The open enrollment period for employee benefits will begin Friday, Oct. 20. Look for an email from Human Resources on enrollment instructions for Drake’s medical, wellness, dental, and flexible spending account plans.

Medical and dental rates will remain unchanged again this year. In the current health care environment, this is certainly good news. Plan participants should be commended for taking care of their health, participating in wellness programming, and using their benefits wisely. Human Resources and the University Benefits Committee also deserve thanks for making key changes over the past several years, resulting in a more stable plan with less volatility and greater predictability.

The open enrollment period is a good opportunity to reflect on the guiding principles of Drake employee benefits, which is to provide:

• Quality benefits that are responsive to the needs of employee’s and their families
• A total benefit package that is competitive with our peers and other Iowa employers
• Straightforward, efficient benefits that maximize our resources for the most impact

One of the key features of the Drake medical plan is protection in the event of a catastrophic illness. For example, the out of pocket maximum that any participant will pay in any plan year is lower than the median of other institutions of higher education and Iowa employers. To hear more about plan features and decisions like these, plan to attend one of three informational meetings on:

• Oct. 26, at 3 p.m.
• Nov. 1, at 12 p.m.
• Nov. 14, at 2 p.m.

All three meetings will be held in Olmsted Center, Room 310.

—Venessa Macro, Finance and Administration