Medical Plans for LiUNA Bargaining Unit (BU) Members

LiUNA Bargaining Unit employees are eligible to enroll in a JHU medical plan if you work either:

• Full-time: 30 hours or more per week or
• Part-time: 20 hours or more per week

Eligible dependents include:

• Your legally married spouse or domestic partner
• Your children through the end of the year in which they turn age 26
• Children age 26 or older who cannot support themselves (certification of disability is required)

Eligible children include biological, adopted or children placed with you for adoption, stepchildren, your domestic partner’s children, or children for whom you have been appointed legal guardian.

To enroll eligible dependents, you will need to submit dependent documentation, including marriage license and affidavit of domestic partnership. Domestic partners must qualify for coverage under the Johns Hopkins Domestic Partner Benefits Policy.

• Individual – self
• 1 adult and child(ren) – self + one or more children
• 2 adults – self + spouse or domestic partner
• 2 adults and child(ren) – self + spouse or domestic partner + one or more children

JHU supports your health journey with a selection of medical plans available through CareFirst Administrators, which offers access to BlueCross BlueShield’s BlueChoice Advantage doctor and specialist networks, and through the Kaiser Permanente HMO plan.

Eligibility

Full-time and part-time LiUNA Bargaining Unit members and your eligible dependents are eligible to enroll in these JHU medical plans:

• CareFirst Core PPO Plan
• LiUNA BU CareFirst Network Only Plan (EPO)
• Kaiser Permanente HMO Plan

Our medical plans feature comprehensive, high-quality coverage at an affordable cost—plus access to provider networks and other resources that make accessing care and staying healthy easier.

CareFirst Core PPO Plan

This is a preferred provider organization (PPO) plan, which offers access to a large, nationwide provider network of doctors and hospitals. It allows you to see any provider, in-network or out-of-network, but you will generally pay more for out-of-network care.

This plan requires that you pay a deductible first. Then you’ll pay a portion of the cost for care—called coinsurance—each time you use medical services. Your out-of-pocket costs are usually higher with this PPO plan than with the LiUNA BU CareFirst Network Only plan.

LiUNA BU CareFirst Network Only Plan

This is an exclusive provider organization (EPO) plan, which offers access to a narrower network of doctors and hospitals located throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia. You pay no annual deductible, and your out-of-pocket costs are less with this plan; however, out-of-network care is not covered (except in an emergency).

Kaiser Permanente HMO Plan

This is a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan, which offers a local network of doctors and hospitals for you to choose from. Your primary care provider (PCP) coordinates your health care, and out-of-network care is not covered (except in an emergency).

Tax-advantaged flexible spending account

If you enroll in any of the medical plans, you can participate in the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to pay for such qualified expenses as copays and coinsurance, contact lenses, prescriptions, and over-the-counter medications.

JHU’s Health Care FSA offers several options for managing your FSA expenses and reimbursement. When you first enroll, you’ll receive a benefits debit card you can use to pay your doctor or other provider expenses directly, and to pay for eligible health care expenses at qualified merchants. You’ll only receive a new debit card if your current card is about to expire.

Both of our CareFirst medical plans offer:

• Access to BlueCross BlueShield’s BlueChoice provider networks through CareFirst  
• Coverage for the same broad range of services, including eligible preventive care (covered at 100%) and prescription drug coverage 
• NEW: Vida Health personalized digital health platform with coaching and tools to support your well-being. Adults enrolled in a JHU CareFirst health plan can access Vida Health — support for nutrition, weight management, pre-diabetes, diabetes, hypertension, and more. Learn more.
• Prescription drug benefits managed through Capital Rx
• Health care advocacy and navigation support through Quantum Health, your go-to guide and front door for all medical questions, big and small
• Telehealth visits available through MDLIVE for medical and behavioral health needs, with a low copay per visit. Register to access care 24/7. Find out how to create your MDLIVE account.
• A plan ID card that provides contact information for your JHU medical and pharmacy benefits—including Quantum Health, which can answer questions about both. You’ll receive your ID card when you first enroll in a JHU CareFirst medical plan; JHU does not issue new ID cards every year.

Adult vision exams

You and your eligible dependents age 18 and older are eligible for a free eye exam every two years by a selected School of Medicine Wilmer Eye Institute provider in the Baltimore area. The comprehensive visit will consist of a routine eye exam and complete visual system exam. Call 410-955-5080 to schedule an appointment with Wilmer.

Please note: Eyeglasses and fitting or dispensing new contact lenses are not included in the routine eye exam and are not covered by JHU’s medical plans. However, you may enroll in the EyeMed Vision Plan available to you through JHU.

*If you select the CareFirst Core PPO Plan, you’ll have the option to use out-of-network providers. However, the plan pays less for out-of-network services, and there is a separate deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. Certain services may not be covered. See the Summary of Benefits and Coverage for details. Out-of-network providers are not covered in the LiUNA BU CareFirst Network Only Plan and the Kaiser Permanente HMO Plan unless you receive urgent care (Kaiser Permanente HMO Plan only: $30 copay) and emergency room services (both LiUNA BU CareFirst Network Only Plan and Kaiser Permanente HMO Plan: $50 copays) outside the network service area.

Your cost for prescription drugs under the medical plans for LiUNA bargaining unit members:

All prescription drug managers (including JHU’s pharmacy benefits manager, Capital Rx) have a formulary—a list of drugs covered by the plan. JHU’s plan covers both formulary and non-formulary drugs. However, you’ll pay more for non-formulary drugs.

Learn more about costs and coverage for prescription drug benefits.

Questions about the CareFirst medical plans? Quantum Health has answers. Quantum Health is your full-time health care benefits resource and advocate. Experienced care coordinators can answer questions about all your JHU health benefits, including how to select and make the most of your medical and prescription benefits all year long. Contact Quantum Health at 844-460-2801 or access the member portal.

• 2026 LiUNA Bargaining Unit Benefits Guide
• Benefits Provider Contacts
• Summary of Benefits & Coverages
• Summary Plan Descriptions
• Overview of Gender-Affirming Care Benefits