Once the Open Enrollment period starts, your MI HR Self-Serivce account will provide direct links to all the information you will need to review your current coverage, consider your insurance options, and complete any desired changes. Login from work or at home at: www.michigan.gov/selfserve. Your account is accessible 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.  If you do not have access to a computer or need assistance, please contact the MI HR Service Center at (877) 766-6447 or (517) 335-0529.  Customer Representatives are available Monday  through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Adding New Dependents

If you add new dependents to your benefit coverage, you will be required to submit documentation supporting their eligibility for coverage.  To determine if an individual is eligible for coverage, please review the Dependent Eligibility Guidelines following this article.  If you believe the individual is eligible for coverage, review the Required Documentation for Dependents to identify the documents you will be required to submit to the MI HR Service Center when adding the dependent to your coverage.

Steps to Help Ensure Your Successful Completion of Open Enrollment

Please review your insurance coverage to ensure its accuracy. During the open enrollment period, there will be a special Open Enrollment menu in your self-service account to walk you through the following steps (www.michigan.gov/selfserv).

1.  Review your current benefits.
2.  Review plan rates and your benefit options for FY 2008-2009.
3.  Review and change dependent information.
4.  If no updates or benefit changes are needed, you can stop here.
5.  Enroll in, or change your employee insurance elections.

Important:  If you make changes during open enrollment, print your confirmation statement for your own records.  If you exit the system before receiving the “Your enrollment has been successful” confirmation, your changes will not be recorded.

Home Address

To ensure you timely receive Open Enrollment and other materials, please review your address in your self-service account. Login at www.michigan.gov/selfserv, and under the Employee menu select Personal Information, then Home Address. If a change in address is necessary, just click on Change My Home Address and enter the changes.

MI HR Service Center

Questions regarding Open Enrollment may be directed to the MI HR Service Center at 1-877-766-6447 or 517-335-0529 or 517-241-8046 (TTY).

Documentation required to substantiate your dependent’s eligibility may be mailed to the address below or faxed to (517) 241-5892:

Civil Service Commission
MI HR Service Center
P.O. Box 30002
Lansing, MI  48909

Dependent Eligibility Guidelines

Eligible dependents include your spouse and any of your unmarried children until the day before they turn 19. In addition to being unmarried, children must meet the following conditions to be considered eligible:

Your child by birth, legal adoption, or legal guardianship.

In the case of legal adoption, a child is eligible for coverage as of the date of placement.  Placement occurs when you become legally obligated for the total or partial support of the child in anticipation.

Step-child for whom you have physical custody (e.g, the step-child lives with you at least 50 percent of the time as stated in a current divorce decree) and for whom you provide at least 50 percent of their support.

Foster child placed in your home by a state agency or the court.

Your children from the age of 19 until the age of 25 who are enrolled in an accredited educational institution and for whom you provide at least 50 percent of their support.

Dependent Life

Eligible dependents are unmarried children between the ages of 14 days and 23 years for whom you provide at least 50 percent of their support.  These dependents are not required to be enrolled in school.  Your spouse is also eligible if he or she is not a state employee or state retiree.

Dual Eligibility

If you and your spouse are both covered by State Health Plans (retiree or active, including State-sponsored HMO options) you may:

Maintain separate coverage through your individual plans.

Enroll in one plan, with one of you as a dependent.

If you choose to maintain separate coverage, your child or children can only be listed on one plan, not both.  This applies even if you are divorced.

Canceling Dependent Coverage

To cancel your dependent coverage when they no longer meet the definition of an eligible dependent, you must immediately notify the MI HR Service Center.  Ex-spouses are not eligible and must be removed from coverage.

Dependent Exclusions

You cannot claim a dependent on your coverage if he or she is:

In the Armed Forces.  Individuals who are called to active military duty are eligible for coverage under TRICARE, effective with the date of active duty orders.

Already covered on another State of Michigan health plan.  No person can be covered on more than one State of Michigan health plan.  If you choose to maintain separate coverage, your children can only be listed on one plan, not both.  This applies even if you are divorced.

Continuing Coverage for Incapacitated Children

Incapacitated children are those who are unable to earn a living because of mental retardation or physical disability and must depend on their parents for support and maintenance.  If your enrolled dependent is deemed an incapacitated child, the coverage for this child will continue beyond age 19 as long as:

he or she became incapacitated before age 19,

documentation verifying the child’s condition was provided to the insurance carrier prior to the child becoming 19,

the child continues to be incapacitated, and

your coverage does not terminate for any other reason.

If you have any questions regarding eligibility of your dependents, please contact the MI HR Service Center at: 
(877) 766-6447 or (517) 335-0529.

Required Documentation for Dependents

The documents listed below can be used to prove dependent eligibility for insurance coverage.  Documentation must be mailed or faxed to the MI HR Service Center by October 1, 2008.  Please note that documents will not be returned to you, so please submit copies of your documents.

A.  Required Documentation for Children Ages Birth Until 19
Biological child - Copy of an official birth certificate (not hospital birth certificate).
Legally adopted or pending adoption - Copy of adoption papers or sworn statement with the date of placement.
Employee has legal guardianship - Copy of guardianship papers.
Employee’s dependent child has a baby - Copy of an official birth certificate (not hospital birth certificate).
Employee has foster child - Court document placing the child in the employee’s home for foster care.
Employee has step-child - A copy of the first and last pages of the most current divorce decree of the employee’s spouse, stamped by court, and any language verifying physical custody; and a copy of official birth certificate (not hospital birth certificate).

B.  Required Documentation for Children Ages 19 Until 25
Employee has a dependent who is unmarried, dependent on the employee for at least 50 percent of his/her support, and is a student who regularly attends an accredited school.  -  The required documentation outlined in Section A, and a completed Verification of Dependent Eligibility for State Sponsored Insurance Plans (CS-1771) form*, and school registration or other records proving school attendance.  (School verification is not required for dependent life insurance.)
* Forms are available at www.michigan.gov/mdcs

In the case of children of divorced spouses or step-children, the child must be an unmarried student who regularly attends an accredited school and is dependent on the employee for at least 50 percent of his/her support. -  The required documentation outlined in Section A, and a completed Verification of Dependent Eligibility for State Sponsored Insurance Plans (CS-1771) form*, and a copy of school registration or other records proving school attendance.  (School verification is not required for dependent life insurance.)
* Forms are available at www.michigan.gov/mdcs

C.  Required Documentation for Other Circumstances
Spouse - Copy of marriage certificate.
Removing ex-spouse, dependent/step-child(ren) due to a divorce  -  Copy of the first and last page of the divorce decree stamped by the court.
Incapacitated dependent child  -  No documentation is required for children who have already been approved.  Please note on the dependent coverage statement.
Deleting dependent coverage due to death  -  Copy of death certificate.
Dependent life insurance coverage only  -  Copy of official birth certificate (not hospital birth certificate).

New 401(k)/457 Investments Option
SSgA Target Retirement Asset Allocation Funds

In June, CitiStreet mailed a notice letting all participants know that ten new SSgA Target Retirement Asset Allocation funds replaced the three asset allocation funds in the state of Michigan 401(k) and 457 plans. These funds serve as a one-stop investment option that’s already invested in a variety of funds for instant diversification.
 
Funds are selected by estimating what year the participant will retire and choosing the fund with that year in the title.  Current participants with elections and/or existing balance directed to the SSgA conservative, moderate, or aggressive asset allocation funds were automatically changed to one of the new SSgA Target Asset Allocation funds based on their current age and an assumed retirement age of 65.

Participants can change balances or investment elections by contacting CitiStreet at http://stateofmi.csplans.com or by calling the toll-free at 1-800-748-6128.

Michigan’s Kids Need Mentors

Mentor Michigan, led by Governor Jennifer Granholm and First Gentleman Daniel Mulhern, is working to ensure that all the state’s youth have ongoing relationships with stable, caring individuals.  Mentoring relationships have been proven to positively affect a young person’s life.  Children with mentors are 46 percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs; 27 percent less likely to begin using alcohol; and 52 percent less likely to skip school.

During Governor Granholm’s 2008 State-of-the-State address, she heightened Mentor Michigan’s efforts by setting a goal of recruiting 10,000 new mentors by the year 2010.  This recruitment effort will help ensure more children in Michigan will benefit from a positive role model and gain the benefits from increased confidence, support, and encouragement.

Mentor Michigan has been working to increase and enhance mentoring throughout the state.  Since the Governor took office, Mentor Michigan has built partnerships with mentoring programs, advocated mentoring issues and standards, provided resources and training, and recognized the accomplishments of mentors and the organizations that support them.  In addition, Mentor Michigan has developed several key recruitment campaigns, including with the Michigan Army and Air National Guard, which aim to recruit 500 National Guard members by 2010 as part of the “10,000 More” mentors goal.

To continue Mentor Michigan’s success, it is launching a campaign to recruit state employees to serve as mentors.  Each department within state government will have a “liaison” to, among other things, offer information and support to potential mentors.

There are many individual ways you can become involved with mentoring.  The Web site, www.mentormichigan.org is a perfect place to start.  This Web site offers a “Mentoring Directory” which will help you find mentoring programs in your county.  If you have questions about what it means to be a mentor, contact Amber Reiss, Mentor Michigan Coordinator, at 517-241-3493 or reissa@michigan.gov.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Michigan Capital Region Mentor, CJ Quinney, has been mentoring his mentee, Marton, for seven years.  CJ has helped him with his academics, friendships, and basketball skills.

Events
Monday           September 1                 Labor Day
Tuesday           November 4                 Election Day
Tuesday           November 11               Veterans Day
Thursday          November 27               Thanksgiving
Friday              November 28               Thanksgiving
Wednesday      December 24               Christmas Eve
Thursday          December 25               Christmas
Wednesday      December 31               News Year’s Eve

Civil Service Commission 2008 Tentative Meetings
September 24
December 10
(meeting dates subject to change)

We  Welcome Your Comments ! 
Please contact us by e-mail at:  MDCS-CivilServiceNews@michigan.gov
Or in writing to:  MI CS News, 400 South Pine Street, P.O. Box 30002, Lansing, MI 48909