Open Enrollment and Benefits Fair

Flexible Spending Account

If you contribute to a Flexible Spending account, both medical or dependent care (daycare expenses), you must re-enroll each year, even if you do not want to enroll in or make changes to any other benefits. Flexible Spending accounts do not roll over from year to year. 

Tobacco and Spousal Surcharges

Tobacco Surcharge

Effective January 1, 2023, employees enrolled in the USG healthcare plans and their covered dependents (age 18+) will be charged a $150 per tobacco user per month surcharge for using tobacco products. During an open enrollment period, you must certify your status as a tobacco user or non-user, as well as the status of any dependents (age 18+) enrolled in your University System of Georgia (USG) healthcare plan through OneUSG Connect – Benefits.

A reasonable alternative is made available during the certification process for individuals who would like to become non-tobacco users. This allows 90 days to complete a tobacco cessation program. Tobacco cessation programs are available at no cost to you and your dependents. Please contact these helpful resources for tobacco cessation programs:

• Georgia Tobacco Quit Line: 1-877-270-7867
• Kaiser Permanente: 1-866- 862-4295

If you become a non-tobacco user or complete a tobacco cessation program under the reasonable alternative option, please call the OneUSG Connect ― Benefits Call Center at 1-844-5-USGBEN (1-844-587-4236) to change your status.

Working Spouse Surcharge

In an effort to keep costs as low as possible for all our employees and the State of Georgia’s taxpayers, beginning in 2020, there will be a new surcharge of $150 per month applied to employees who choose to cover their spouses in the USG healthcare plan if the employee’s spouse works for an employer other than the USG and receives an offer of coverage from that employer. During an open enrollment period, employees who elect to enroll a spouse in the USG healthcare plan must complete the working spouse surcharge certification through OneUSG Connect – Benefits.

Working spouse surcharge WILL apply if:

• Your spouse works for any employer other than the USG, has an offer of coverage from that employer, and that employer makes a contribution towards the cost of the coverage. Non-USG employers include private sector organizations as well as other government agencies.

Working spouse surcharge WILL NOT apply if:

• Your spouse works for USG.
• Your spouse is covered under COBRA.
• Your spouse is eligible and/or enrolled in Medicare or Tricare.
• Your spouse is self-employed, regardless of whether your spouse offers insurance to his or her employees.
• Your spouse is a part-time employee and has NO access to health coverage.
• Your spouse has insurance available through his or her own employer, but the employer makes NO contribution toward the cost of the insurance.

Your spouse is not employed.

If you do not complete the tobacco or working spouse certification during open enrollment, your status will default to surcharge. No refunds will be given.

For more information and assistance with enrollment and surcharge navigation, refer to the USG Open Enrollment Surcharge Enrollment Flow (PDF).