Attention: Married Couples at North Shore-LIJ

Being that North Shore-LIJ is the largest employer in the region, it's no wonder there are a number of married couples in the health system. If  and your spouse both work within the health system and are also non-union and benefits-eligible you need to be aware of the new requirement for benefits enrollment in 2014.

New for 2014 Open Enrollment: The spouse who is categorized in the higher benefit group (Group 1A being the highest) will now be responsible for electing coverage for themselves, or for themselves and their dependents.

For example: Mary works as an administrative assistant in IT (putting her in Benefit Group 3) and her husband, Larry is a physician on staff at North Shore University Hospital (putting him in Benefit Group 1A). Mary has always been responsible for electing benefits for herself, her husband and their two children. With this change in the enrollment process, Larry will now be responsible for electing coverage due to his higher benefit group.
For consideration in this case: Mary can continue to claim herself and two children. Since she chooses the Value Plan and completes all four Wellness Pledges her cost for benefits will remain at $0. Larry can cover himself as single, under Benefit Group 1A.

Benefit Group 3 generally refers to staff-level employees
Benefit Group 2 generally refers to manager-level employees
Benefit Group 1 generally refers to directors and assistant vice presidents
Benefit Group 1A generally refers to executives (above the AVP level) and physicians
Benefit Group 1A is considered the highest level of the Groups 

North Shore-LIJ feels this change in enrollment is in alignment with the compensation or its employees.

Employers Evaluate Spousal Coverage

You may be wondering "why this new spousal charge of $1040 for 2014". After all you have been claiming your spouse as a dependent for years. The reason behind the surcharge is based on the health system's goal to align with the initiative of Healthcare Reform. Many other organizations are either implementing or have implemented a spousal surcharge. According to Towers Watson up to 60% of hospital employees will have a spousal surcharge by 2015.

In comparison, there are a few large companies that skipped the surcharge and simply excluded a spouse's coverage when they have access to a medical plan through their own employer, referred to as Spousal Exclusion. According to benefits consulting firm Mercer, 6 percent of companies now exclude spouses who can get healthcare through their own employers, up 3 percent since 2008. That number is likely to grow.

Keep in mind, North Shore-LIJ will continue to cover your spouse if he or she is not eligible for health insurance through their own employer. In 2014 no one's spouse will be forced to purchase their own coverage on the State Exchange.

Here are some examples.

Benefits Eligible Employee at North Shore-LIJ	Spouse’s Status	Surcharge Status
Mary is married to Rob.	Rob is currently unemployed.	No surcharge - If Rob finds employment in 2014 and chooses to stay on Mary’s plan no surcharge will be incurred due to the fact that his employment status will not be considered a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).
Alex is married to Susan.	Susan is on Medicare.	No surcharge – Alex can enroll Susan in the medical plan with no surcharge because she is on Medicare.
Joe is married to Robert.	Robert is eligible for a medical plan through his own employer, but chooses to stay on Joe’s plan because his employer’s plan is much more expensive than the North Shore-LIJ plan.	Surcharge - If Joe continues to claim Robert as a dependent on his North Shore-LIJ medical plan he will see a surcharge of $1,040 in 2014.
Carol is married to Steven.	Steven, who is self-employed, wants to continue on Carol’s plan at North Shore-LIJ and not seek insurance on the State Exchange.	No surcharge – Carol can continue to cover Steven. He will not have to seek health insurance on the State Exchange because an employer is not offering him a medical plan.
Bob is married to Alice.	Alice, who just needs dental coverage, is eligible for a medical plan through her own employer and plans to enroll.	No surcharge - If Bob is electing just the dental plan for Alice he will not see a surcharge in 2014, but he will have to adjust his elections on Employee Self Service.

Read recent article from Newsday, The New Insurance Landscape for Spouses.

DOMA Section 3: Struck Down

Background information: The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) enacted September 21, 1996, is a U.S. federal law that allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states.

Until Section 3 of the Act was ruled unconstitutional, DOMA had effectively barred same-sex married couples from being recognized as "spouses" for purposes of federal laws, or receiving federal marriage benefits. As of July 3, there is no longer any federal barriers to the recognition of same-sex couples married in states that recognize same-sex marriage. They are now entitled to receive the over 1,000 federal health, tax, Social Security and other benefits that a one man/one woman couple receives.

Example: Jane Smith is a benefits-eligible employee at North Shore-LIJ. Jane married her partner, Mary, in the state of New York in March of 2013. As a recognized marriage in New York, North Shore-LIJ was able to add Mary to Jane's policy as a Qualified Life Event.

Question: On July 3 the Supreme Court struck down DOMA, how does this affect Jane and Mary in the future, in regards to their benefits?

Answer: When the couple married in March, the state of New York recognized their marriage, but the federal government did not. As a result, Jane's pay statement showed an imputed income from the federal government. Since New York is one of the 13 states that recognizes same-sex marriage the couple did not have imputed income from New York. Now that Section 3 of DOMA has been struck down, Jane will no longer receive imputed income from the federal government and her medical contributions will be pre-tax for both federal and state purposes.

Note: North Shore-LIJ's payroll department is currently working to update the payroll system to reflect pre-tax contributions for all same-sex married participants. Impacted plan participants will be contacted directly with additional information.

If you are in a same-sex marriage and have additional questions about your benefits, call the HR Service Center at 516-734-7000.

Get Your Health Assessment Now

Open Enrollment for your 2014 Benefits Package is still a few months away but it's never too early to pledge to be well. One of the four Wellness Pledges for 2014 (which will credit your pay statement $260 for the year) is the Health Assessment Pledge. Similar to last year's Know Your Numbers/HRA Pledge you will need to fill in your health information on a secured site. Here's what you can do now to get a head start on wellness:

1. Register and login to UnitedHealthcare's myuhc.com and select the Health Assessment tab located on the far right side of the home page. 
2. Register and login using the same username and password as you did when registering on myuhc.com. 
3. Answer several security questions before you can get started. 
4. Take the Health Assessment by filling in the pre-populated fields.*
5. Hit Submit. If you have not completed the Assessment you will be notified that you have an additional 92 days to complete.

*To fill in your numbers for blood pressure, cholesterol, and Body Mass Index (BMI) you can contact your physician to see if it's time for a physical, and chart your updated biometrics in the myuhc.com portal.

Note: As long as you complete the Health Assessment and hit the submit button you will be credited for the Pledge in 2014.

Newly Hired?
If you were recently hired, you will not be able to access the Health Assessment until your benefits are active, which is the first day of the month following 32 days after your date of hire.

Protect Your Eyes All Year Round

It’s important to protect your eyes not just during the summer months but all year round. Medical studies have increasingly tied chronic exposure to UV and near-UV rays to ocular diseases. Although the sun may be the strongest during the summer months (particularly between the hours of 10am and 4pm) reflective surfaces, such as concrete, ice and snow can also contribute to UV damage.

The experts at Davis Vision recommend a quality pair of prescription or non-prescription sunglasses that:

• Block 99-100% of UVA and UVB rays
• Block blue light rays
• Contain large lenses that fit close to your eyes

Davis Vision (of Long Island) and Empire Vision Centers (of Upstate New York) will be renovated and rebranded under the name Visionworks at the end of this year. Visionworks remains the largest owned and operated optical company in the U.S., offering over 2,000 frames at each store location. More to come.

The Retirement Team is Here for You

The Investment Committee has got your back. Retirement planning should be a two way street, you invest your money and we help to invest it wisely. In addition to researching the best funds available for your Plans, the Retirement Team at North Shore-LIJ is here to help you plan for a secure future. In collaboration with the experts at MetLife, the health system offers the Retirewise Program, an informative retirement planning program with a classroom approach, educating employees about the options and opportunities they have through North Shore-LIJ. For more information and opportunities to save for your future, email: Retirement@nshs.edu. If you want a clear definition about the funds offered through MetLife, read more.

No Action Required

The Investment Committee at North Shore-LIJ is looking out for you. Researching, with your financial security top of mind, the Committee consistently looks for new ways to make your money work harder for you.

Beginning May 31, 2013 there are two fund changes:

First, Cohen & Steers Institutional Global Realty Fund will be replaced by Security Capital Fund. Security Capital Fund in combination with Morgan Stanley Institutional Global Real Estate I Fund, will now comprise the plan’s Global REIT option.

Second, RS International Growth Fund will be replaced by Dreyfus International Equity Fund. Dreyfus International Equity Fund in combination with Causeway International Value Institutional Fund, will now comprise the plan’s International Equity option.

Nothing for You to Do!
If you have a balance in the funds exchanged, your account and future contribution will be automatically transferred to the new investment options as on May 31. You will receive a confirmation in the mail or you can visit MetLife online after May 31. Do not hesitate to reach out to a MetLife representative - consultations are free. For a complete statement visit HealthPort.