Tag: Benefits

Consider Enrolling in Critical Illness Insurance During National Critical Illness Awareness Month

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Have you or a family member ever faced a health emergency and wished you were better prepared? Critical illness insurance can alleviate some of the financial burden by giving you a lump-sum of money to help cover unexpected or additional costs in the event of a health emergency. During the Open Enrollment period (October 1-31), benefits-eligible faculty, academic staff and support staff have the option to enroll in critical illness insurance through MetLife.

Outside of the Open Enrollment period, benefits-eligible new hires or newly-eligible employees have 30 days to enroll from their date of hire or date of eligibility.

What is Critical Illness Insurance?

Critical illness insurance works to complement your medical coverage. This type of insurance helps safeguard your finances by providing you with a lump-sum payment when you or an eligible dependent (such as your spouse or child) need it most. In the event your family experiences a health emergency, such as a heart attack, cancer or stroke, your critical illness insurance can help you pay for unexpected medical costs or anything else you may need. The extra cash can help you focus on getting back on track— without worrying about finding the money to cover some of your expenses (MetLife, 2019).  

Watch the video below to learn more about Critical Illness Insurance through MetLife:

What Illnesses Does It Cover?

The following medical conditions are covered under critical illness insurance:

  • Stroke
  • Heart Attack
  • Full Benefit Cancer
  • Partial Benefit Cancer
  • Kidney Failure
  • Major Organ Transplant
  • Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
  • And many more! Find a complete list on the plan summary sheet on the HR website.

Benefits-eligible faculty, academic staff and support staff have now through October 31 to enroll in this optional benefit through MetLife. Find more information and enroll through MSU Benefits Plus.

Note: Individuals enrolled in Critical Illness for the 2022 plan year will continue to be enrolled in the 2023 plan year without any action.

Questions? Learn more about critical illness insurance and other voluntary benefits on the HR website. For questions about enrollment, contact MSU Benefits Plus Customer Care at 888-758-7575. Contact the HR Solutions Center with any additional questions at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.

MetLife (2019). MetLife Critical Illness Insurance provides you cash when you need it most. New York City, NY.

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!

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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!

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.

MSU Benefits Plus – Discounts and Programs

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A reminder to all MSU benefits-eligible faculty and staff, you have the opportunity to enroll in several voluntary employee-paid benefits programs through MSU Benefits Plus. The optional programs include Vision Insurance, Group Legal Services, Critical Illness Insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance, Auto and Home Insurance, Pet Insurance and discount shopping.

Vision, legal and critical illness insurance have an annual open enrollment period during the fall of each year. That means you can only enroll at that time each year and once you enroll, you cannot change or cancel that enrollment until the next annual open enrollment period (unless you have a qualifying life event). Other programs, like auto, home, long-term care and pet insurances allow you to enroll at anytime throughout the year.MSUBenefitsPlus.com Screenshot

Discounts are available year-round on the MSU Benefits Plus website. These include discounts tied to MSU departments, local businesses and many other online shopping discounts.

Keep up on all of the discount information and programs that are available through the MSU Benefits Plus page. Sign in or create an account on www.MSUBenefitsPlus.com using your MSU ZPID number and password to view your benefits programs available to you.