AbsenceOne Becomes New Disability/Leave Carrier

As of May 1, 2016 employees who are eligible for Short- and Long-Term disability coverage will now have a new carrier to file their claim. Known for their customer service, consistent communications and state-of-art filing systems, AbsenceOne will be a reliable new partner should you request a leave of absence (LOA). Although your coverage has not changed, the process of reporting a leave has been updated due to our change in carriers.

Steps to Submit Your Leave as of May 1

1. Notify your supervisor/manager of your leave of absence, request for Short Term Disability, or a leave in accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act
2. Call AbsenceOne at 855-RTW-WELL/855-789-9355 to initiate the leave with the Northwell Health Leave Claim Center
3. Provide AbsenceOne with the following information: address, phone number, employee ID or Social Security number, reason for leave, work location, physician information, and any information about a previous leave
4. Complete your portion of the Release of Information form provided to you by the Claim Center 
5. Have your physician's office complete their portion of the Release of Information provided to you by the Claim Center
6. Return all documents within 15 days of your first date of absence, or date claim reported (whichever is greater)

Northwell Health wants you to be healthy and stay healthy, but in case you do have a health-related event, know that you are in good hands with our partners at AbsenceOne!

Create you login at absenceone.com/Northwell

2016 Benefits Open Enrollment is November 30

Let's Make It Easy! 

Consider Where You Live
North Shore-LIJ is offering a a new medical plan option through our own insurance company, CareConnect. CareConnect offers coverage only through their own network, but their network is BIG - 20,000 providers and growing: Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Westchester and Eastern Long Island . Look here

Consider Childcare and Elder Care Expenses 
When Open Enrollment rolls around be sure to keep in mind what you pay out for daycare, camp and after-school expenses for a child under the age or 13, as well what you pay for providing care for an aging parent. North Shore-LIJ (soon to be Northwell Health) has partnered with WageWorks to help you save on this overwhelming dependent care expense through pre-taxed payroll deduction, called the Dependent Flexible Spending Account. Check it out on WageWork.com

Consider Your Disability Plan
You may want to consider buying up your disability plan. Employees are automatically enrolled into a 50% Short-Term Plan once hired through the health system. Consider "buying up" during Open Enrollment and you will be covered at 60% of your base pay up to $2,000 per week. Evidence of Good Health will be required.

Comments on the Blog: Go for it! We will try to answer every question asked.

In Need of a Leave?

Would you know what to do if all of a sudden you were in need of a Leave from you job? Perhaps the Leave is due to the sudden illness of a spouse or child, or maybe you have been injured yourself and are unable to perform you daily functions at work.

There are a variety of reasons one may have for taking a Leave of Absence. Understanding the process and policies is something every employee should know. Here are some facts:

• You must notify your manager with details and your contact information as soon as you are out for more than seven consecutive days
• You must stay in contact with your manager at least every 30 days while on Leave
• You must file paperwork applicable to your Leave after seven days out
• You must have clearance from your manager is you are considering a Personal Leave
• To claim under the the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) you must be an employee for a least one year or have worked 1,250 hours in the health system
• To file a Disability Claim you must call The Hartford at 866-458-1002 (union members should refer to their Benefit Fund)
• Upon return, you must contact Employee Health Services (Occupational Health/Injury Management for Staten Island University Hospital employees) 3 days prior to your return to work

For more information, check in with your site HR office or manager. To review the policies and procedure in detail, visit HealthPort>Human Resources>Policies and Procedures.