The annual benefits open enrollment period will begin Nov. 1 for all benefits-eligible faculty and staff. Employees are encouraged to carefully review their benefit needs for 2013 and make any appropriate changes regarding health care, dental and vision coverage, as well as enroll in the flexible spending account (FSA) program.
Penn State York and Penn State,The Lancaster Center are offering a free informational conference, Duty to Degree: Informational Conference for Veterans, on Saturday, April 14 in York, and Saturday, April 21 in Lancaster. The program is designed for veterans interested in learning more about their military benefits and the educational opportunities available.
Topics to be covered at each conference include benefits, financial aid, academic choice, career information, and admission options. Attendees can also meet with veterans who have successfully managed the challenges of becoming successful students and the graduates who have gone on to fulfilling careers.
The last flexible benefit reimbursements in 2011 will be generated on Dec. 15. Properly documented reimbursement requests that are received in the Employee Benefits Office no later than the close of business on Dec. 9, will be included in the final 2011 disbursement. Please note that original documentation is required and faxes will not be accepted. The reimbursement process for 2011 funds will resume on Jan. 3, 2012.
Benefits-eligible faculty and staff are reminded that the annual Benefits Enrollment period is now under way, and will end on Friday, Nov. 18. As in the past, benefits enrollment can be completed online through the Employee Self-Service Information Center (ESSIC), which can be accessed from the Office of Human Resources website or directly at https://essic.ohr.psu.edu/ online.
Penn State's University Faculty Senate on Tuesday (Oct. 11) received reports on student loan debt and financial literacy needs, employee benefit changes and University space allocation and utilization. Senators also passed legislation to update membership rules for the Joint Committee on Insurance and Benefits.
Penn State's Office of Human Resources has announced several changes to employee benefits. Beginning in 2012, health care coverage contributions will be determined using a salary-based strategy, with the majority of Penn State employees seeing a decrease in their contributions from 2011.
Health care contributions will be determined by an employee's annual base salary as of Sept. 30, 2011. Employee contributions will remain the same for all of 2012. Beginning in November, employees will be able to log on to the Employee Self Service Information Center (ESSIC) to view their own specific contribution rate.
Penn State's Office of Human Resources has planned a series of employee benefits open houses in advance of this year's open enrollment period. Open houses will be held on Oct. 14, 18 and 27 on the University Park campus. Benefits presentations also will be held at other Penn State locations; visit http://goo.gl/8lVOX online for details, including event times, locations and topics to be covered.
Penn State employees served by Geisinger physicians and services will be able to continue those services with coverage into the new year as part of the University's benefits package. Penn State administrators were notified today (Dec. 16) that an agreement has been reached between the University's health care administrator, Highmark Blue Shield, and the Geisinger Health System. All Geisinger providers will continue to be in the PPOBlue Network.
Health care negotiations that affect Penn State employees are continuing, according to University leaders, who hold out hope that an agreement between Highmark Blue Shield and Geisinger Health System can be made before Jan. 1, 2011. Employees who require transition of care for ongoing medical issues are urged to contact Highmark to make contingency plans.
Penn State is continuing to keep employees up-to-date on information related to their health care benefits, following the recent announcement by Highmark that Geisinger Health System and its providers may not be part of the health care network after Dec. 31. A letter from Penn State is expected to reach employees over the coming days, however, in an effort to expedite the delivery of the information, a website has been created: http://ohr.psu.edu/benefits/insurance/health/geisinger-and-highmark.
The University was notified this week that Highmark Blue Shield has not reached agreement with the Geisinger Medical Center and its physicians to continue as providers within the Highmark PPOBlue network after Dec. 31, 2010. Highmark is Penn State's health plan administrator. With the current agreement due to expire at the end of December, Highmark is required by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department to notify its members of the potential of a network provider discontinuing its network participation.
In its continuing efforts to balance cost-control with providing high-quality health care benefits, Penn State is making some modifications to its retiree health care plan for 2011, including the introduction of some new cost-sharing elements. Penn State remains committed to providing comprehensive medical and prescription drug coverage to retirees. Each year, careful consideration is given to balancing the University's health care budget with concern for retirees' ability to afford Penn State's comprehensive coverage.
As part of its ongoing efforts to control rising costs, Penn State is making some modifications to employee health benefits, starting in January 2011. "Penn State remains committed to maintaining excellent benefits in a time of limited resources," said Al Horvath, senior vice president for finance and business. "The changes we're going to be making in no way lessen our commitment to the health and well-being of our employees." At the same time, Penn State must take action to control costs, and health care costs are a major expense for the University. In discussing the University's strategic plan with faculty this spring, Executive Vice President and Provost Rod Erickson spoke about the efforts to control health care costs, as outlined in Goal 7 of the plan. "We simply cannot continue on our present trajectory with health care costs without bankrupting the University," he said.
Two aspects of the national Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law in March will begin to affect Penn State faculty and staff in the immediate and near future. A provision to expand dependent eligibility will be implemented at the University beginning June 1. Starting Jan. 1, 2011, over-the-counter medications and health care supplies not prescribed by a physician will no longer be eligible for reimbursement from health care flexible spending accounts. A letter has been sent by the Office of Human Resources to faculty and staff addressing these changes.
As previously announced during this year's benefits Time to Choose, Penn State and Highmark Blue Shield have partnered to create a new vision plan that brings increased choices and greater value to Penn State's employees benefit package, effective Jan. 1. Faculty and staff recently began receiving ID cards for the new "Fashion Advantage" Highmark Blue Shield Vision plan, which is administered by Davis Vision. These cards replace the National Vision Administrators (NVA) vision card, but they do not replace the PPOBlue health plan cards.
The annual benefits open enrollment period will begin Nov. 1 for all benefits-eligible faculty and staff. Employees are encouraged to carefully review their benefit needs for 2013 and make any appropriate changes regarding health care, dental and vision coverage, as well as enroll in the flexible spending account (FSA) program.
Penn State York and Penn State,The Lancaster Center are offering a free informational conference, Duty to Degree: Informational Conference for Veterans, on Saturday, April 14 in York, and Saturday, April 21 in Lancaster. The program is designed for veterans interested in learning more about their military benefits and the educational opportunities available.
Topics to be covered at each conference include benefits, financial aid, academic choice, career information, and admission options. Attendees can also meet with veterans who have successfully managed the challenges of becoming successful students and the graduates who have gone on to fulfilling careers.
The last flexible benefit reimbursements in 2011 will be generated on Dec. 15. Properly documented reimbursement requests that are received in the Employee Benefits Office no later than the close of business on Dec. 9, will be included in the final 2011 disbursement. Please note that original documentation is required and faxes will not be accepted. The reimbursement process for 2011 funds will resume on Jan. 3, 2012.
Benefits-eligible faculty and staff are reminded that the annual Benefits Enrollment period is now under way, and will end on Friday, Nov. 18. As in the past, benefits enrollment can be completed online through the Employee Self-Service Information Center (ESSIC), which can be accessed from the Office of Human Resources website or directly at https://essic.ohr.psu.edu/ online.
Penn State's University Faculty Senate on Tuesday (Oct. 11) received reports on student loan debt and financial literacy needs, employee benefit changes and University space allocation and utilization. Senators also passed legislation to update membership rules for the Joint Committee on Insurance and Benefits.
Penn State's Office of Human Resources has announced several changes to employee benefits. Beginning in 2012, health care coverage contributions will be determined using a salary-based strategy, with the majority of Penn State employees seeing a decrease in their contributions from 2011.
Health care contributions will be determined by an employee's annual base salary as of Sept. 30, 2011. Employee contributions will remain the same for all of 2012. Beginning in November, employees will be able to log on to the Employee Self Service Information Center (ESSIC) to view their own specific contribution rate.
Penn State's Office of Human Resources has planned a series of employee benefits open houses in advance of this year's open enrollment period. Open houses will be held on Oct. 14, 18 and 27 on the University Park campus. Benefits presentations also will be held at other Penn State locations; visit http://goo.gl/8lVOX online for details, including event times, locations and topics to be covered.
Penn State employees served by Geisinger physicians and services will be able to continue those services with coverage into the new year as part of the University's benefits package. Penn State administrators were notified today (Dec. 16) that an agreement has been reached between the University's health care administrator, Highmark Blue Shield, and the Geisinger Health System. All Geisinger providers will continue to be in the PPOBlue Network.
Health care negotiations that affect Penn State employees are continuing, according to University leaders, who hold out hope that an agreement between Highmark Blue Shield and Geisinger Health System can be made before Jan. 1, 2011. Employees who require transition of care for ongoing medical issues are urged to contact Highmark to make contingency plans.
Penn State is continuing to keep employees up-to-date on information related to their health care benefits, following the recent announcement by Highmark that Geisinger Health System and its providers may not be part of the health care network after Dec. 31. A letter from Penn State is expected to reach employees over the coming days, however, in an effort to expedite the delivery of the information, a website has been created: http://ohr.psu.edu/benefits/insurance/health/geisinger-and-highmark.
The University was notified this week that Highmark Blue Shield has not reached agreement with the Geisinger Medical Center and its physicians to continue as providers within the Highmark PPOBlue network after Dec. 31, 2010. Highmark is Penn State's health plan administrator. With the current agreement due to expire at the end of December, Highmark is required by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department to notify its members of the potential of a network provider discontinuing its network participation.
In its continuing efforts to balance cost-control with providing high-quality health care benefits, Penn State is making some modifications to its retiree health care plan for 2011, including the introduction of some new cost-sharing elements. Penn State remains committed to providing comprehensive medical and prescription drug coverage to retirees. Each year, careful consideration is given to balancing the University's health care budget with concern for retirees' ability to afford Penn State's comprehensive coverage.
As part of its ongoing efforts to control rising costs, Penn State is making some modifications to employee health benefits, starting in January 2011. "Penn State remains committed to maintaining excellent benefits in a time of limited resources," said Al Horvath, senior vice president for finance and business. "The changes we're going to be making in no way lessen our commitment to the health and well-being of our employees." At the same time, Penn State must take action to control costs, and health care costs are a major expense for the University. In discussing the University's strategic plan with faculty this spring, Executive Vice President and Provost Rod Erickson spoke about the efforts to control health care costs, as outlined in Goal 7 of the plan. "We simply cannot continue on our present trajectory with health care costs without bankrupting the University," he said.
Two aspects of the national Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law in March will begin to affect Penn State faculty and staff in the immediate and near future. A provision to expand dependent eligibility will be implemented at the University beginning June 1. Starting Jan. 1, 2011, over-the-counter medications and health care supplies not prescribed by a physician will no longer be eligible for reimbursement from health care flexible spending accounts. A letter has been sent by the Office of Human Resources to faculty and staff addressing these changes.
As previously announced during this year's benefits Time to Choose, Penn State and Highmark Blue Shield have partnered to create a new vision plan that brings increased choices and greater value to Penn State's employees benefit package, effective Jan. 1. Faculty and staff recently began receiving ID cards for the new "Fashion Advantage" Highmark Blue Shield Vision plan, which is administered by Davis Vision. These cards replace the National Vision Administrators (NVA) vision card, but they do not replace the PPOBlue health plan cards.
