Employees Retirement System (ERS) works hard to make sure that only people who are eligible for benefits receive them. As part of this ongoing effort, ERS will conduct a 100% dependent verification audit through August 2011.

ERS is working with an independent company, Aon Hewitt, to conduct the audit. The audit will require each employee and retiree who covers a dependent in the Texas Employees Group Benefits Program (GBP) to provide copies of documents to prove the dependent is eligible. Aon Hewitt will conduct the audit in three phases. Higher education employees will be audited in the first phase, which starts this month.

If you cover a dependent in the insurance program, you will receive a letter from Aon Hewitt asking you to provide the appropriate documents. If you have an email address on file with ERS, you will also receive a reminder email. The email will come from donotreply@plan-smart.com. Please do not email or respond to the reminder emails from donotreply@plan-smart.com.

Please don’t forget to send copies of your documents when you receive the letter from Aon Hewitt. Do not send originals; they will not be returned. If you have questions about the audit, please call the phone number provided in the letter, not your benefits coordinator. If you don’t cooperate with the audit, your dependents will be dropped from coverage. To prepare for the audit, ERS reminded employees and retirees to drop ineligible dependents during last summer’s Annual Enrollment.