Board approves cafeteria plan changes, membership-rule clarifications and revised retiree dental rates

At its September meeting, the San Francisco Health Service Board approved several administrative and benefits changes for the 2021 plan year.

Cafeteria plan updates: Mitchell Griggs presented changes reflecting IRS updates and local MOUs, including an increase in the health flexible-spending account cap from $2,700 to $2,750 and a $550 carryover from 2020 to 2021. The board voted to adopt the cafeteria plan updates. No public commenters spoke on the measure; the motion carried unanimously.

Membership rules clarifications: The board approved revised membership rules that, among other technical clarifications, specify that disabled adult dependents must remain continuously enrolled in a Health Service System medical plan in order to retain their status. Staff said this was largely a wording clarification to reflect industry practice. The motion carried unanimously.

Delta Dental retiree-rate revisions and SmileWay change: Aon presented an approach to apply premium/administrative credits returned by Delta Dental to reduce 2021 retiree dental premium rates rather than issue individual refunds to thousands of retirees. Aon also recommended changing the SmileWay benefit so certain periodontal codes would not count toward a member's annual maximum (so SmileWay-covered periodontal services remain available after members reach other annual maximums). The board approved the recommended rate revisions and plan design changes. During discussion, a retiree caller (Richard Lawson) described prior confusion when trying to use SmileWay; Delta Dental's representative, Sharon Staneklo, said enrollment can be done by phone or via the Delta portal and that eligibility typically appears within 24 hours.

Voting summary: Each of the action items moved, was seconded, opened for public comment (where noted) and passed unanimously.