In consideration of staff members’ busy schedules, requests we’ve received from many to allow for more time in schools and the Agency’s desire to control extra expenses, the April 2010 benefit meetings have been cancelled.
However, effective April 5, we will have posted on your Employee Dashboard under the Benefits tab, videos about your benefits that you will be able to review at your convenience.
These videos will be listed under 2010 Benefits Information and will be available to explain the plan design changes made by the Insurance Committee in response to your feedback from the insurance survey, as well as Wellmark’s more in-depth explanation of how the new drug deductible will work for employees. Additional presentations reviewing flex benefits, the Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA), long term care and the voluntary vision plan will also be available.
After viewing the recordings, we invite you to e-mail any questions you may have about your benefits to Kathy Martin, benefits specialist, at kmartin@aea11.k12.ia.us. Each week Kathy will add to a Question & Answer list on your Dashboard under 2010 Benefits Information. You will find answers to questions such as “Will I have to pay the deductible for a colonoscopy?” “How do I know whether it’s better for me to select the $500 or $1,500 deductible plan?” and “How do I find an in-network doctor?”
Online enrollment will be available from April 5-25 on your Employee Dashboard. Check for the Benefits Enrollment tab at the top of the screen. We ask that all full-time (over 192-day contract) and part-time (96-contract) staff complete enrollment. If you have a 192-day contract and do not plan to return in the fall, we ask that you still complete enrollment, letting us know what your benefit selections are for the summer. If you are not renewing your contract with Heartland, you are not eligible to participate in flex benefits, but health and dental coverage continue through August.
If you and your spouse both work for Heartland, you will be receiving an enrollment packet in the mail that must be completed and returned to the Benefits Office by April 25.
This is not an open enrollment year for health insurance. That means that you may not add additional family members to your Wellmark policy. You may add family members to your dental coverage each year. The next open enrollment year for health insurance is April 2011, with insurance effective July 1, 2011. Family members may be brought on your plan before July 2011 if you have a change of family status (marriage, divorce, birth, adoption, death, loss of job and insurance coverage by a spouse). The member must be added to your policy within 30 days of the change of status.
Health Insurance Rates and Plan Design Changes
The Insurance Committee is pleased to be able to keep the Agency’s health insurance plan with Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield for another year. Unfortunately, we received significant increases in our premiums. Wellmark initially gave us a 19.5% increase, but due to the good negotiating power of our insurance consultant, David P. Lind and Associates, and the plan design changes made by the Insurance Committee, that increase has been reduced to 9.6%.
There are three plan design changes that are part of the Insurance Committee’s efforts to keep your insurance rates down.
1) Coinsurance at an in-network doctor or facility will change from 90/10% to 85/15%.
2) The $5 co-pay for an in-network vision exam or chiropractic visit will change to $10.
3) A $100 individual/$200 family annual calendar year deductible will be added to brand name drugs. No deductible will apply to generics.
A Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) will again be offered for those selecting either the single or family $1,500 deductible health plan.
Our Delta Dental plan will remain unchanged both in benefits and rates.
Please click on the appropriate link below to see a list of the rates and HRA amounts effective July 1, 2010.
For rates/HRA amounts for Certified Union and Classified Union (professional staff who work in the schools, such as SLPs, school psychologists, consultants and staff in offices such as secretaries, media clerks and van drivers) click here.
For rates/HRA amounts for Certified Non-Union and Classified Non-Union (management, such as directors, partnership directors and regional secretaries, business office, HR and technology staff) click here.
To find out more about the way your plans work and to better understand the changes in plan design, check the benefit videos that will be on your Employee Dashboard April 5 under 2010 Benefit Information. Questions may be addressed to Kathy Martin, benefits specialist, at kmartin@aea11.k12.ia.us.
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