WPS Benefit News
JULY 2021
In This Issue:
- ComPsych: Our New & Improved EAP Provider!
- Setting Up Referrals & Accessing Your Benefits With ComPsych
- Everyday Help You Wouldn't Expect from the EAP with ComPsych
- Online Support & Interactive Digital Tools with ComPsych
- Important Enough for Another Mention - Measuring Up: Benefit Package Comparisons
- Wellness Points Reminders: August 31st Deadline for 2022 Wellness Discount
- Frequently Asked Questions About Wellness Points
- How to Check Wellness Points
- COVID Resources
Employee Benefits Contacts: Who We Are & How We Can Help
Employee Benefits Reminders & Feedback Requested
ComPsych: Our New & Improved EAP Provider!
Our Employee Health & Wellness Supervisor Boni Burkhart shared with you by email on July 1st our new and improved EAP (Employee Assistance Provider) program now in place. This new EAP will offer a deeper and richer benefit for you and your family.
Following are some key points about the new provider and how our transition will work. In the articles following this one, you will find more descriptive information on how to access each of the new features. This is a benefit FREE to you but paid for by the district. The district pays a cost for this per month for each employee in order for you to have access to better mental health. We care about you and your well-being!
What happens if on July 1st, I still had an active case with our prior provider, New Directions?
- You will have 120 days from the date you opened your referral to complete the remaining sessions.
Who can use the services with ComPsych?
- Active employees (regardless if benefitted or not)
- Spouses of active employees
- Household members of your family, regardless of age
How many sessions do I have access to and how often?
- Each participant will receive up to 10 sessions per incident (this is a richer benefit than the previous 6 offered.)
What counseling options are offered?
- You can choose to attend traditional in-person sessions or may opt for either video or phone sessions.
- Additionally, you can choose real-time, scheduled text counseling sessions via the partnership with BetterHelp. Generally, one week of texts will equal one counseling visit, meaning the duration of the referral could last up to 10 weeks.
What is the cost?
- This is a free service for active employees and eligible family members.
- If you find you need visits beyond the 10 offered, you may be able to continue under personal insurance if you are seeing a participating provider. Applicable co-pays would apply.
- Your EAP benefits are completely separate from the district health plan.
Setting Up Referrals & Accessing Your Benefits With ComPsych
To get a self-referral started:
Call our dedicated phone line, just for USD 259 Staff, at (866)517-1254 to begin your self-care journey. TTY line is available at (800)697-0353.
This line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
To access ComPsych's other benefits:
Go to www.guidanceresources.com.
This will take you to a main page where you will log in during future site visits; however, the first time you visit the site, you will want to register yourself as a new user. You will choose a user ID and password and set up security questions. When prompted, you will enter usd259 as your company ID.
By registering at Guidance Resources, you will have access to a huge volume of information that will help you including guided self-care, recipes, articles, webinars and tutorials, and everyday help with things not expected from the EAP.
Everyday Help You Wouldn't Expect From The EAP With ComPsych
Using your Guidance Resources profile (instructions on how to get set up can be found in the previous article), you can access a host of topics that will help you in your everyday life. Just a small sampling of the topics available are included below:
- Dealing with Difficult Neighbors
- Chores for Your Children
- Contractors and Home Improvements
- Should I Hire a Plumber or Do the Job Myself?
- Are Zero-Interest Auto Loans Right for You?
- Buying A New Car Checklist
- Choosing a Veterinarian
- Grieving After the Loss of a Pet
- Are You a Smart Shopper?
- Airline Bereavement or Compassionate Fares
You can find these topics and more under Guidance Resources tabs. You also have the ability to send a question or call the dedicated number for questions on these topics.
Online Support & Interactive Digital Tools with ComPsych
myStrength is an online tool to help you live your best life. You will find help for stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and more. This is all in addition to your ability to seek a self-referral for counseling. This is just extra good stuff just for you! The difference with this is everything is online and personalized just for you and to move through at your own pace.
You are able to follow the prompts and set up an account designed for you. Be ready to be inspired and live your best life.
WellthSource
This is a play on words with "wealth" and "well" since your financial well-being can often play a role in your overall well-being. This is a digital financial wellness platform and like myStrength, it will require you to sign up with personalized log-in information. This will allow you to develop an individualized plan to build your wealth and financial well-being. The first step will be to take a quiz about your "Fi-Q" or financial IQ. This will tailor course instruction modeled just for you.
important Enough for Another Mention: Benefit Packages Comparison
Your "total compensation package" is a lot more than just your salary. It includes , but is not limited to, your sick and vacation days, your paid holidays, life insurance paid for by the district, access to free counseling services through our EAP (Employee Assistance Program), and your health insurance package including medical benefits with pharmacy coverage, dental, and vision.
The following visual gives you a glimpse of how our district benefits stack up to other nearby school districts within Kansas. These rates assume you have met your wellness credits which gives you a discount on your premium. The rates provided from both USD 259 and surrounding school districts are based on rates for the 2021 calendar year.
In the 2021 calendar year, you will note our competitive rates compared to other surrounding districts. We continue to aim for taking care of our employees and strive to be known as the district of choice with competitive benefit offerings.
Something also easily forgotten as we enroll each year in our choices is that the district does take on a contribution for these plans. We are more likely to feel what is actually coming out of our check, but it important to remember the employer contribution. For an employee who works year-round, picks the middle plan, and has kids covered on the plan as well, the contribution by USD 259 would be around $863 per month.
Wellness Points Reminders: August 31st Deadline for 2022 Wellness Discount
If you participate in the district's health plan, you are offered a premium discount that amounts to $1200 annually if you achieve 100 wellness points during the given time frame. This is also true for spouses on the plan.
Beginning on September 1, 2020, we began working on wellness points that will apply for the 2022 calendar year premium discount. Points accumulated between September 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021 will count toward the discount for the 2022 benefit year.
As a reminder, here is the wellness credits matrix showing each item and how any points would apply:
Frequently Asked Questions About Wellness Points
If I have more than one vaccine, will I get 25 points for each vaccine?
- No. You will get 25 points total regardless if you have had multiple vaccines.
Why are my non-tobacco points not showing up?
- Each year during Open Enrollment, we ask that you re-certify during the enrollment process whether you are a smoker or not. Therefore, these points will not populate until you have completed the enrollment process.
Am I able to get additional points for dental cleanings if I opt to have my teeth cleaned more than twice per year?
- No. We are not able to apply points for more than the two cleanings.
When will my points show up?
- Our third party vendor bswift (the same site where you enroll for benefits) uploads files from vendors on a quarterly basis.
What if I wait for the upload mentioned above and my points are not showing up still at the time of enrollment?
- You are able to have your provider complete and sign the Optional Wellness Points Form sent out during Open Enrollment or submit any of the following: itemized receipt, benefit statement, billing statement, printout from your patient portal, or written verification from the provider.
- Any documentation should include your name, the date of service including the year, the screening performed, and your employee ID number added.
- We ask that you upload any such documentation once Open Enrollment starts to give ample time first for these items to be uploaded by vendors.
- Please understand that it is your responsibility to upload any missing documentation before the Open Enrollment deadline.
How to Check Wellness Points
In addition to checking your wellness points here, the site also provides additional services for you such as the ability to update your life insurance beneficiary, view annual notices, and make changes when you have a qualifying life event (such as marriage, divorce, birth or adoption, death, change in employment status, etc.). Please remember life change events must be made within 31 days of the event.
COVID Resources
We will continue to follow any local guidelines set by Sedgwick County.
Employee Benefits will maintain the COVID hotline email box for inquiries at covidhotline@usd259.net.
Our web page at https://www.usd259.org/Page/20565 offers a host of frequently asked questions (listed below) to further assist you. Please visit this site to find your answers, and if you still have questions, reach us at covidhotline@usd259.net.
Employee Benefits: Who We Are & How We Can Help
Employee Benefits & Insurance Management
Danielle Dettmer
Functional Manager
HR/Employee Benefits & Insurance Management
Email: employeebenefits@usd259.net
Website: http://www.usd259.org/HumanResources
Location: 903 South Edgemoor Street, Wichita, KS, USA
Phone: 316-973-4581