Benefits News

Open Enrollment for Health Benefits and Flexible Spending Accounts

Open Enrollment for health benefits and flexible spending accounts will be May 1 - 24, 2013. There are important changes to your benefits beginning July 1.

There are some resources that can be of assistance as you review your selections for 2013-14.  They include:

• New Benefits Team Online Open Enrollment Briefing - can't attend one of the in-person open enrollment sessions?  Join Courtney Ashmore for her pre-recorded online session.

• Department of Human Resource Management's (DHRM) Open Enrollment Website

• Spotlight on Your Benefits -- Please note: A copy of the Spotlight will be mailed to your home from the Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM)

• ALEX (a new interactive online tool for open enrollment)

• You can make your open enrollment selections online at eDirect.

• Want to take the health assessment?  Visit myactivehealth.com/COVA or call 1.866.938.0349.

Additionally, the Benefits Team will be visiting each campus during open enrollment to answer your questions about making changes to your health insurance and flexible reimbursement accounts.  Join us for this session to view a short presentation on the new benefits offerings followed by a Q&A session with the Benefits team. 

Arlington

Tuesday, May 7 from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Tuesday, May 14 from 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Fairfax

Thursday, May 2 from 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Thursday, May 9 from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Wednesday, May 15 from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm New

Prince William

Wednesday, May 8 from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Thursday, May 16 from 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

For locations and to register, please visit http://hr.gmu.edu/learning  and click on the "Courses" tab.

 

Total compensation

Compensation is more than just a paycheck at Mason. You enjoy many benefits beyond the value of your salary.
Learn more about how much you really make.

VRS Modernization: Employee Contribution

The Virginia Retirement System (VRS) is undertaking a multi-year modernization program to upgrade its technology systems and business operations. As part of this modernization, VRS is making changes to how it collects member contributions from employees. These changes are effective immediately. Please see our document on VRS Modernization form more.

Retirement tax-savings limit increases in 2013

Participants under age 50 can contribute up to $17,500 in the Supplemental Retirement Plan (403(b)) program and the Virginia Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP) (457(b)). Participants age 50 and over can contribute $23,000 in each plan. If you wish to increase your contribution, please complete a 403(b) salary reduction agreement and/or a 457 salary authorization agreement and return to benefits at MS 3C3.

 

---

UNUM Long Term Disability Open Enrollment Starts November 1

If you're a non-VSDP employee who is not yet participating in UNUM or a current participant who wants to change the amount of your coverage, open enrollment runs November 1-30th. Long-term disability insurance is designed to protect your income should you become medically unable to work. Additional information is available on the Long Term Disability (non-VSDP) web page. To obtain a customized enrollment form based on your age and salary, please call HR & Payroll at 3.2600 and ask for a Benefits Administrator or email us at benefits@gmu.edu. To cancel your coverage, please complete a UNUM change form. Enrollment forms and change forms must be received by HR & Payroll by Friday, November 30, 2012.

Fidelity Webinars

Confident Investing in Any Market

Concerned about the ups and downs of the market? Fidelity Investments is holding a webinar entitled, “Confident Investing in Any Mar ket.” Choose from Tuesday, October 2 at noon or Thursday, October 11 at noon. 

Designing Your Financial Roadmap

Map out your budget and savings goals at this webinar entilted "Designing Your Financial Roadmap".  Thursday, November 8 at noon.

For additional information on all seminars and to register, please visit Fidelity Webinars.

 

Special Medical Flexible Reimbursement Account Open Enrollment 2012 - June 7-22

The Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) announced a special Open Enrollment for medical flexible reimbursement accounts (FRAs) only from June 7-22.  You can enroll in, decrease, or increase your Medical FRA up to the new maximum of $5000 for the plan year 2012-2013.  This is an increase from the $2500 maximum that was in place during the May open enrollment period.

Any changes you make during this special open enrollment will take effect on July 1, 2012.

If you would like to enroll in or make changes to your medical FRA, please complete the State Flexible Benefits 2012 Special Enrollment Form and return the completed form to the Benefits Team at MS 3C3, fax it to 3.2601 or email to benefits@gmu.edu.

If you have any questions, please call the HR & Payroll Customer Service Center at 703.993.2600 and ask for the Benefits Team or email benefits@gmu.edu.

 

Open Enrollment for health benefits and flexible reimbursement accounts (FRAs) has ended.

Any changes you made during open enrollment will take effect on July 1, 2012.

If you have any questions, please call the HR & Payroll Customer Service Center at 703.993.2600 and ask for the Benefits Team or email benefits@gmu.edu.

Open Enrollment for health benefits and flexible reimbursement accounts (FRAs) is May 1 - May 25, 2012. During this time, you may enroll in a health plan and/or an FRA, change your health plan, add or remove family members or waive state health coverage. Changes to your premiums, health benefits and FRAs will take effect on July 1, 2012. Please note that rates and plan design information are subject to change pending approval of the state budget.

Highlights of changes for this plan year include:

COVA Care and COVA Connect:

• Increase choice: You may enroll in either COVA Care or COVA Connect regardless of where you live, since both plans will be available statewides.
• Annual vision benefit: The COVA Care and COVA Connect optional benefit will change to once every 12 months from every 24 months.
• Autism: Coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) is included for children ages 2 through 6, with a $35,000 annual limit for these services.
• IV and injected cancer drugs: For statewide plans, you pay the same 20 percent coinsurance for IV and infused chemotherapy as you do for all infusion services, with the plan paying 80 percent of the cost.

Kaiser:

• Ambulance travel: $50 copayment per service
• Prescription: Prescription drug copayments increase

Flexible Reimbursement Accounts:

• Medical Flexible Reimbursement Account (FRA) contribution maximum per plan year: Changes to $2,500 from $5,000 due to federal health reform.
• New Vendor: WageWorks
• New Medical FRA VISA®; payment card mailed to all participants,

Premiums: While full-time employee premiums will increase for most plans, federal health reform funds will pay part of the premium subsidy for full-time employees and the entire subsidy for part-time employees.

For more details, see the Spotlight on Benefits newsletter, which was mailed to your home address the week of April 23rd. Please go to DHRM's Open Enrollment website for more information.

To make changes, please go to EmployeeDirect from May 1 - May 25, 2012.

 

Fidelity Webinar On Investing

Join Fidelity Investments on Thursday, October 20 for an online webinar entitled, "Building a Portfolio for Any Weather." This beginner-level session is designed for individuals who are enrolled in Mason's 403(b) tax-deferred annuity savings plan and are looking to help improve their investment mix through asset allocation and diversification.  Choose from three different session times.  You don't need to be a Fidelity participant to sign up.  For details and to register, please visit Fidelity Webinar.

Benefits Announcement on Patriot Web

Timely information regarding TRICARE and Virginia Retirement System (VRS) Member Benefit Profiles (MBP) is available here as well as on PatriotWeb.

TRICARE Supplement Available This Fall

There will be a special enrollment period beginning August 22 through September 6 for coverage effective October 1, 2011 for those who are eligible for TRICARE.  The plans will be administered for the Commonwealth by Association and Society Insurance Corporation (ASI).  The supplement is part of a legislative package passed by the 2011 General Assembly and signed by the Governor to offer education and health care assistance to Virginia's military families.

Employee monthly premiums will be:

Employee only                      $ 60

Employee plus one               $119

Employee plus two or more  $160

Employees wishing to enroll in the TRICARE supplement must be eligible for both TRICARE and the State Health Benefits program.

To elect the TRICARE supplement, eligible employees may:

• Change to the supplement from their current health plan; or
• Enroll in the supplement from waived status

For more information, please go the TRICARE page on DHRM's website. If you are eligible and choose to enroll, please complete the enrollment form available on DHRM's website and return to Benefits at MS 3C3 or via fax 703.993.2601.

For more information you may attend an employee meeting at the Northern Virginia Community College on Tuesday, August 30 at 1:00 p.m at:

Northern Virginia Community College

The Theatre, Ernst Community Cultural Center

4001 Wakefield Chapel Road

Grandfathered VRS Email

Grandfathered VRS Example

If you are a granfathered VRS participant, the 5% increase in your salary that you will receive in late June will not completely cover the new VRS deduction that will start at the same time.  This is because the 5% increase is based on your current salary and the 5% deduction is based on your new higher salary.  To illustrate, let's say someone currently makes $36,000 per year:

Current annual salary           $36,000

5% increase                          $  1,800

New annual salary                $37,800

5% VRS annual contribution  $  1,890

Cash Match Reinstated

As of the July 1, 2011 pay date, the cash match for participants in the Supplemental Retirement Account or the Deferred Compensation Plan will return to 50 percent of your contribution, not to exceed $20 per semi-monthly pay period (adjusted for those on bi-weekly or paid over 9 months). The cash match was reduced to $10 per pay period for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2011.

 

If you have COVA Care, COVA HDHP, or Kaiser Permanente...

...through Mason your wellness is covered 100%. A summary of your health & wellness benefits is available.