Category: Benefits News

This category is for articles and announcements related to your benefits as an MSU benefits-eligible faculty or staff member.

Ready to Use Your Educational Assistance Benefit? Make Sure Your Application is Approved First.

Published on by Megan MacGregorLeave a comment

Have you come across an interesting course or conference that you know would help you grow in your career but aren’t sure how to pay for the registration fees? Remember, if you’re an MSU support staff employee, you have access to Educational Assistance. This benefit offers financial assistance (up to $800) to receive reimbursement for registration fees for credit or non-credit courses that are job-related and from an approved institution/program. Non-credit courses include opportunities such as conferences, workshops, seminars, or trainings. Find more details about your Educational Assistance benefit here.

In order to use the benefit, you must submit an application and be approved prior to the course start date. To make sure you or your department gets reimbursed for the registration fees, you should apply and be approved for educational assistance before you pay any registration fees up front.

Process to Apply for Educational Assistance

  1. Find and Discuss the Course with Your Supervisor: If you find a non-credit or credit course that you’re interested in taking, talk to your supervisor about how it will help you grow in your career. Consider tying the course to one of your Performance Excellence goals.
  2. Submit an Educational Assistance Application Early: If your supervisor agrees that you should take the course, submit an Educational Assistance application via the EBS Portal. Login to the portal, click on My Career and Training, click the Educational Assistance System tile, then select the correct application type from the Apply tab in the top navigation. Please note the following:
    • Credit Courses: submit an application 60 days prior to the first day of the course for MSU credit courses or 30 days prior to the first day for all other credit courses.
    • Non-Credit Courses (training, conferences, etc.): submit an application 30 days prior to the first day of the course.
  3. Supervisor Reviews Application: Your application will be sent to your supervisor for approval. You will receive a confirmation email after they approve your application. The application is then sent to MSU Human Resources (HR).
  4. MSU HR Reviews Application: Your application will be reviewed for final approval. You will be notified within 15 days (after receipt of application to MSU HR) if the request has been approved or denied. 

How to Receive Reimbursement

After your application is approved, you’re all set to attend your course! After you finish your course, you’ll need to submit documents to receive reimbursement. You can find more details about Educational Assistance reimbursement for a credit course or non-credit course on the HR website.

Please note: you do not need to submit an Educational Assistance application for courses offered by HR Organization and Professional Development.

Questions? Find more Educational Assistance information on the HR website. Contact the Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434 with any further questions.

graphic representing medical care

Thinking about your 2023 benefits options? Consider the Consumer Driven Health Plan with Health Savings Account.

Published on by Megan MacGregorLeave a comment

This article was updated in 2022 with information for the 2023 plan year.

As you think about the best benefits options for you and your family for the 2023 plan year, we encourage eligible employees to look at the Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP) with Health Savings Account (HSA) option. If you do not anticipate having a lot of health care needs for the 2023 plan year and are looking for a sound strategy to save for your retirement health care, this plan may be the most cost-effective option for you.

This health plan is currently only available to faculty, academic staff, executive management, POAM, and non-union support staff with an employment percentage equal to or greater than 50% and an appointment for nine months or more. You may also enroll your benefits-eligible dependents.

About the Consumer Driven Health Plan

While you pay a deductible ($2,000/single and $4,000/ family) first before the plan pays medical and prescription benefits, preventive care and certain generic medications for chronic conditions (asthma, cholesterol, diabetes, and anti-hypertensives) are 100% covered with no deductible or co-pays when using an in-network provider. Review the Health Plan Coverage Summary in the applicable Open Enrollment guide to anticipate your annual costs under this plan – you may find that most of your annual medical costs are 100% covered:

This plan limits the maximum amount you pay for any covered services in a year to $3,000/single and $6,000/ family using in-network providers. After expenses reach this amount, you do not have to pay for any other health care costs for covered services, including prescription drugs.

About the Health Savings Account

Along with the CDHP, you should enroll for the HSA— not to be confused with the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA)—during Open Enrollment in October. MSU contributes up to $750 to the HSA each year (prorated by employment percentage) and you may add funds to the HSA tax-free. You can use these HSA funds to pay for any eligible medical expenses or doctor visits you do incur.

Note: If you do not enroll in the HSA during Open Enrollment, you will lose MSU’s contribution.

These contributions are triple tax-free! You make contributions pre-tax, your account balance earns interest tax-free, and your distributions are tax-free if they are used for eligible medical expenses. Do you have an existing HSA from a previous employer? You can add those funds into your new HSA. The money in the HSA is yours to take with you – even if you leave MSU for a different employer or retire. In fact, investing in your HSA now to use in your retirement is a sound strategy to fund your medical expenses in retirement.

How much should you contribute to an HSA?

It can be difficult to plan for health-related expenses, especially when taking unforeseen expenses into consideration. With HSA’s, however, figuring out how much to contribute is rather simple — as much as you can within IRS contribution limits.

The current 2022 IRS contribution limits are:

  • $3,650 for single
  • $7,300 for family

The 2023 plan year IRS contribution limits are:

  • $3,850 for single
  • $7,750 for family
  • And those 55 or older can contribute even more

Remember, any funds you don’t use immediately earn interest tax-free and can be used by you and your dependents for medical expenses incurred in retirement.

It might make you feel uneasy to contribute as much as you can, but when you consider the tax savings and retirement benefits, it feels more realistic.

Questions? Learn more about the CDHP with HSA plan on the HR website. Also, consider participating in the MSU Benefits Fair or an HR Site Lab in during Open Enrollment in October to ask us questions about this health care plan. Please note: the HR building is not available for drop-ins.

The Solutions Center is available to answer questions via phone or email. In-person assistance is available by appointment only. Email:SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu
Phone: 517-353-4434
Toll Free: 800-353-4434

Get in-person assistance for your Open Enrollment questions!

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

The MSU Benefits Open Enrollment period is around the corner. Benefit-eligible employees can enroll in, change or cancel benefit selections from Oct. 1-31. Is this your first time participating in MSU’s Open Enrollment and you’re not sure where to start? Or have you done this before but have some questions you just want a real-life person to help with?

Either way, MSU HR has a number of opportunities for you to get in-person assistance during the Open Enrollment period.

Benefits Fair

Stop out to the MSU Benefits Fair to talk with knowledgeable HR staff and benefit vendors. The fair will be held at the Breslin Center on:

Tues., Oct. 8, 2019
Noon – 7 p.m.

Wed., Oct. 9, 2019
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.

You can check out more information on which vendors will be at the fair, as well as info about parking, flu shots and chair massages on the HR website.

Site Labs

MSU HR will host site labs throughout the month of October where you can stop in and work with HR staff to get your questions answered. Site labs will be held at the Nisbet Building (1407 S. Harrison Road, East Lansing) on:

Fri., Oct. 4, 2019
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Tues., Oct. 22, 2019
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Mon., Oct. 28, 2019
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Thurs., Oct. 31, 2019
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

You can check out more information on the site labs, including parking info on the HR website.

If you miss one of these opportunities, the MSU HR Solutions Center team is always happy to assist. Stop by the Nisbet Building, Suite 110, Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. or contact 517-353-4434 or SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu. Make sure to get your questions answered and feel confident in your benefit selections for 2020!

Give your children a healthy start for back to school with VSP Vision

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

August is National Eye Exam Month! As you’re getting ready for back to school, don’t forget to schedule annual eye exams for your kids. Are you an MSU benefit-eligible employee? Are you enrolled in VSP Vision Care for 2019? Then you have access to coverage for everything from the annual eye exam to new prescription glasses. Make sure your family starts the new school year right with a healthy vision!

According to VSP Vision studies show that 84% of parents agree that regular eye exams help their kids in school, but they often wait until their child complains to make an eye doctor appointment. Getting an eye exam before school starts can help your child start the school year off right.

And while you might be soaking up those last moments of summer, keep this in mind:  your eyes can get sunburned. After being in the sun all summer long your eyes can get damaged from the sun. The best way to protect your eyes is by wearing sunglasses while outside. An eye exam can see if your eyes were damaged by the sun and consider the next steps to take care of them.

Whether or not you’ve already used your coverage for your annual eye exam or prescription, you can start planning ahead for next year. MSU Benefits Open Enrollment starts October 1, which makes now a great time to start thinking about what you might need for vision insurance next year and make sure you pick the plan that’s right for your family’s needs. VSP Vision Care offers two different plans – standard and premium. You can check out the benefits of both plans here. Note: Information is currently based on the 2019 plan year; check back in October for updated information for 2020.

For more information on VSP Vision Care, visit MSU Benefits Plus.

Start your back to school shopping with MSU Benefits Plus!

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Have you started your back to school shopping for you and your family? Don’t worry, MSU Benefits Plus has you covered! All benefits-eligible MSU faculty and staff have access to a variety of discounts and savings with MSU Benefits Plus through Corestream. At MSU Benefits Plus you’ll find discounts and special offers on a variety of items for back to school from computers, laptops, shoes and clothing!

To access all the discounts, visit MSU Benefits Plus and sign-up for a free account using your ZPID number (located on your Spartan Card ID badge), or you can find the number in EBS.

Check out some of these deals that you can find through MSU Benefits Plus:

Apple

Enjoy employee pricing on most Apple products when you shop through their exclusive link! Save on select iPhones, MacBooks, Apple Watches and more! Use this link to receive your employee discount.

Dell

MSU faculty and staff can enjoy exclusive savings of up to 30% on select systems when you shop through Dell EPP link! Shop Laptops, 2-in-1s, gaming PCs, accessories and more.

HP

The HP Employee Purchase Program (EPP) offers HP consumer products at discounts typically up to 10% off starting prices. You can also take advantage of instant rebates, coupons and HP Home & Home Office sales promotions that combine with your EPP discount – for a typical savings of 20-30% off. Find your next printer for your college student’s dorm or your home office here!

Target

Whether you’re looking for school supplies or want to add something extra to your office, Target is your place to go! Take $5 off any item priced $50 or more at Target online! Discount automatically applied to cart with the link. Some exclusions apply.

Learning Care Group

Save 10% on childcare at all Learning Care Group schools including La Petite Academy, Childtime Learning Centers, Tutor Time, The Children’s Courtyard, Montessori Unlimited, Everbrook Academy, Creative Kids Learning Center, and Pathways Learning Academy.

To redeem this discount, identify yourself as MSU faculty or staff to at your preferred Learning Care Group school at the Learning Care Group website.

Foot Locker

Get 15% off orders of $75 at Foot Locker with code LKS18H3M at checkout. Offer valid online only. Some exclusions apply! Get your next pair of shoes here.

Shoes.com

Save 20% off sitewide plus get free shipping with code SHOESDOTCOM at checkout! Visit Shoe.com to use your discount.

Aѐropostale

If you’re looking for uniforms Aѐropostale is your place. Save an extra 15% off 5+ uniform items and get free shipping with code UNIFORM at checkout! Visit Aѐropostale website to find your perfect fit.

For more information on employee discounts, visit the HR website. If you have any questions about the discounts, please call MSU Benefits Plus at 888-758-7575.

Life is full of legal situations – legal insurance can help

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Legal insurance is a bit like health insurance; you never know when you might need it, but it helps when you have to pay for doctor or attorney fees. While you may think you have no use for legal insurance, it covers more services than you realize. You can get help with things like financial counseling, divorce, and traffic ticket representation. Do you need to do estate planning or establish your will and inheritance rights? If you’re getting married, do you need to create a will leaving everything to your new spouse? MSU offers ARAGÂź Legal Insurance as an optional benefit to MSU employees. Learn more in the following video:

ARAG can give you legal advice and consultation when you’re facing legal issues. If you use their legal representation, ARAG can act on your behalf to make sure your legal matters are handled correctly. ARAG offers two coverage plans: the Ultimate Advisor and Ultimate Advisor Plus. Both plans feature an Education Center, advice, and representation. To compare more information on these two different plans, visit the MSU Human Resources website.

An ARAG Plan Member named Philip had the following to say about their plan: "It provided me with quick and clear guidance on how to obtain an attorney, what information they would require and eased the financial burden of taking on legal action."

It’s never too early to start planning ahead so you’re prepared for the unexpected. Start thinking now about your goals for this coming year and what kind of legal coverage or representation you might need. You can enroll in ARAG Legal Insurance during Open Enrollment in October.

Active employees – want to receive more information about voluntary benefits like ARAG and discounts? Opt-in to receive emails from MSU Benefits Plus.

MSU employees call Teladoc “a game changer”

Published on by Megan MacGregorLeave a comment

When you or a family member gets sick, it can be hard to fit in a trip to the doctor’s office – especially if sickness strikes in the middle of the night. Next time you need non-urgent medical care, remember you and your dependents (who are enrolled in an MSU health plan) have access to Teladoc – a service that gives you 24/7 access to a health care professional via web, phone or mobile app.

Teladoc treats general medical conditions including: cold/flu, bronchitis, allergies, pink eye, upper respiratory infections, Dermatology conditions including: skin infection, acne, skin rash, abrasions, moles/warts, Behavioral Health conditions including: stress/anxiety, depression, addiction, domestic abuse, grief counseling, and much more!

You can use Teladoc to treat a range of conditions including cold/flu, bronchitis, allergies, pink eye, dermatology and more. Jaclyn Sayen, an Administrative Assistant for the RHS Planning and Projects Office, is a big fan of Teladoc, “I’ve used it multiple times to treat pink eye for my two children
You can submit a photo (if you’d like), and I received a call back (video or voice) within 10 minutes from requesting an appointment from a licensed provider.” The average wait time to speak to a health care provider is less than 10 minutes – far quicker than sitting in a waiting room at your local urgent care or scheduling an appointment with your primary care physician.  

Quote from Jaclyn Sayen, an MSU employee: "I use Teladoc all the time. It's a game changer."

In Jaclyn’s case, the doctor decided a prescription was medically necessary, “And I was prescribed medication that was sent to a pharmacy nearest, as we were out of state at the time.” A prescription can be sent to any pharmacy in the USA, which is an excellent option if you or a family member gets sick on vacation.

Plus, you receive care at a time that is convenient for you – even the middle of the night. Vivianne Robinson, the HR Director for University Advancement, was especially grateful for Teladoc’s 24/7 service, “My husband has used it twice – the first time was 2 a.m.! They were great, fast and free.”

Jayme Bisard is a Secretary for the MSU Intercollegiate Athletics department and she agrees Teladoc is super convenient: “I called for a very basic, minor thing. It didn’t cost any money and I had a prescription called in that I could pick up right at lunch!” Using Teladoc is free for most MSU employees enrolled in an MSU health plan, the exception being those who enroll in the CDHP with HSA health plan. These folks will pay the full charge until their annual deductible is met.

Sounds great! How do I get started?

Visit the Teladoc website and click on “Member Login” to set up your Teladoc account. When you need medical advice, you can receive convenient, quality care from a licensed health care professional in three easy steps:

  1. Request: ask for a visit with a doctor 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by web, phone or mobile app.
  2. Visit: talk to the doctor. Take as much time as you need to explain your medical situation – there’s no limit.
  3. Resolve: if medically necessary, a prescription will be sent to the pharmacy of your choice.

Questions? Contact Teladoc directly at 1-800-Teladoc or visit the Teladoc website. You can also download the Teladoc app.

Nationwide pet insurance can help you save!

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Taking care of your pet is like taking care of someone in your family – you want nothing but the best for them. But sometimes having a pet can be costly. Did you know that as an MSU benefit-eligible employee, you have the option to purchase pet insurance through Nationwide?

One of the benefits of having pet insurance is that you can receive 90% back on your vet bills. Another benefit is you’re not paying out-of-pocket all at once. Having pet insurance allows you to pay a low annual deductible, while having a generous annual benefit. The more pets you have, the more savings you acquire. The My Pet Protection is one of the plans offered from Nationwide. This plan has a low $250 annual deductible and a $7,500 maximum annual benefit.

If your pet has any preexisting condition it will not be covered with Nationwide. However, My Pet Protection covers a large list of conditions such as:

  • Accidents (broken bones, injuries, cuts)
  • Common illnesses (ear infections, vomiting, diarrhea)
  • Serious/chronic illnesses (cancer and diabetes)
  • Surgeries
  • X-rays (MRIs and CT scans)
  • Prescriptions medications and therapeutic diets

With Nationwide pet insurance, you have access to a veterinary professional 24/7 as well as emergency boarding, lost pet advertising and more. Coverage is available for cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, and reptiles. To find out if your pet is eligible for coverage, call Nationwide at 888-899-4874. You can enroll anytime in this benefit at MSU Benefits Plus by selecting your pet (cat or dog), providing your zip code and picking your plan. The coverage period will depend on when your policy is issued.

For more information on pet insurance, visit the MSU HR website or get a free quote today on the Nationwide website.