Category: Benefits News

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

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 ARAG® 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.

Your Best Doctors Benefit is Available to Help You

Published on by Megan MacGregorLeave a comment

If you’re facing a serious diagnosis or recommendations for medical care such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or other treatment options, your Best Doctors benefit can help. Before you decide on your course of action have your medical diagnosis, treatment plan and/or medical questions reviewed and answered by world-renowned medical experts – at no cost to you. As a result, you’ll be sure to have the right information, the right diagnosis and the right treatment plan. We’re happy to offer this free benefit to all benefits-eligible employees and retirees.

Why Do People Use Best Doctors?

Reasons people use Best Doctors: 32% need help deciding between treatment options, 26% have symptoms that aren't improving, 23% question their need for surgery, 6% are skeptical of their doctors, and 5% don't understand their diagnosis. Source for data is from the Best Doctors website.

People go to Best Doctors to find answers and leave feeling more confident about their decisions. Watch the video below to hear the Price family’s story. They share, “Had it not been for Best Doctors, I would have had a hugely more invasive procedure that would have limited function and extended my recovery time.”

How Does It Work?

Member Testimonial – Price Family CTABD from Teladoc Health on Vimeo.

Visit the Best Doctors website and click “Create a Profile” to register. You then have the option to use the following services:

  1. Expert Opinion: Have a physician conduct an in-depth review of your medical case and receive expert advice about medical treatment options. 
  2. Find a Specialist: Get help finding a specialist near you.
  3. Treatment Decision Support: You have access to coaching and interactive, online educational tools that offer in-depth and easy-to-follow information about your specific medical condition. Use these tools to help you make more educated, confident decisions about your health.
  4. Medical Records eSummary: With your permission, you have the option to allow Best Doctors to collect and organize your medical records for you and provide them on a USB drive. You will also receive a personal Health Alert Summary based on the records collected, giving you a total snapshot of your medical wellness.

Questions? Learn more on the HR website or visit the Best Doctors website.

How to use your sick time quota balance

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

If you’re an MSU support staff member, you may have you found yourself wondering how MSU’s family sick time balance works. How is your sick time balance related to your family sick time balance? Let’s break it down.

First, what is family sick time? Basically, the university gives you paid time you can take to care for a family member or someone in your home. Exactly how much time and what qualifies varies depending on your union. Find out here how your union defines family sick time. You get a certain amount of family sick time to use during a fiscal year, July 1 – June 30.

Is this separate from your sick time balance?

Technically, no. When you enter time in EBS, it appears separately, but any time you take for family sick will be deducted from the family sick balance AND your personal sick time balance. This means if you want to take eight hours of family sick time, you have to have eight hours available in BOTH the sick time balance and family sick time balance.

Think of it this way – you earn sick time every pay period and of that sick time, you can use a set number of hours as family sick time. Your sick time can be used when you personally are sick or when you go to the doctor or dentist. If you use up all your family sick time, you cannot use your personal sick time to cover times when you’re away from work to care for a family member of someone in your home. View the full policy for support staff here.

Example: Sue Spartan’s Time Balances

Sue Spartan gets paid monthly. She earns eight hours of sick time every pay period. On July 1, Sue gets 80 hours of family sick time to use through June 30 of the next year. She has accumulated a sick time balance of 100 hours. Sue’s son, Sam, gets sick one day and she wants to take time off work to stay home and care for him. Sue will enter eight hours of time taken from her family sick time balance. Her updated balances will show 92 hours of sick time and 72 hours of family sick time remaining.

Still not clear?

If you’re still not sure how the family sick time quota balance works, or if you have questions for your specific situation, give us a call! You can reach a representative at the HR Solutions Center at 517-353-4434 or SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu.

Enjoy the fresh air this allergy season with Teladoc!

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

As warmer weather approaches so do those seasonal allergies and other illnesses. Have you dealt with constant sneezing, congestion, runny nose and itchy eyes? They could be a sign of seasonal allergies, which come around when the weather becomes warmer and flowers begin to blossom. We know going outside can get difficult with pollen in the air, you’re not always able to enjoy those outdoor activities. Try to get ahead of it this season with Teladoc, you can get advice for allergies and other illnesses.

Allergies aren’t the only thing that can affect you during the spring time – different illnesses like asthma, Lyme’s Disease and respiratory viruses are all common illnesses during the warmer months.

Here are some tips to help you combat seasonal illnesses (Teladoc, 2016):

  • On dry windy days, stay inside as much as possible.
  • Hire someone to mow the lawn and other outside chores.
  • Keep doors and windows closed at night (that’s when pollen counts are high).
  • Use a dehumidifier to keep indoor air dry.
  • After spending time outside, remove and wash your clothes immediately.
  • Don’t hang laundry outside to dry.
  • Wear a pollen mask if doing outside chores and activities.

We know that life can happen, and you may not always be able to see your physician. That’s when Teladoc comes in! Teladoc gives you 24/7 access to speak with a licensed health care professional by web, phone, or mobile app. Teladoc can send prescriptions to a nearby pharmacy when medically necessary. To speak with a licensed health care professional through Teladoc, you need to:

  1. Request: Ask to talk to a health care professional 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by web, phone or mobile app.
  2. Visit: Speak with a health care professional; take as much time as you need to explain your medical concern.
  3. Resolve: If medically necessary, a prescription will be sent to the pharmacy of your choice.

To find more information on this benefit you can visit the HR website. To sign up, visit Teladoc.com and click on “Member Login” to set up your Teladoc account. Then request a consult with an available medical professional. If you have any questions you can contact Teladoc directly at 1-800-Teladoc or visit the Teladoc website.

Teladoc. (2016, May 03). Seasonal Allergy Tips. Retrieved April 3, 2019, from https://www.teladoc.com/blog/2016/05/03/seasonal-allergy-tips/

photo of a book open on a desk with library stacks in the background.

Assistance for Professional or Educational Development

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

As a benefits-eligible MSU employee, you have access to a variety of unique benefits and resources to help you and your family succeed, including Educational Assistance and Course Fee Courtesy. These benefits offer financial assistance toward your professional development or the educational development of your spouse and/or dependents after you’ve worked at MSU for a certain amount of time.

MSU HR receives a lot of questions about the differences between Educational Assistance and Course Fee Courtesy. We hope this article will help clarify the differences between the two benefits and encourage you to take advantage of them.

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE

Who’s eligible to receive this benefit?
The Educational Assistance benefit is available to MSU support staff after working at MSU for an equivalent of 12 full-time service months. If you work less than full-time, the benefit is pro-rated based on your employment percentage.

Note: A similar program, The Professional Development Support Program, is available for Academic Specialists. 

What does the benefit include?
You may receive financial assistance for both credit and non-credit courses, which may include trainings, seminars, workshops, conferences or other educational opportunities. Use this benefit to enhance your professional skillset or help you reach Performance Excellence goals.

For non-credit courses, like professional development courses available through HR, support staff employees have up to $800 per year to use towards course registration fees. This money does not roll over to the next year, so be sure to take advantage of this benefit every academic year. The course must be considered job-related and from an approved institution/program to receive assistance.

For credit courses, you can receive up to 14 credits per academic year. Your financial assistance level is determined by your union group, the type of course you’re taking (graduate or undergraduate), and where you’re taking the course (MSU or another university). The course must be considered job-related, degree-related, or career/professional development-related.

MORE INFO: Find detailed information about Educational Assistance – including how to apply – on the HR website.

COURSE FEE COURTESY

Who’s eligible to receive this benefit?
The Course Fee Courtesy benefit is available to your dependents or spouse. Regular support staff become eligible for this benefit after the equivalent of 60 full-time service months, which is equal to working at MSU full-time for 5 years. Faculty and academic staff become eligible based on their appointment; fixed-term faculty/academic staff are eligible after 60 full-time service months; continuing/tenure employees are automatically eligible; full-time Health Programs (HP) faculty become eligible upon the commencement of the first additional HP appointment.

What does it include?
This includes a Michigan resident undergraduate tuition rate reduction of 50% for your dependent(s) and/or spouse who attend MSU. So, if you have children and/or a spouse who are planning on attending MSU, you could save 50% off their undergraduate tuition rate. This benefit is only valid for a student’s first bachelor’s degree and through the semester in which the 120th credit is attempted.

MORE INFO: Find detailed information about Course Fee Courtesy – including how to apply – on the HR website.

Have further questions about Educational Assistance or Course Fee Courtesy? Contact HR’s Organization and Professional Development department at prodev@hr.msu.edu, and we’ll be happy to assist.

Retirement Planning: 2019 IRS Retirement Plan Contribution Limits

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Could you be saving more for your retirement? Whether you’ve just started working at MSU or have been here for 30+ years, it is important that you continue to monitor and adjust how much you’re saving if you want to have a comfortable retirement.

The IRS places limits on how much employees can contribute to a retirement plan each year. The IRS recently announced the retirement plan limits for 2019:

  • The annual employee contribution amount increased to $19,000 from $18,500 for 403(b) and 457(b) plans.
  • The age 50 catch-up contribution amount stayed the same and is $6,000 for 403(b) and 457(b) plans.

If you want to save as much as you can for your retirement, there is a tool in the EBS Portal called the Max Savings Contributions Calculator available to assist you. This tool automatically displays the remaining amount of retirement contributions you have available before reaching one of the limits, and the equivalent percentage of your pay to help you spread that out for the year.

To access this tool:

1. Login to the EBS Portal with your MSU NetID and password.

2. Click the My Benefits tab.

3. Click the Retirement/Health Savings Account tile.

4. Navigate to the Savings Plans screen.

5. The Max Savings Contributions Calculator screen will display. This display will automatically show the remaining amount of retirement contributions you have available (if any) before reaching the IRS limit.

6. You can adjust the percentage of your contributions to any retirement plans you participate in by clicking on the pencil icon.

7. If you want to enroll in a new plan, begin by clicking on the paper icon next to the plan and vendor of your choosing, and then enter the percentage of your new contribution.

If you are an academic year faculty or academic staff employee, or a Voluntary 403(b) Base participant age 50 and over, contact the HR Solutions Center at 517-353-4434 or SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu for further assistance in calculating your maximum contribution percentage.

Learn More About MSU’s Retirement Plans

The HR website contains a wealth of information about the different types of retirement plans offered, retirement investment vendors, and planning tools available.

Tips to Use Your Flexible Spending Account Funds

Published on by Megan MacGregorLeave a comment

Welcome to 2019 and your flexible spending account (FSA) funds! If you signed up for a 2019 FSA during Open Enrollment last October, you’re on your way to saving money on out-of-pocket medical and/or dependent care expenses. MSU’s FSA plan administrator is WageWorks. If this is your first time participating in an FSA, make sure you register for your online WageWorks account.

If you have a Health FSA, you can purchase a variety of products and services with pre-tax dollars – it’s like a 30% off sale on eligible expenses1. Some items you may not know about include:

  • Allergy medication
  • Bandages
  • Breastfeeding classes
  • Cough syrup
  • Dyslexia treatment
  • First-aid kits
  • Guide dog
  • Hearing aids
  • Humidifier/air filter
  • Lasik
  • Pain relievers
  • Pregnancy tests
  • Reading glasses
  • Smoking cessation drugs
  • Sunscreen

You can find a complete list of eligible expenses for both health and dependent care FSA funds on the WageWorks website2. To make shopping for eligible expenses easier, visit the online FSA Store for the largest selection of guaranteed FSA-eligible products. And remember, managing your WageWorks account is quick and easy with the WageWorks EZ receipts app. You’ll love the convenience of submitting claims, uploading receipts and checking account balances directly from your phone.

What if I still have funds left over from my 2018 FSA?

Not to worry – if you still have funds left over from your 2018 FSA, you have until March 15, 2019 to use these funds and until April 30, 2019 to submit receipts to substantiate these claims. Find more information on the HR website.

Questions? For more detailed information contact WageWorks at 877-924-3967 or visit the WageWorks website. For plan eligibility questions contact the HR Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.

1 Assumes a combined tax rate of 30%, including FICA, state, and federal income taxes. Actual amounts may vary.

2 Some items may require a doctor’s prescription or other documentation from your doctor. Please see your account details for more information.