• Open Enrollment: Mark Your Calendars for 10/21/22-11/4/22
• ComPsych: Did You Know Your EAP Offers Free Legal Resources?
• Having a Baby? Surest (Previously Bind) Breaks the Costs Down
• Hootie's Tip: Saving You Money Through Telemedicine & Urgent Care
• Employee Benefits Contacts: Who We Are & How We Can Help
  

Benefit Guidebooks will be coming out in early October with additional details, but please mark your calendars now for 10/21/22-11/4/22 for your annual benefits enrollment period.

Enrollment

• Enrollment is mandatory for all employees including recent hires
• Current 2022 benefit elections will not carryover to 2023
• Current cash option enrollees remaining in cash option for 2023 need to re-enroll even if covered by another district employee
• Failure to enroll by 11/4/22 defaults you to the employee only base medical, dental, and vision plan

Medical Plans

• Plan design and premiums will not change
• Bind is now known as Surest
• You still have three plan offerings: Base Plan (UMR), Premium Option 1 (UMR), and Premium Option 2 (Surest)

Dental & Vision Plans

• Delta Dental plan designs and premiums will remain the same with two options: Base and Buy-Up
• Surency Vision will replace EyeMed with the same premiums and broader network availability with two plan options: Base and Buy-Up

Wellness Points

• Non-tobacco points will be populated based on your 2022 status (For new enrollees, the non-tobacco points will be populated at the close of open enrollment)
• Services between 9/1/21 - 8/31/22 will apply toward the 2023 discount
• The final deadline for all wellness documentation is 11/4/22
• You and your covered spouse will each need 100 wellness points to get the discount for 2023

Flexible Spending Accounts

• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account annual maximum is $2850 with up to $570 carryover limit
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account annual maximum is $5000 per family

Insurance Cards

• New insurance ID cards will be sent out on ALL medical plans
• MaxorPlus pharmacy cards and Delta Dental cards will only be sent to those who are making changes or newly enrolled
• Surency Vision will issue cards to all enrollees

Guidebooks & Additional Materials

• Guidebooks will be sent to your homes in early October and will also be sent out electronically
• Email blasts will be sent out
• Watch for an Open Enrollment podcast with frequently asked questions
• Giveaways will be offered this year for those that enroll within the first full week!

Your use of the EAP (Employee Assistance Program) with ComPsych is completely confidential and free to you and members of your household. Many view the standard idea of an EAP as simply offering counseling, but ComPsych delivers on a lot more than just that, including a number of legal resources.

While some occasions for seeking a lawyer or legal advice can be exciting ones like the adoption of a child, others can cause you stress, and ComPsych wants to help you by providing these free resources.

You can access this information by creating an account at www.guidanceresources.com

and using the code USD259 when prompted.

These are just a few of the topics you can research additional information on (Please note these links will work once you are logged into the site above at www.guidanceresources.com ):

How Do I Name A Legal Guardian for My Child Should I Die?

Getting a Divorce

Child Custody and Visitation

Foster Parenting

Legal Issues with Adoption

You can also use ComPsych's feature to search for an attorney

Attorney Search

or call them at (866)517-1254 for a free consultation and information via phone with their

in-house attorneys.

If you are a current Surest member (previously Bind) or considering making the switch to Surest for 2023 and thinking about starting a family, this short video will give some insight into how the cost of having a baby will look for you with this insurance plan option:

Having a Baby? – Bind Breakout (vimeo.com)

Hootie, the Employee Benefits new mascot, has one main goal: to make you a wise and independent consumer of your own benefits. That means having a good understanding of what your benefits are, how to access them, and how to get the most out of them and hopefully save you money at the same time.

Urgent Care Vs. Emergency Room

• All three benefit plans with the district offer a $50 copay on urgent care visits at in-network providers.
• If your issue is not a true emergency but one that needs addressed quickly, consider an urgent care. Most urgent care facilities will also offer x-rays and labs and will save you money and wait time in the long run.
• An ER will cost you at least $100: On the UMR plans, there will be a $100 copay plus a deductible and co-insurance, while the Surest plan will charge a flat $500 copay.
• You have cut your budget by a minimum of 50% by going to the urgent care if you are not truly in an emergency state.

Telemedicine Vs. In-Person Doctor Visit

• If you have a routine illness that you are familiar with or could be treated by telemedicine, using Teladoc with UMR for a $15 copay or Doctor-on-Demand with Surest for a $0 fee will save you money as well.
• Primary care visits on UMR are $30 and range from $15-$100 on Surest depending on your provider.
• The convenience of not needing to leave your home if you are ill is also helpful!

Choosing Low Cost Providers on Surest Plan

• Part of the benefit of the Surest plan (previously Bind) is navigating yourself to low-cost and high-quality providers.
• In situations where a surgery needs to be scheduled, educate and direct your provider to sites that will fit within your budget.