Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Browse these questions and answers on a variety of benefits topics. For more help, contact the BBI Resource Center at 1-800-555-5808 (Option 3) or email at bbiconnect@bloominbrands.com.
I am not sure which medical plan to choose. Will you please tell me?
Only you can determine which medical plan option works best for you and any eligible dependents.
Some items to consider:
- Do you want to pay more each paycheck and have a lower deductible when you incur eligible medical and prescription drug claims?
- Do you want to pay less each paycheck and have a higher deductible when you incur eligible medical and prescription drug claims?
Check out the illustrative claim examples to help you get a feel for the impact of paycheck contributions and your share of typical out-of-pocket expenses for the various plan options.
What if I miss the open enrollment period?
If you miss the open enrollment period, you will not be able to enroll or make changes until the next open enrollment period, generally each Fall, unless you experience a qualifying life event that permits you to make benefits changes under IRS rules.
My family and I do not use a lot of healthcare and do not have a lot of health issues. Which medical plan option do you recommend I choose?
Only you can decide which medical plan option will meet the needs of you and your family. You can compare the plan designs, the costs per paycheck, and some medical claims examples to help you decide.
Will I be automatically enrolled in my current medical plan option if I take no action during open enrollment?
While there are 2022 medical plan options that are similar to the 2021 medical plan options, they are not identical. We are encouraging all team members to actively make their 2022 benefit plan elections, to have the coverage that best meets the needs of their families. There are controls in place to make sure that any eligible team member with medical plan coverage continues to have coverage in 2022.
I enrolled for one of the medical plans, but I am still deciding if this is the right one for me. Can I change my election?
You will be able to make changes to your elections during your open enrollment period. Once the open enrollment period ends, you are only allowed to make changes to certain benefits if you have a qualifying life event during the year.
Is my domestic partner eligible for coverage?
Only legal spouses, regardless of gender, are eligible for coverage in Bloomin’ Brands benefits.
What is the eligibility measurement period for this open enrollment cycle?
For annual eligibility, a Team Member must earn 1,560 hours of service (an average of 30 hours per week) over a particular period of time. Generally, the period of time checked for annual eligibility will be 52 weeks beginning and ending in early October.
The hours that were included for determining your eligibility for benefits in 2022 were hours of service (including credited hours for eligible leave) included in pay dates between October 3, 2020, and October 2, 2021.
When can I enroll next, if I am not eligible for this open enrollment period?
Generally, you must have 1 year of continuous service and earn 1,560 service hours (an average of 30 hours per week) within your initial measurement period to be eligible for benefits. Your initial measurement period begins on the first day of the pay period following the pay period in which you first have hours and ends 12 months later, provided you have not had a Break in Service (described below). If you have earned 1,560 hours of service at the end of your initial measurement period, you will become eligible for benefits. Benefits will be effective on the first of the month following the end of your initial measurement period.
If you have passed your initial measurement period, you will be measured for the next open enrollment cycle.
I need insurance but am not yet eligible. What are my options?
If you lost eligibility from 2021 to 2022, you will receive a COBRA package at your home address.
If you are not currently eligible, you may have the opportunity to purchase coverage when the Marketplace has their open enrollment, generally between November and December. Visit healthcare.gov, or call 1-800-318-2596 for more information.
Where can I find the 2022 paycheck rates?
The 2022 rates are available by choosing “Benefits” from the top navigation menu, then “Medical and Rx.” One on that page, click “learn more” within the box for “Compare cost per paycheck for 2022” to see the rates by plan, coverage tier, and salary band.
How many paycheck deductions are there in 2022?
The per paycheck rates are calculated based on 26 pay periods.
I am not sure which medical plan to choose. Will you please tell me?
Only you can determine which medical plan option works best for you and any eligible dependents.
Some items to consider:
- Do you want to pay more each paycheck and have a lower deductible when you incur eligible medical and prescription drug claims?
- Do you want to pay less each paycheck and have a higher deductible when you incur eligible medical and prescription drug claims?
Check out the illustrative claim examples to help you get a feel for the impact of paycheck contributions and your share of typical out-of-pocket expenses for the various plan options.
What if I miss the open enrollment period?
If you miss the open enrollment period, you will not be able to enroll or make changes until the next open enrollment period, generally each Fall, unless you experience a qualifying life event that permits you to make benefits changes under IRS rules.
My family and I do not use a lot of healthcare and do not have a lot of health issues. Which medical plan option do you recommend I choose?
Only you can decide which medical plan option will meet the needs of you and your family. You can compare the plan designs, the costs per paycheck, and some medical claims examples to help you decide.
Will I be automatically enrolled in my current medical plan option if I take no action during open enrollment?
While there are 2022 medical plan options that are similar to the 2021 medical plan options, they are not identical. We are encouraging all team members to actively make their 2022 benefit plan elections, to have the coverage that best meets the needs of their families. There are controls in place to make sure that any eligible team member with medical plan coverage continues to have coverage in 2022.
I enrolled for one of the medical plans, but I am still deciding if this is the right one for me. Can I change my election?
You will be able to make changes to your elections during your open enrollment period. Once the open enrollment period ends, you are only allowed to make changes to certain benefits if you have a qualifying life event during the year.
Is my domestic partner eligible for coverage?
Only legal spouses, regardless of gender, are eligible for coverage in Bloomin’ Brands benefits.
Where can I find the 2022 paycheck rates?
The 2022 rates are available by choosing “Benefits” from the top navigation menu, then “Medical and Rx.” One on that page, click “learn more” within the box for “Compare cost per paycheck for 2022” to see the rates by plan, coverage tier, and salary band.
How many paycheck deductions are there in 2022?
The per paycheck rates are calculated based on 26 pay periods.
What is a Deductible?
This is the amount you must pay for your eligible medical and prescription drug claims before your health plan starts to share in the cost. If you receive non-covered services (such as cosmetic surgery), or are balance billed by an out-of-network provider, these expenses will not count toward your deductible.
Do in-network and out-of-network claims count toward the in-network deductible?
The in-network deductible is separate from the out-of-network deductible.
What is Coinsurance?
A percentage amount that you are responsible for paying after you have met your deductible but before you have met your out-of-pocket maximum. This is when the plan starts to share in the cost of eligible claims.
What is an Out-of-Pocket maximum?
The Out-of-Pocket Maximum is the maximum amount you are responsible to pay for eligible, covered expenses during a calendar year. If you receive non-covered services (such as cosmetic surgery), or are balance billed by an out-of-network provider, these expenses will not count toward your out-of-pocket maximum.
Do in-network and out-of-network claims count toward the in-network Out-of-Pocket maximum?
The in-network out-of-pocket maximum amount is separate from the out-of-network out-of-pocket maximum.
Do my paycheck contributions for my medical coverage go toward my deductible or out-of-pocket maximum?
Your paycheck contributions are separate from your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum amounts.
Why do you only offer medical plans with deductibles, and not a PPO or HMO?
Every year we benchmark BBI against other employers in our industry, and the benefits we offer are in line with our competitors.
Are infertility services covered under the medical plans?
For 2022, infertility services such as AI and IVF are not covered by the medical plans. We continue to review our benefit offerings annually.
What is a Health Savings Account (HSA)?
A bank account that you and Bloomin’ Brands can contribute to on your behalf if you are enrolled in either the Choice or Value HSA medical option. You must take action to open this account.
Can I contribute my own money to the Health Savings Account (HSA)?
Yes, you may contribute your own money to the HSA. The total amount contributed by you and by any Health Rewards contributions you earn from Bloomin’ Brands cannot exceed the annual amount set by the IRS.
What is the maximum amount I can contribute to the Health Savings Account (HSA)?
For 2022, you and Bloomin’ Brands can contribute a total of $3,650 if you are enrolled in single medical coverage, or a total of $7,300 if you are enrolled in family medical coverage. If you are age 55 years old or older, you may contribute an additional $1,000 in catch-up contributions.
Do I lose the money in my Health Savings Account (HSA) if I don’t use it during the year?
No, that money is yours and rolls over from year to year, if you do not use it to pay for eligible healthcare expenses. It is also yours to keep if you no longer work for the company.
What is a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)?
A fund that only Bloomin’ Brands can contribute to on your behalf if you are enrolled in either the Choice or Value HRA medical option. This fund is opened on your behalf when you enroll in one of the HRA medical options.
Can I contribute my own money to the Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)?
Only Bloomin’ Brands can contribute to the HRA. You, and your enrolled spouse, can earn these contributions (also called Health Rewards) by completing activities with Rally.
Will I lose the money in my Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) if I change to a Health Savings Account (HSA) medical option, drop my medical coverage entirely, or stop working for Bloomin’ Brands?
Yes, you will lose the money in your HRA if you
- change from an HRA to an HSA medical plan option,
- drop medical coverage entirely, or
- stop working for Bloomin’ Brands.
Why am I seeing HSA deductions from my paycheck, but AccrueHealth says I have a zero balance in my HSA? Where is my money going?
You are required to open an HSA account with AccrueHealth, so that your HSA paycheck contributions can be deposited into it. The account is not automatically opened on your behalf.
Will I lose the money in my Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) if I don’t use it during the year?
No, that money rolls over from year to year, if you do not use it to pay for eligible healthcare expenses and remain enrolled in an HRA medical option.
What is the difference between an HRA and HSA?
An HRA is a fund, established by Bloomin’ Brands, in which money you earn by completing health rewards is deposited by Bloomin’ Brands. You cannot contribute your own money, and you do not own the account so you cannot take unused money with you if you are no longer enrolled in a HRA medical option or leave Bloomin’ Brands.
An HSA is a type of bank account, opened by you, in which money you contribute plus money you earn by completing health rewards is deposited by Bloomin’ Brands. Once you have a certain amount of money in your account, you have the option to invest those funds. You always own the account, and the money is yours.
What happens to my pre-tax HSA contributions in 2022? Will they continue to be deposited to my Optum account until the bulk-transfer to AccrueHealth in March?
After December 31, 2021, no HSA contributions will be deposited with Optum. You must open a new account with AccrueHealth so your 2022 HSA contributions can be deposited.
Will the money in my Optum HSA still be available after the transition?
In late January 2022, you will receive communications and instructions about providing electronic consent to have your HSA funds transferred from Optum to AccrueHealth. Until you consent to the transfer, your HSA money will continue to be available to you from your Optum account.
Will AccrueHealth have the same investment options as Optum for my HSA funds?
Because they are different banks, you may have different investment options for your AccrueHealth HSA account.
Can I use my Dependent Care FSA to pay for the health care expenses for my spouse or children?
No, the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) is only for eligible day care expenses for your children under age 13.
I have not used some or all of my Dependent Care funds. Can I get these refunded to me so I do not lose them?
No. The IRS requires that any unused funds in a Flexible Spending Account are forfeited.
Will my Flexible Spending Account elections automatically roll over each year?
No. You are required to actively make your Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account elections annually if you want to contribute.
If my enrolled spouse and I both complete the Rally Health Survey, how much will I earn in Health Rewards?
If you are enrolled in medical coverage for yourself and your spouse, and you both complete the Rally Health Survey, you will earn a total of $150 to be deposited in your Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) or Health Savings Account (HSA). Learn more about Health Rewards.
If my enrolled spouse and I both complete the Rally Health Survey and other activities, how much will I earn in Health Rewards?
If you both complete the Health Survey and additional activities such as an annual physical and biometric screenings, you can earn a total of $950 deposited in your HSA or HRA account.
Will our prescription drug plan be changing or going away for 2022 with the change to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSFL)?
The prescription drug plan is not changing for 2022. It will also continue to be administered by Express Scripts.
What is a Dental Preferred Provider Option (DPPO)?
The DPPO allows you to use either an in-network or out-of-network dental provider. The DPPO plays benefits after you and your covered dependents meet an annual deductible. You pay a percentage of the cost of services, or coinsurance, after you meet the deductible. The DPPO will only pay up to the annual maximum for eligible services each year; after the annual maximum, you pay 100% of costs for the rest of the plan year. See Dental Coverage for details.
What is a Dental Health Maintenance Option (DHMO)?
A DHMO provides coverage only for eligible dental services provided by a participating dentist. You must choose a primary dentist for yourself and each of your covered dependents. Generally, you only pay a fixed cost for eligible dental services, with no deductible. There is no coverage if you use a dentist not in the DHMO network. See Dental Coverage for details.
Is coverage for eyeglasses or contact lenses included in my medical coverage?
You must enroll separately for Vision coverage with VSP in order to have benefits coverage for eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Can I get new eyeglasses and contact lenses in the same calendar year?
The vision plan provides for either eyeglasses or contact lenses each year, but not both.
Can I get new eyeglass frames each year?
The vision plan provides coverage for eyeglass frames once every other year. For example, if you purchase a complete pair of eyeglasses (lenses and frames) in 2022, you can only get new lenses in 2023. You must wait until 2024 until you can receive benefits for a complete pair of eyeglasses again.
Will I need to re-enroll in the disability buy-up options?
You will be asked to confirm that you want to continue your current coverage during open enrollment.
