Get Financially Fit with Transamerica

After an extensive review North Shore-LIJ has chosen Transamerica Retirement Solutions as the new recordkeeper for the health system's  403(b), 401(k) and 457(b) retirement plans. Transamerica will replace MetLife on April 1, 2014, and will bring many benefits to its investors; including a flat-fee structure, user-friendly tools that encourage retirement saving, and commitment to education and financial guidance.

Be Prepared
The conversion of some 50,000 accounts, worth over 3.3 billion dollars, will begin on March 28 at 4pm with MetLife and will end the week of April 20 with Transamerica. This period of time is known as the blackout period and is common in all such transactions. Although you are still invested during this time, you will not be able to access your account. North Shore-LIJ and Transamerica will be working hard to end the blackout period as soon as possible and hope to restore access to your account earlier than the projected week of April 20.

Take the Time to Review
March is a good time to consider increasing your contribution to your retirement plan. If you do decide to boost your savings you can do so by contacting MetLife at mlr.metlife.com or 855-675-4547, prior to the conversion on March 28. Or you can wait after the blackout and contact Transamerica at 844-NSLIJHS (844-675-4547) or nslij.trsretire.com.

Did You Know?
The health system encourages all employees to be smart about saving by automatically contributing 3% of your pay into a 403(b) or 401(k) plan on the one-year anniversary of your hire. To further encourage you, North Shore-LIJ will throw in a 2% match if you increase your contribution to 6%. So start thinking now about how you can get financially fit in time for your retirement.

The timeline and notices for the conversion for North Shore-LIJ plans moving from MetLife to Transamerica and the timeline and notices for the Staten Island University Transamerica fund lineup change can be found on Employee Self Service and nslij.trsretire.com.

Paycheck Credit for Health Assessment

Are you one of the few thousand people who opened up your email only to discover you did not complete your health assessment in time for the December 2 Health Assessment Pledge deadline? No worries. The email reminder was sent to alert you that the pledge was extended through January 31. The only drawback is you missed out on your January and February paycheck credits.

For those of you that enrolled in the pledge during Open Enrollment, but did not complete the actual health assessment until after December 2 you will not see your $10 paycheck credit until March's pay cycle. The reason for the delay is the time it takes to process the assessment and turn it into a credit. Be positive, there is still time to comply: visit myuhc.com now and begin saving in March! For detailed instructions visit HealthPort>Human Resources>Benefits>Open Enrollment Kit.

Health Assessment Pledge Extended to Jan 31!

What's a New Year without a few New Year's resolutions? Most of us promise to exercise more, eat healthier, and spend more time with family. The health system encourages your efforts not just at the beginning of the year but all year long. Because of your commitment to a healthier lifestyle, the benefits and employee wellness departments at North Shore-LIJ have decided to extend the 2014 Health Assessment Pledge to January 31, 2014. This extension should provide you and your covered spouse (if applicable) the time needed to complete and submit the online Health Assessment. Here's what you have to do to receive the $10 paycheck credit beginning in March:

1. Visit myuhc.com
2. Register and login with a username and password
3. Click on the Health Assessment tab on the right side of page
4. Register and login using the same username and password you used for myuhc.com
5. Answer security questionis
6. Fill in the health information
7. Hit submit

The Health Assessment will ask you for the results from a recent doctor's visit. If you were unable to visit with your physician recently you can use your biometrics from a previous exam.

Visit HealthPort>Human Resources>Benefits>Open Enrollment Kit  for details on how to access and submit the Health Assessment.

Note: This extension for compliance is for the Health Assessment Pledge only, all other pledges were closed December 2, 2013, as previously communicated. 

Happy and Healthy New Year to All!

Home Sweet Home

Isn't nice to live in an area where you have access to quality healthcare? As the health system grows so does the number of in-system providers/services.
In Area Designation 
With a Clinical Integration Independent Practice Association (IPA for short) of over 9,000 + doctors/healthcare providers (up a few thousand since 2012) the health system is truly spreading its wings. In-system providers are now present on eastern Long Island. Coram, Port Jefferson, Selden and even Wading River are just a few of the newly designated "in area" residences for 2014. These areas were declared within the primary service area due to the amount of providers within a 2 to 10 mile radius of that zip code. In-system providers include primary care physicians, obstetrician/gynecologists, pediatricians, and specialists. Need a doctor? Now you can find a North Shore-LIJ In-System Provider within 10 miles of your home sweet home.

Out-of-Pocket Maximum for 2014

Did you do a double take on page 4 of the Benefits Guide? 
Third column down on both Value and Buy-Up Plans reads Annual Out-of-Pocket $6,350 for an Individual and $12,700 for a Family. Gee didn't that say "none" in 2013? Don't be alarmed by the number ... It's not that there were no out-of-pocket expenses for in-system copays in 2013 it's just that there was no requirement for specified maximums. Due to Healthcare Reform in 2014, maximum out-of-pocket expenses now must now be specified. $6,350  is the maximum out-of-pocket you can spend on your in-system copays for yourself and $12,700 is the maximum you can spend on your in-system copays for your family.

Who Figures This Stuff Out?
Rest assured these figures were derived by Actuaries, not the Benefits Team. Actuaries analyze the financial cost of risk and uncertainty. They use mathematics, statistics and financial theory to assess the risk that an event will occur and help businesses develop policies that minimize the cost of that risk.
There! Don't you feel better knowing that?

Wellness Pledge Advantage

Your health and wellness is an important piece of the North Shore-LIJ strategy to be a leader in preventive care for our communities and all employees. The newest Wellness Pledge for 2014, a video which was designed to engage you and your family in the health system's proactive thinking on health awareness, is a direct link to another Pledge, the Health Assessment Pledge. The creation of both Pledges stems from the true passion of our own wellness experts, Dr. Jennifer Mieres, SVP of Community and Public Health and Dr. Jacqueline Moline, VP of Population Health.

1. If you have not gotten the opportunity to watch the Wellness Video, visit HealthPort>Quick Links>iLearn. The health system's Learning Management System will guide you through the Wellness Module and Video. 
2. If you have not gotten the opportunity to fill out your Health Assessment, visit myuhc.com, register and login, click on Health Assessment on the far right side. The HA is housed in a secure portal through UnitedHealthcare and keeps your health information 100% confidential. 

Both Pledge actions will credit your 2014 paycheck $260 each, as long as you comply before December 2. Yes, that's right ... it pays to be healthy!

Better Late Than Never

It is a well known fact that a good percentage of employees do not chose to participate in Flexible Spending Accounts because they are afraid they may lose the pre-tax dollars they put aside come the end of the year. Well rest easy -  each year the health system gives its FSA participants a three month grace period for their healthcare account. This gives you the opportunity to spend what's leftover in 2013 rather than losing it in 2014.

Use It or Lose It Rule
For those organizations that do not offer such a generous grace period - the U.S. Treasury recently announced a modification to its "Use It or Lose It" ruling. This modification now allows participants to rollover $500 of unused dollars into 2014. Keep in mind, This rollover does not pertain to North Shore-LIJ Flex Spending participants due to the grace period already in place.

North Shore-LIJ Grace Period
The health system's generous 3 month grace period allows you to deplete your account in its entirety and does not limit you to only $500. This extension gives you the opportunity to purchase most eye-related products, orthopedic and surgical supports, blood pressure monitors, dentures and so much more.
So go ahead and be consumer savvy - put aside those pre-tax dollars during 2014's Open Enrollment, you've got nothing to lose!

Healthcare FSAs allow you to set aside a minimum of $150 and a maximum of $2,500 per year to pay for expenses not covered in your medical plan, such as co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs. This account will come to you in the form of a Debit card giving you convenient access to your funds.
Dependent Care FSAs allow you to set aside a minimum of $150 and maximum of $5,000 per year to pay for dependent care expenses for children under the age of 13, disabled adults or elder care.