News & Announcements

2025 Open Enrollment

The 2025 open enrollment period will begin on November 4, 2024 and end on November 22, 2024. Keep in mind that while you’re encouraged to review your benefit options, you’re not required to make any changes. If you take no action during open enrollment, your medical, dental, vision, life, and legal coverage elections will remain the same in 2025. 

If you want to have a flexible spending account (FSA) or dependent care spending account (DCSA) in 2025, you must enroll during the open enrollment period. These accounts require an annual election, so if you want one in 2025, you must elect it during open enrollment, even if you had one in 2024.

As with all recent open enrollment periods, all open enrollment activity will be on the Workterra benefits enrollment platform.  Workterra is fairly straightforward and you've likely used it in the past, but if you need help you can find a Workterra User Guide here.

What’s New in 2025? 

Anchor Choice Plan with HSA Deductible Increase 

Applies to All Employees 

If you're planning to enroll or continue in the Anchor Choice Plan with Health Savings Account (HSA), there's an important change you need to know about. 

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has updated the rules for high-deductible health plans in 2025. This year, the deductible for the Anchor Choice Plan with HSA is increasing. 

The new deductibles are: 

  1. $1,650 for employee-only coverage 
  2. $3,300 for family coverage 

However, the State has you covered! To keep Anchor Choice a great value, the State is increasing the amount of its annual HSA contribution1 to match the new deductibles. That means your full annual deductible, whether you're an individual or a family, will still be covered. 

Medical and Prescription Drug Plan Changes 

Applies to All Employees Except as Noted Below 

Effective January 1, 2025, there are several benefit changes and enhancements to the Anchor, Anchor Plus, and Anchor Choice medical plans administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) and the prescription drug coverage administered by CVS Caremark.

No PCP Coordination of Care Required

You no longer need to receive a referral from your primary care physician (PCP) to pay less for a specialist visit. Beginning January 1, you will pay the same for a specialist visit with or without a referral. Under the Anchor and Anchor Plus plans, there is a $25 copay for all in-network specialist visits. If you are enrolled in Anchor Choice, you pay 10% for an in-network visit. 

Introducing Hinge Health 

If you are enrolled in the Anchor, Anchor Plus, or Anchor Choice medical plans, you are now covered for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island’s virtual musculoskeletal (MSK) benefit through a partnership with Hinge Health.2 This comprehensive digital MSK care program combines personalized exercise therapy, wearable technology, health coaching, and education to help reduce chronic pain and improve joint and muscle health. You don’t need a referral to use it, and there is no cost to you for this coverage.

Greater Wellness Incentives (Anchor Plan) 

If you are enrolled in the Anchor medical plan, your annual maximum incentives under the Rewards for Wellness program are increasing from $500 to $700.3 

PrudentRx for Specialty Drugs (through CVS Caremark) 

This new benefit is designed to reduce your out-of-pocket cost for certain specialty drugs. If you or a dependent takes a specialty drug on the PrudentRx program list, you would receive the drug from an in-network pharmacy with no out-of-pocket cost.4 If you choose not to participate in PrudentRx, your specialty fills will be subject to 30% coinsurance. 

Whose Benefits ARE NOT Changing?

If you are a member of one of the following groups, your medical/prescription plan benefits and wellness incentives are not changing for 2025. 

  • RIBCO (Correctional Officers; Nurses; Civilians)
  • RITA and non-union State Police
  • Non-Classified union and non-union education and college employees

With the exception of increased deductibles and State HSA contributions under the Anchor Choice plan, your medical and prescription drug benefits remain the same as they are in 2024.5

1. When enrolling in Workterra it will ask for a PCP designation. Please simply click “Auto Allocate” for PCP and move to the next section. NO PCP WILL BE ASSIGNED TO YOU.

2. Contributions are made biannually with half deposited in January and the other half deposited in July. The State’s HSA contributions are NOT pro-rated for employees who enroll after January 1 and July 1.

3. Up to $500 in incentives if enrolled in the Anchor Plus or Anchor Choice plans. The 2025-2026 Employee Wellness Program brochure will be mailed to all employees in late December.

4. If you are enrolled in the Anchor Choice plan with HSA, you must fully satisfy your deductible before you are eligible to obtain your specialty drug at no out-of-pocket cost, unless you have been prescribed a medication that is qualified as “preventive care” by the IRS. You may still choose to use available manufacturer copay assistance to help cover your out-of-pocket cost before you have met your deductible, but you will not be eligible for $0 out-of-pocket cost under the program until your deductible has been satisfied.

5. Designating a PCP is required for these groups: RIBCO (Correctional Officers; Nurses; Civilians): RITA and non-union State Police; Non-Classified union and non-union education and college employees. Follow these Step-by-Step Instructions to find your preferred PCP(s) and their 10-digit NPI(s). Write down the number(s) so that you will be ready to enter them when you make your elections in Workterra. You may also choose to have your PCP(s) chosen for you by checking the “Auto Allocate” box on the PCP pop-up page in Workterra. For assistance with finding your PCP and their 10-digit NPI contact the BCBSRI Care Center at 401-429-2104 or 866-987-3705 Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. and Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–noon. 

There are no coverage changes to the dental or vision plans.

 

Other items of note as you're reviewing your benefits experience in 2024 and making benefits choices for 2025

Review the 2025 Employee Benefit Plans FAQs

Check Out the New Virtual Benefits Fair 

The virtual benefits fair—your one-stop website for benefits information—has a fresh look and updated resources to guide your benefit choices. Find presentations, videos, and downloadable PDFs from the State’s benefit vendors, and so much more! 

This year, we especially recommend reviewing the videos from BCBSRI about the medical plan enhancements and CVS Caremark to learn more about the new Prudent Rx specialty drug benefit. 

Make sure to have a chat with ALEX, the State's online benefits decision support program.  You may be familiar with ALEX from past conversations you've had with him, but this year there's a twist!  ALEX Go is now available alongside the traditional ALEX Benefits Counselor experience.  ALEX Go is an entirely text-based experience that discards with much of the entertaining educational discussion that ALEX engages in normally.  It's very quick and to-the-point, and its available in Spanish as well!  Access ALEX this open enrollment here - please note that ALEX officially launches on November 1, 2024.

More Questions?

Schedule a virtual one-on-one session with a BCBSRI representative to review your Anchor medical plan options. Sessions are available Monday through Friday, November 4–November 22 from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern time. 

Call the State’s Dedicated BCBSRI CARE Center, an all-in-one support center that connects State employees and their families with a local BCBSRI customer service and clinical team dedicated to their health needs. You can call them at 401-429-2104 or 866-987-3705 Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. and Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–noon. The State of Rhode Island Employee CARE Center is exclusively dedicated to questions about medical coverage under the Anchor medical plans and assistance with logging into Workterra and resetting your password.

Ready to enroll 

Log in to Workterra, the State’s online enrollment system. During the Open Enrollment period, you can access Workterra to add dependents and make or change benefit elections as many times as you like. 

What to Know

Your password is changing. Follow these steps to log in:

  • User Name is the first initial of your first name, your full last name (no hyphens, apostrophes, spaces or titles), last four digits of your SSN 

    Example: if your name is John O’Brien-Johnson, Jr. and the last four digits of your SSN are 1234, your User Name would be “jobrienjohnson1234”.

  • Password will be the first five digits of your SSN. (You will change this upon first login. Be sure to write down your new password!
  • The Company is Rhode Island (not case sensitive; space between “Rhode” and “Island” is required).

Make your benefit elections between November 4 and November 22. Don’t wait until the last minute—enrollment closes at 11:59 p.m. on November 22. No changes will be permitted after that time. 

2025 Medical/Rx Plan Comparison

Unions that ratified and non-union classified and unclassified 

RIBCO (Correctional Officers; Nurses; Civilians); RITA and State Police Command Staff;  Non-Classified union and non-union education and college employees

2025 Health Plan Rates

Working Rates (100% full plan costs from which 15%, 20% and 25% co-shares are determined)

Unions that ratified and non-union classified and unclassified

RIBCO (Correctional Officers; Nurses; Civilians); RITA and State Police Command Staff;  Non-Classified union and non-union education and college employees

Co-Share Rates

For unions that ratified new CBAs and non-union classified and unclassified (effective January 1, 2025)

For RIBCO (Correctional Officers; Nurses; Civilians) and Non-Classified Union and Non-Union Education

For RITA and State Police Command Staff that did not ratify new CBAs

Non-classified union & non-union employees working in higher education should refer to their college/university website (URI, RIC, CCRI) for their co-share tables.

2025 COBRA Premiums

Unions that ratified and non-union classified and unclassified

RIBCO (Correctional Officers; Nurses; Civilians); RITA and State Police Command Staff; Non-Classified union and non-union education and college employees

Pre-65 Retiree Premiums

2025 Pre-65 Retiree Premiums

 

2024 Health Plan Rates

Working Rates (100% full plan costs from which 15%, 20% and 25% coshares are determined)

2024 Co-Shares - Classified & Unclassified 26 Pay Period Employees

2024 Co-Shares - Classified & Unclassified 20 Pay Period Employees

2024 Co-Shares - RI Troopers Association & State Police Command Staff

Non-classified union & non-union employees working in higher education should refer to their college/university website (URI, RIC, CCRI) for their co-share tables.

2024 COBRA Premiums

2024 Pre-65 Retiree Premiums

Rewards for Wellness 2024-2025

The 2024-2025 Rewards for Wellness program runs from January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024, and credit incentives will be delivered to employee paychecks in the first half of 2025.

Please review the 2024-2025 State of Rhode Island Rewards for Wellness brochure and visit the 2024-2025 Rewards for Wellness page for additional details and guidance. 

The 2025-2026 Employee Wellness Program brochure will be mailed to all employees in late December.

Pick Your Person!

The choice is yours. The benefits are theirs. How your benefits are distributed after your death is entirely up to you, but you have to make your elections. This fall, please review and confirm your current beneficiary designations to be sure your choices are still accurate and up to date. To find out more about reviewing and designating your beneficiaries, visit the Naming Your Beneficiaries page of the virtual benefits fair. Please note that the Office of Employee Benefits does not keep beneficiary information on file for employees; each separate plan maintains its own information.