Category: Benefits News

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

Financial Knowledge for All: Upcoming Workshops

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Setting a budget. Managing debt. Planning for a loved one’s future college education expenses. You may find yourself in the midst of one or all of these financial situations and looking for financial knowledge and tips to help you manage everything. Retirement vendor, TIAA, is hosting several upcoming workshops as a part of their Financial Essentials education to provide free workshops to staff and faculty. Click the workshop location to register.

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Start saving and financial planning for the future.

 

Lifetime Income: Help secure your retirement
Wednesday, November 8, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Live Webinar

This webinar will discuss planning for retirement now, financial risks during working years and in retirement and the importance of creating an income stream for life.

College Savings Seminar
Wednesday, November 15, Noon – 1 p.m.
Chittenden Hall, Room 110

RSVP here by November 14.

This session will provide information on how you can start saving for your loved ones’ higher education expenses with Michigan’s 529 College Savings Plan.

Benefits Include Discounts!

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Did you know that as an MSU employee part of your benefits includes discounts at local businesses on and off campus? You can save anywhere from 5-20% on products and services you purchase regularly in the area.

To see a full list of all the discounts MSU employees are eligible for, visit the MSU HR website. Discounts range from arts and entertainment to food to legal services and pet supplies. In addition to this list, there are also specific discounts available such as:

    • Parkwood YMCA (East Lansing) 332-8657
    • Oak Park YMCA (South Lansing) 827-9700
    • Downtown YMCA Wellness Center (Downtown Lansing) 484-4000
    • Dewitt YMCA 668-9622
    • Westside YMCA (West Lansing) 316-9622
  • MSU also offers MSU Specific Discounts ranging from MSU Bakers to specific colleges, the Dairy Store and more!

Along with these discounts, MSU benefits-eligible faculty and staff have the opportunity to enroll in several voluntary employee-paid benefits programs, including an employee discounts program. Learn more about these programs on the MSU HR website.

Kicking Tobacco Off Campus

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According to the CDC, tobacco use causes nearly 6 million deaths per year. It is projected that by 2030, that number will increase to 8 million. Kicking this habit alone can seem impossible. With the help of nicotine replacement therapies, medication, and formal treatment; the odds of winning the fight against addiction go up significantly! To help change MSU’s statistics, Health4U has designed a program to help the stop of tobacco and nicotine use for employees.

As an MSU employee (or benefits-eligible dependent) who is currently using tobacco and ready to take the next step in quitting, you are eligible for the free, confidential Breathe Easy program designed to help. In this program, you will be offered a choice of programming which can include medication, or can be completed without.

To register for an upcoming pre-enrollment information session, call 517-353-2596, email health4u@msu.edu or visit 116 Linton Hall. The next information session will be held on September 20, 2017, from 1:30-3:00pm in room 338 of Olin Health Center.

Learn more on the Health4U website or watch the video below!

See the Benefits of Enrolling in VSP via MSU Benefits Plus

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When was the last time you visited the eye doctor? If the answer was, “I can’t remember,” you might want to consider scheduling a check-up. Annual check-ups are important to ensure the health of your eyes, and since August is National Eye Exam Month, there’s no better time to see your optometrist.

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Regular exams are important to ensure the health of your eyes.

MSU benefits-eligible faculty and staff have the opportunity to enroll in several voluntary, employee-paid benefits programs via MSU Benefits Plus. Included among these programs is vision insurance through VSP. This vision insurance coverage can help with the costs of exams, glasses and contact lenses for you and your family. For basic information about the plan and coverage rates, you can visit the MSU HR website.

Benefits-eligible faculty and staff can enroll for vision insurance during open enrollment in the fall. Outside of open enrollment, benefits-eligible new hires or newly-eligible faculty and staff have 30 days to enroll from their date of hire or date of eligibility.

VSP via MSU Benefits Plus is a great option for MSU faculty and staff members so they can keep their eyes healthy with regular check-ups!

Get to Know ALEX

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Do you still have questions about your benefits? ALEX is available to help!

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To learn more about ALEX, click here.

ALEX is a virtual benefits counselor that is
provided by MSU HR to walk you through everything you need to know about your benefit options. Even though open enrollment has ended for the 2017 plan year, ALEX can still be used in order to learn more about your benefits.

When you first navigate to ALEX, it will ask you some basic questions in order to figure out which benefit plans apply to your situation. You then have the opportunity to go through and take a closer look at all of the plan options. ALEX will give you the choice to learn more about each plan or to move on to the next section. There is also a menu bar on the side if you want to skip around and learn about certain plans.

It is important to note that ALEX is strictly an educational tool; you are not able to enroll for any benefits through this tool. Enrollment must still be completed through the EBS portal. To navigate to ALEX, visit the HR website and select the link under the section that applies to you (faculty and academic staff, support staff, variable hour employees or graduate assistants). Be sure to take advantage of this helpful interactive tool!

Don’t Forget: Open Enrollment ends October 31!

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Open Enrollment for the 2017 plan year is coming to a close.

If you haven’t already, be sure to log into the EBS portal and add, change or remove your benefit plans before the end date of October 31. Don’t wait until it’s too late to make important decisions about your benefits for the 2017 plan year!

MSU Benefits Open Enrollment Masthead
Finish Open Enrollment before October 31.

Be sure to complete the Health Care Affidavit if you cover a spouse or Other Eligible Individual. This will ensure that your spouse or OEI has coverage in 2017.

If you have any questions as you go through the process, look in the 2017 Employee Open Enrollment Guide for answers. Should you need additional help, there are instruction resources available on the MSU HR website, including a video tutorial. You can also visit a site lab to get help with the open enrollment process. The site labs are located in Suite 125 Nisbet Building, and they are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the following dates:

  • October 26, 2016
  • October 27, 2016
  • October 28, 2016
  • October 31, 2016

You can also contact the Solutions Center with any questions at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.

2017 Open Enrollment Begins October 1

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It’s that time of the year again; time for Open enrollment for 2017!MSU Benefits Open Enrollment Masthead

The Open Enrollment application has been updated with the refreshed EBS Portal. So starting October 1, log in to the EBS Portal to enroll until October 31. You will be able to add, change or remove your MSU benefits plans, but must do so in the month of October. You also must complete the Health Plan Affidavit if you cover a spouse or Other Eligible Individual (OEI). New instructions, including a video tutorial, are provided in the Open Enrollment guide and on the website.

Even with these changes, there’s no need to stress. The Benefits Fair will be held in the Breslin Student Events Center. The event will take place October 11, noon to 6 p.m., October 12, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and October 13, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. MSU Human Resources staff will be available to answer questions and help with enrollment. There will be numerous vendors from health, dental, retirement, life and AD&D, Flexible Spending Accounts, MSU Benefits Plus and MSU units attending. The MSU Health Team will also be providing flu vaccines for eligible faculty, staff, retirees and their dependents. The MSU Health4U program will offer chair massages.

Don’t miss this year’s Open Enrollment. Visit www.hr.msu.edu/openenrollment for more information.

Take advantage of MSU employee discounts

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Munn Ice Arena
Munn Ice Arena is one of several places on campus where you can find a discount

One of the benefits of working at MSU is taking advantage of its employee discounts. From on-campus shopping to MSU sporting events to additional insurance options, you can’t go wrong with these savings.

MSU Benefits Plus

MSU Benefits Plus is available to benefits-eligible MSU employees. It gives employees the option to enroll in several voluntary employee-paid benefits programs, in addition to online shopping discounts. Register with your ZPID to view your options.

On-campus discounts

  • Athletics: Every MSU employee is a Spartan fan by default. Employees can purchase football, men’s basketball and ice hockey season tickets at discounted prices or a Go Green card for $50 that grants entry to women’s basketball, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, wrestling, gymnastics, softball and baseball.
  • Dining Plans: Enjoy the delicious meals at MSU’s dining halls with these discount plans.
  • MSU Department of Theatre: Check out a student theater production at 10–17 percent discounts on all Main Stage performances
  • Spartan Bookstore: The bookstore offers new and used textbooks, clothing and souvenirs, academic supplies, software and electronics and more. A 10 percent discount is offered on textbooks, trade books and medical books and a 15 percent discount is offered on all regular-priced clothing.
  • MSU Forest Akers Golf Course: The golf course offers two 18-hole championship layouts, a state-of-the-art practice facility, and two full-service golf shops with a full complement of services. Employees with MSU ID card receive reduced rates.
  • MSU Munn Ice Arena: The ice facility provides a public skating schedule during the year. Employees receive discounted rates with valid MSU ID.
  • University Stores: MSU employees can purchase a variety of items that the University utilizes including diapers, batteries, and office supplies. Prices are competitive.

Find more on-campus services and local discounts for auto, home, clothing, travel and more.

Plan ahead at Getting To and Through Retirement Workshop

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coin jarThe earlier you start planning for retirement, the better. But learning how to save smartly can be a challenge. Join retirement vendor TIAA on Wednesday, July 20, for an exploration of the key areas that bring you to and through your retirement and maximize your retirement potential. The workshop is free and one hour long.

Two session times will be offered:
Wednesday, July 20
MSU Union, Lake Huron Room
8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. OR 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Register online.

Congratulations to the “Square Up Your Savings” Winners!

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Congratulations to the three winners of the “Square Up Your Savings” challenge in April! MSU Human Resources and TIAA, one of our retirement vendors, partnered to bring this fun and educational opportunity to the MSU community as part of Financial Literacy Month.

A total of 749 participants completed 10 missions centered on savings education. When a mission was completed, players earned a square to place on a campus map where they thought virtual hidden savings might be located. Players were then entered into a drawing to win one of three iPad minis.

This year’s winners were:

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Danielle Ferguson, Veterinarian with Animal Care Program
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Pearl Wong, Collection Coordinator with the MSU Museum
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Sharon Ruggles, Academic Program Coordinator with Geography Environment Spatial Sciences

Thank you to TIAA for sponsoring this challenge! We hope everyone who participated enjoyed the new, more interactive format.