Yes, the 2015 Pledge Program will officially close December 31, 2014 at midnight, but the Pledge to Be Well continues in the new year. Next year's Wellness Pledge Program - in exchange for paycheck credits in 2016 - will be very similar to the one that you just completed. Once again, you will be asked to complete the online Health Assessment, and complete 3 additional healthy actions in 2015 to maximize your savings at $1,040 in 2016. The big difference is that you will have much more time to complete these actions: January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014! An important note to keep in mind remains in 2015: if you complete your pledges in November/December your 2016 paycheck credits will be delayed 6-8 weeks in 2016. This process is unavoidable at this point in time, but the team continues to review it.
Survey for Feedback
We want to hear what you think, so please take a minute or two to fill out this brief survey. All who do will be entered into a raffle to win a special fitness-related gift from the Wellness Team and the Department of Total Rewards.
Have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2015!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Carrying Over Your 2014 Flexible Spending Accounts
Are you considering how much pre-tax money you should be setting aside in your 2015 Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts? Have a conversation with your covered dependents to accurately designate the correct amount of money you plan to use in 2015. Who needs a new pair of glasses? Think about how much your child's braces will cost. Consider summer camp expenses and daycare. Need help? The WageWorks® website is a great resource, packed with tools that will make your decision-making educated and easy.
Still Have Money Left Over from 2014?
The health system has extended the use of your 2014 Dependent Care and Healthcare FSA money through March 15. Services or products need to be utilized by March 15 and claims need to be filed by March 31, or you will lose it.
In comparison, the U.S Treasury announced the Use It or Lose It ruling last year, allowing participants to carry $500 of unused Healthcare FSA money only. The health system's generous three month grace period allows you to spend whatever amount you have leftover, and does not just limit you to $500, or to just Healthcare spendings, it also includes your Dependent Care spendings.
File Claims for 2014 through March 31, 2015
If you have money left in a 2014 Healthcare or Dependent Care FSA and plan to use it between January 1 and March 15, 2015 - don't try using that 2014 Debit Card - it will be declined. And don't use your new Debit Card, because it will then be depleting your 2015 account.
Any Healthcare of Dependent Care FSA money left from 2014 should be filed through a claim only - not a WageWorks Debit Card - by March 31. Read more about how to file a claim for a Healthcare FSA or Dependent Care FSA.
Each year you participate in an FSA, WageWorks will email you your annual savings statement at the end of the year. Very cool!
Still Have Money Left Over from 2014?
The health system has extended the use of your 2014 Dependent Care and Healthcare FSA money through March 15. Services or products need to be utilized by March 15 and claims need to be filed by March 31, or you will lose it.
In comparison, the U.S Treasury announced the Use It or Lose It ruling last year, allowing participants to carry $500 of unused Healthcare FSA money only. The health system's generous three month grace period allows you to spend whatever amount you have leftover, and does not just limit you to $500, or to just Healthcare spendings, it also includes your Dependent Care spendings.
File Claims for 2014 through March 31, 2015
If you have money left in a 2014 Healthcare or Dependent Care FSA and plan to use it between January 1 and March 15, 2015 - don't try using that 2014 Debit Card - it will be declined. And don't use your new Debit Card, because it will then be depleting your 2015 account.
Any Healthcare of Dependent Care FSA money left from 2014 should be filed through a claim only - not a WageWorks Debit Card - by March 31. Read more about how to file a claim for a Healthcare FSA or Dependent Care FSA.
Each year you participate in an FSA, WageWorks will email you your annual savings statement at the end of the year. Very cool!
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Understand Your Benefits
As Open Enrollment enters its second week, the Benefits Team continues to bring you information - just simplified. Keeping you informed about your benefits - in the most efficient way possible is important to us, and that is why we have provided you with the resources you need to fully understand and successfully enroll in your 2015 Benefits.
Questions About Your Benefits?
Refer to the employee intranet HealthPort-Human Resources-Benefits (this link will only work from an "In-Network" computer) for all the information you need. Open up the Benefit Guides folder and you will find information for all North Shore-LIJ administered plans. Open up the 2015 Open Enrollment Kit and find multiple one page documents on the most frequently researched topics, such as: the difference between the two medical plans, the two dental plans, what's in-system versus in-network. We hope these simplified explanation of your benefits will help you to appreciate and utilize them in 2015.
Questions About How to Enroll?
View this 6 minute video, which reviews everything you need to know to successfully enroll you and your dependents in the 2015 benefits.
Topics of Interest
Go ahead and post your comments if you have a suggestion for a conversation. We love feedback!
Questions About Your Benefits?
Refer to the employee intranet HealthPort-Human Resources-Benefits (this link will only work from an "In-Network" computer) for all the information you need. Open up the Benefit Guides folder and you will find information for all North Shore-LIJ administered plans. Open up the 2015 Open Enrollment Kit and find multiple one page documents on the most frequently researched topics, such as: the difference between the two medical plans, the two dental plans, what's in-system versus in-network. We hope these simplified explanation of your benefits will help you to appreciate and utilize them in 2015.
Questions About How to Enroll?
View this 6 minute video, which reviews everything you need to know to successfully enroll you and your dependents in the 2015 benefits.
Topics of Interest
Go ahead and post your comments if you have a suggestion for a conversation. We love feedback!
Monday, December 8, 2014
Wellness Pledge Program: Final Deadline Approaches
If you have not completed any of the Wellness Pledges in exchange for your 2015 paycheck credits - you still have time. The final deadline for the 2015 Pledge Program is December 31, 2014. Although it may be too late to schedule and complete a clinical appointment but you can still submit the most important pledge of all - your online Health Assessment (HA).
Note: This program is for employees who enrolled in the 2014 Value or Buy-Up medical plan.
Health Assessment is 100% Confidential
The online assessment is administered by United Healthcare and 100% confidential. Your proof of compliance is the date you completed and submitted the health assessment through myuhc.com. The HA takes about 15 minutes to complete, and can be completed from any computer, at any time. If you do not have your biometric numbers handy, such as your cholesterol or body mass index, you can always give your doctor a call and use the numbers from your last visit.
Here's What You Do
Note: This program is for employees who enrolled in the 2014 Value or Buy-Up medical plan.
Health Assessment is 100% Confidential
The online assessment is administered by United Healthcare and 100% confidential. Your proof of compliance is the date you completed and submitted the health assessment through myuhc.com. The HA takes about 15 minutes to complete, and can be completed from any computer, at any time. If you do not have your biometric numbers handy, such as your cholesterol or body mass index, you can always give your doctor a call and use the numbers from your last visit.
Here's What You Do
- Visit myuhc.com
- Login with your username and password (or register and create an account)
- Hit the blue button on the far right side "Health Assessment"
- Complete the security questions
- Complete your HA to best of your ability
- Hit submit
Paycheck Credits
Your Health Assessment is the gateway to all your other wellness pledges. By completing your HA before December 31, 2014 you will be eligible to collect partial 2015 paycheck credits of $10 per bi-weekly paycheck and $10.83 for semi-monthly. Because you missed the first two deadline dates of September 30 and October 31, your credits will be delayed by 4-8 weeks. This credit will not be retroactive.
Next Year's Pledge Program
We hope this newly designed program helped to give you a reality check on your preventive care routine this year. Moving into 2015 the health system will continue to offer financial incentives in exchange for your healthy actions. There will be very little change to the program in 2015. Let's review:
- The Wellness Video Pledge will no longer be offered in 2015
- A new pledge (currently in design) will the added to replace the Video
- The Pledge Program will be referred to as the Annual Pledge Program to encourage your preventive care routine - all year long!
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Enrolling in Your 2015 Benefits
Open Enrollment will be live within the Employee Self Service platform - 12:01 am, December 3 and through 11:59 pm, December 17. This is your annual opportunity to make changes to your benefits package.
Logging in from an In-Network Computer
Once logged in with your Universal ID and Password, hit Benefits, Open Enrollment 2015. When Open Enrollment launches you will be "Welcomed" with a brief paragraph reminding you to elect a set amount of pre-tax dollars in your 2015 Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
Logging in from and External Computer
You can enroll in your benefits from any computer. Visit ess.nslijweb.com, login with your Universal ID, Password and ESS Key. Once logged in, hit Personal Information - Self Service - Benefits - Open Enrollment 2015.
First Action: Flexible Spending Accounts
To emphasize the importance of understanding your FSAs, the Benefits Team has moved them to the top of the list. To learn more about the value of Healthcare and Dependent Care FSAs, visit WageWorks or do a quick review on HealthPort-HR-Benefits-Open Enrollment Kit 2015.
What' Next?
Once you have set aside your pre-tax dollars for your FSAs, you will experience the following options on ESS during Open Enrollment: You can rollover, update or waive any of the benefits listed below.
Medical: Hit the next "Enroll" button and up pops a brief explanation on your medical plan choices, followed by what you currently have, and the rates. Scroll lower and you will have the ability to change your dependent coverage.
Hit Update or Discard and move on to the next.
Medical is followed by Spousal Surcharge Question (which you can keep as is or updated), and a line indicating how many (if any) Wellness Pledges you have satisfied.
Dental and Vision: Dental options follow. Same deal - a brief description, followed by what you currently have, the rates and dependent coverage.
Hit Update or Discard and move on to the next.
Disability: The Short- and Long-Term Disability sections gives you the opportunity to "Buy-Up". If you do select to buy-up, your choice will prompt The Hartford to send you an Evidence of Insurability form (EOI or proof of good health). This form must be cleared before your Buy-Up Disability is active.
Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment: As in Disability you can "Buy-Up" your Life Insurance but you will have to provide EOI to Aetna. This is referred to as Supplemental Life Insurance.
Spouse and Child Life Insurance: This area will allow you to insure your dependents at different levels of coverage.
Confidential and Complete
ESS will save your information as you go through and make your choices. Even if you have hit the Submit Button, you can still change your mind over the course of OE. A message runs throughout telling you "Enrollment will not be complete until you Submit your choices." Don't let this throw you - you have until December 17 to change your mind!
Logging in from an In-Network Computer
Once logged in with your Universal ID and Password, hit Benefits, Open Enrollment 2015. When Open Enrollment launches you will be "Welcomed" with a brief paragraph reminding you to elect a set amount of pre-tax dollars in your 2015 Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
Logging in from and External Computer
You can enroll in your benefits from any computer. Visit ess.nslijweb.com, login with your Universal ID, Password and ESS Key. Once logged in, hit Personal Information - Self Service - Benefits - Open Enrollment 2015.
First Action: Flexible Spending Accounts
To emphasize the importance of understanding your FSAs, the Benefits Team has moved them to the top of the list. To learn more about the value of Healthcare and Dependent Care FSAs, visit WageWorks or do a quick review on HealthPort-HR-Benefits-Open Enrollment Kit 2015.
What' Next?
Once you have set aside your pre-tax dollars for your FSAs, you will experience the following options on ESS during Open Enrollment: You can rollover, update or waive any of the benefits listed below.
Medical: Hit the next "Enroll" button and up pops a brief explanation on your medical plan choices, followed by what you currently have, and the rates. Scroll lower and you will have the ability to change your dependent coverage.
Hit Update or Discard and move on to the next.
Medical is followed by Spousal Surcharge Question (which you can keep as is or updated), and a line indicating how many (if any) Wellness Pledges you have satisfied.
Dental and Vision: Dental options follow. Same deal - a brief description, followed by what you currently have, the rates and dependent coverage.
Hit Update or Discard and move on to the next.
Disability: The Short- and Long-Term Disability sections gives you the opportunity to "Buy-Up". If you do select to buy-up, your choice will prompt The Hartford to send you an Evidence of Insurability form (EOI or proof of good health). This form must be cleared before your Buy-Up Disability is active.
Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment: As in Disability you can "Buy-Up" your Life Insurance but you will have to provide EOI to Aetna. This is referred to as Supplemental Life Insurance.
Spouse and Child Life Insurance: This area will allow you to insure your dependents at different levels of coverage.
Confidential and Complete
ESS will save your information as you go through and make your choices. Even if you have hit the Submit Button, you can still change your mind over the course of OE. A message runs throughout telling you "Enrollment will not be complete until you Submit your choices." Don't let this throw you - you have until December 17 to change your mind!
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