This Month: Health Care Clinics – Avoid Big Insurance Premium Cost Increases

Takeaway: Come to a Coalition of Rutgers Unions Health Care Clinic this week or next week to learn how to avoid large cost increases coming in many state health care plans.

Dear colleague,

Many of the plans in the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) that are most popular at Rutgers will see double-digit increases in premium costs as of January 1. Our unions want to help you understand your options for avoiding these increases. We’ll go through the details and answer your questions at Health Care Clinics all this week and next.

If you are in the HMO plan, a high deductible plan, or a PPO plan that ends with 15, 1525, 2030, or 2035, you’re likely to see another double-digit increase in your payroll deductions starting on January 1. Fortunately, you have an opportunity to switch plans throughout this month, which is the annual open enrollment window.

How do you know which plan you’re in? Go to your Rutgers portal; if you’re enrolled in the SHBP, it should list your health plan’s full name. If you are in Horizon’s Omnia, NJ Direct, or NJ Direct 2019 (union negotiated) or Aetna’s Liberty, Freedom, or Freedom 2019 (union negotiated), then you will see no increase in your payroll deductions on January 1. But if you are in NJ Direct 15, NJ Direct 1525, NJ Direct 2030, or NJ Direct 2035, we urge you to look at your options and consider switching plans.

Click on any of the links above to sign up for a Health Care Clinic sponsored by our Coalition of Rutgers Unions, at which Executive Director Patrick Nowlan will explain how the plans compare and how to switch if you want to.

In solidarity,
HP, Cathy, and Becky

Heather Pierce, President, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union
Dr. Catherine Monteleone, President, AAUP-BHSNJ
Rebecca Givan, President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT

Other Upcoming Events

Click here for a full calendar: https://rutgersaaup.org/events/

AFT Day Labor Walk in North Brunswick

Join our labor-to-labor canvassing for Mikie Sherrill for governor—then head to the No Kings demonstration in Highland Park.

  • Saturday, October 18, meet at 8:30 a.m., IBEW 456 Hall (1295 Livingston Ave., North Brunswick) – Click here to RSVP

Tell Trump: No Thrones, No Crowns, No Kings!
Our unions will organize contingents at three of the upcoming No Kings demonstrations. RSVP if you’re going so we can get organized!

  • Highland Park – Saturday, October 18, meet at 11 a.m., at Raritan Avenue and South Adelaide Avenue – Click here to RSVP
  • New York City – Saturday, October 18, meet at 11 a.m., at 6th Avenue and Canal Street – Click here to RSVP
  • Philadelphia – Saturday, October 18, meet at 12 p.m., at the northeast corner of City Hall, 1400 John F Kennedy Blvd – Click here to RSVP

Rutgers AAUP-AFT Facebook page: https://facebook.com/RUaaup/
Follow us on Instagram @rutgersaaup, Bluesky @ruaaup-aft.bsky.social, and Twitter @ruaaup
Freedom School YouTubeChannel: https://rutgersaaup.org/YouTube

Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rutgersptlfc
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ruaaup_ptl and Bluesky @ruaaup-ptl.bsky.social
Visit our website: https://rutgers-ptlfc.org/

AAUP-BHSNJ website: https://aaupbhsnj.org/
AAUP-BHSNJ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RUaaupbhsnj