State auditing insurance dependents

Feb. 03--More than 7,000 University of Florida employees can expect to get mail asking for their dependents' personal information as part of a massive statewide insurance audit.

And anyone not paying attention who doesn't make the deadline could see their dependents lose health coverage.

The dependent eligibility insurance verification audit, which the state Legislature ordered last year, is being conducted until May, according to the state's benefits website.

Phone calls requesting Social security numbers as part of the audit are spam, according to the website. But mail from the state's outside audit contractor, Health Management System Inc., is legitimate.

The state's division of state group insurance, which manages health and welfare insurance benefits for active and retired state employees and their families, is conducting an audit to verify that dependents listed on employees' benefits are eligible for insurance coverage.

The Florida Department of Management Services would not provide anyone to answer questions about the audit, but asked that The Sun submit questions in writing.

To a question that asked if it was true that those who don't submit their dependents' information by March would see that insurance canceled, communications writer Toni Holt offered this email response:

"Enrollees will not be terminated from coverage as part of this audit; however, ineligible dependents may be removed voluntarily, due to insufficient documentation or non-response."

Lisa Hodges, assistant director of benefits at the University of Florida, said the human resources department has been been discussing the audit since August.

"This is something that's impacting all state agencies," she said.

Hodges said more than 7,000 UF employees have dependents on their health care plans. Employees who have dependents on their vision and dental plans will be audited, too.

The HR department has sent three newsletters with information about the audit to employees' emails, she said.

"We've tried to put some information out there for our employees," Hodges said.

Most university employees will receive audit information in March, Hodges said. Employees have already gotten postcards from HMS informing them about the audit, she said.

The state management services department issued a memo in January stating that some employees have received phone calls asking for personal information, including social security numbers.

HMS will not ask for social security numbers, the division said online, and will instead send mail requesting copies of tax forms with the social security numbers marked out.

Hodges recommends individuals with questions about the audit contact HMS. It's important that employees are "paying attention and being watchful," she said, because those who don't confirm the dependents are eligible could lose their coverage.

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