In support of the University's Policy on Sustainable Practice, UC has worked with the health & welfare plan vendors to minimize the amount of printed information sent to plan members each year, much of which ends up in landfills. For this reason, in general, 2009 plan booklets and "evidence of coverage" documents will not be sent to all members, as some plans have done in the past. Some plans will continue to mail to new members and retirees with Medicare will receive hard copies of all materials, per Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements.

Instead of receiving a 2009 booklet through the mail, you can access plan booklets electronically through the At Your Service website or through the appropriate plan's web site. As in the past, most plan booklets for the next year will be available electronically at the start of Open Enrollment.

If you do not receive a 2009 booklet through the mail and would like a printed copy of your plan booklet, you may call the plan directly and request a booklet be mailed to you. A list of plan toll-free numbers is available on At Your Service and in the Open Enrollment announcement mailed to you in October. You also may request a booklet by calling the toll-free number on your member identification card.

This new process ensures that everyone has access to a plan booklet while saving significant paper resources and providing substantial savings on printing and mailing costs.