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CAREERS

Key benefits: Lower monthly premium, flexibility to use any provider in the Anthem network, ability to save and even invest tax-free for health care expenses in the future.

Considerations: A high deductible means you’ll need to pay out-of-pocket expenses before insurance begins covering a portion of some health care services. But UK will help you by depositing funds into a health savings account (HSA). And you’re protected by an annual out-of-pocket maximum.

The Saver plan is UK’s high-deductible plan that offers a health savings account. This type of plan requires you to pay for your health care and prescription costs – except preventive care, which is covered right away – until you meet your deductible. It also provides a great way to save and invest tax free for health care costs this year and in the future.

Plus, UK will deposit funds into your health savings account two times per year to help you get started. And your deductible is always lowest if you see UK HealthCare providers.

This plan also has an annual out-of-pocket maximum, meaning in even the worst-case scenario, there’s a cap on how much you will have to pay for health care during the plan year.

Depending on how much your costs are, you could be in one of three phases of coverage:

  • Deductible phase: You'll pay 100% of the cost.
  • Coverage phase: You'll pay a percentage of the cost while insurance covers the rest.
  • Max out-of-pocket phase: Your cost will be $0 and your insurance will cover all costs the rest of the plan year.

2025-26 annual deductibles

Coverage type Tier 1
Medical costs with UK HealthCare providers
Tier 2
Medical costs with non-UK HealthCare providers in the Anthem network and prescription costs
Individual plan $1,650 $3,300
Family plan $3,300 $6,600

Prescription costs include costs at any in-network pharmacy, including UK Retail Pharmacies.

UK contributes $1,000 in a health savings account for individual coverage and $2,000 into an HSA for family coverage to help you toward meeting those deductibles. These are split into two deposits, one in July and one in January. 

Once you meet your deductible, you’ll still be responsible for paying a percentage of the cost for health care services. But an annual maximum puts a cap on how much you’ll have to pay out of pocket in any plan year.

2025-26 out-of-pocket maximums

Coverage type Tier 1
Medical costs with UK HealthCare providers
Tier 2
Medical costs with non-UK HealthCare providers in the Anthem network and prescription costs
Individual plan $4,000 $8,000
Family plan $8,000 $16,000

If you have questions about deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums, call HR Benefits at (859) 257-9519, option 3.

In addition, you can consider optional insurance plans such as hospital indemnity or critical illness coverage to provide further protection from situations that may cause higher health care expenses.

Beginning July 1, 2025, these plans will no longer be available:

RHP
EPO

In rare circumstances – if you spend more than 120 days out of the country, for example – you may need to choose our Indemnity plan.

HSA: Saving for the future

If you have a year where you don’t need to use some or any of your health savings account funds, you can continue saving that money for the future. Your HSA funds never expire.

Plus, once you reach $1,000 in your HSA, you can invest any amount above that, giving your money a chance to grow tax free until you need it.

UK uses Health Equity to administer your HSA, and you can choose from their list of investment options.

In addition to UK’s contributions to your HSA, you can also add additional money tax free up to a limit set each year by the IRS. Currently, you can contribute an additional $3,300 on an employee-only plan and $6,550 on plans that include family members. You can make or change your contributions at any time throughout the year.

If you are 55 or older, you can contribute an additional $1,000 on top of those limits.

Your HSA funds are yours forever, and your HSA is portable, meaning you take the funds with you even if you no longer work at UK.
 

Note: If you enroll in the Saver plan, you are not eligible to enroll in a health care flexible spending account (FSA). However, you can still enroll in a child care FSA as well as a limited FSA for only dental and vision expenses.

How to use your HSA

Anthem has a full list of eligible expenses, but here are a few examples of common eligible purchases:

  • Acupuncture
  • Birth control pills
  • Chiropractic care
  • Contact lenses and related materials
  • Crutches
  • Fertility treatment
  • Laser eye surgery
  • Over-the-counter (OTC) health items
  • Dental care including cleanings, fillings and crowns
  • Eyeglasses
  • Prescription sunglasses
  • Hearing aids

Employee monthly rates

2024-2025 SAVER
Coverage level Total monthly cost* UK pays You pay
Employee only $776 $736 $40
Employee + children $1,145 $986 $159
Employee + spouse $1,511 $1,216 $295
Employee + family $1,874 $1,442 $432
2025-2026 SAVER
Coverage level Total monthly cost* UK pays You pay
Employee only $774 $744 $30
Employee + children $1,236 $1,067 $169
Employee + spouse $1,776 $1,466 $310
Employee + family $2,179 $1,747 $432

* Regular part-time and temporary employees (less than 0.75 FTE or work less than an average of 30 hours per week in a 12-month measurement period), who are not eligible for the UK credit toward the costs of coverage, pay this rate.

Coverage for common services

You pay 100% of the cost until you meet your deductible, then you pay a percentage of the cost.

Saver health plan Service UK HealthCare Anthem Out-of-network
Preventive Care   $0 $0 40% after deductible
Physician services Primary care visit 10% after deductible 30% after deductible 40% after deductible
  Specialty care visit 10% after deductible 30% after deductible 40% after deductible
  Lab tests, X-rays, diagnostic tests 10% after deductible 30% after deductible 40% after deductible
  High-end diagnostics 10% after deductible 30% after deductible 40% after deductible
  Allergy shots 10% after deductible 30% after deductible 40% after deductible
Hospital services Inpatient hospital stay 10% after deductible 30% after deductible 40% after deductible
  Outpatient surgery 10% after deductible 30% after deductible 40% after deductible
Emergent/Urgent Services Urgent treatment center visit 10% after deductible 30% after deductible 40% after deductible
  Emergency room visit 30% after deductible 30% after deductible 30% after deductible
Other Medical Services Physical therapy 10% after deductible 30% after deductible 40% after deductible
PROVIDER NETWORKS UK HealthCare and Anthem

Saver plan members have access to any UK HealthCare provider or in-network Anthem providers.

Eligibility and enrollment

Your first 30 days

Welcome to UK! You can sign up for benefits depending on your FTE. Enroll in your benefits quickly in myUK.

Qualifying events

If you experience a major life change outside of open enrollment you can also make changes to your insurance. This is known as a qualifying event. You'll need to fill out and submit a form within 30 days.

Benefits Open Enrollment

Our Benefits Open Enrollment happens every year so you can make changes. Changes can be made in myUK, or with paper forms.

Retirees

Please use the Retiree Benefits Enrollment form and return to Bosworth Hall.

How to change your benefits

Signing up as a new employee or making changes during Benefits Open Enrollment can be done in myUK, or with paper forms.

Step-by-step tutorial

Making changes at other times of the year due to a qualifying event are completed using our Benefits Enrollment Form.

Paper forms can be emailed, faxed or brought to Bosworth Hall.

News

April 16, 2024

Annual period for employees to convert temporary disability leave to vacation leave now available through April 30

The annual period for University of Kentucky employees to convert their temporary disability leave (TDL) to additional vacation leave (VL) is now available through April 30.   Employees may request conversion of TDL hours to additional vacation leave through Employee Self Service in myUK. Employees should log into myUK, access Employee Self Service and select Working Time and Leave Requests.    

January 16, 2024

UK Retail Pharmacies launches prescription delivery service to campus buildings

The Apothecary, a UK Retail Pharmacy, has launched a new program to deliver prescriptions to offices on UK’s campus. The new service aims to provide a convenient and accessible way for employees to get their medications — without having to leave their office.  

April 24, 2023

Update to coverage of some emergency room visits

Our HMO, RHP and EPO plans will have one change to how some emergency room visits are covered. The change does not apply to an emergency room visit which results in a hospital admission. 

December 21, 2022

Change to our pharmacy network

Kroger has announced it will withdraw from the national network of Express Scripts, which manages our pharmacy benefit through our health insurance plans. This was a national decision by Kroger that takes effect January 1.  You can view the full list of Express Scripts in-network pharmacies here.