<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:dt="uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:8.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#467886;
text-decoration:underline;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:12.0pt;}
.MsoPapDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
margin-bottom:8.0pt;
line-height:115%;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:.3in .3in .3in .3in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:874929074;
mso-list-template-ids:526547436;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:1104686703;
mso-list-template-ids:347626592;}
@list l1:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><a name="_Hlk161057670"></a><a name="_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><img width="197" height="75" id="_x0000_i1027" src="cid:image001.png@01DB97EE.FC964A00" alt="A blue text on a black background
Description automatically generated"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670"><span style="font-size:6.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670">March 18, 2025<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="729" style="width:547.0pt;margin-left:-4.5pt;border-collapse:collapse">
<tbody>
<tr style="height:19.4pt">
<td width="103" valign="top" style="width:77.6pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:19.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:normal">
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670">To:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670"></span></span>
<td width="626" valign="top" style="width:469.4pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:19.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:normal">
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670">Department Benefits Representatives (DBRs)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670"></span></span>
</tr>
<tr style="height:19.95pt">
<td width="103" valign="top" style="width:77.6pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:19.95pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:normal">
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670">From:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670"></span></span>
<td width="626" valign="top" style="width:469.4pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:19.95pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:normal">
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670">Central HR Benefits Office on behalf of UC Office of the President<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670"></span></span>
</tr>
<tr style="height:22.55pt">
<td width="103" valign="top" style="width:77.6pt;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:22.55pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:normal">
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670">Re:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670"></span></span>
<td width="626" valign="top" style="width:469.4pt;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:22.55pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:normal">
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670">ALEX Benefits Counselor Tool Update<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670"></span></span>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161057670"></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk161058449"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal">DBRs, please share this information via your internal listserv.
<b><u>Do not reply to this mail.</u></b> Please send a separate email with questions to
<a href="mailto:benefits@ucr.edu">benefits@ucr.edu</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal">UCOP has advised of an important update to the ALEX Benefits Counselor tool taking effect Wednesday, March 19, 2025. You may access the updated tool using this link: <a href="https://start.myalex.com/uc/" title="https://start.myalex.com/uc/">ALEX
Benefits Counselor Tool</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><b>Zip Code Qualifier for Plan Recommendations:</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal">Beginning March 19, 2025, ALEX will utilize a zip code qualifier when providing plan recommendations.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><b> </b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><b>Key Changes:</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
The change is effective in both the audio-led and text-based versions of ALEX.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
The zip code entered by the user when completing the Profile will be used to determine whether the UC Blue & Gold HMO and/or Kaiser HMO plans are shown as available medical plans.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
If a zip code outside of the plan's service area is entered, that plan will not be suggested to the user.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
A message will appear on both the Profile and Choose a Health Plan screens stating: <i>“If the zip code you provided is outside of the service area of a UC medical HMO plan (Kaiser and/or UC Blue & Gold), that plan will not be displayed as an option” </i>as
shown in the screenshots below.<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><img border="0" width="758" height="288" id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image002.png@01DB97EE.FC964A00"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><img border="0" width="759" height="352" id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image003.png@01DB97EE.FC964A00"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>