WPS Benefits News

• Diversity & Inclusion Resources with ComPsych
• Wellness Points Reminders for 2024 Discount (Timeframe Sept 22 - Aug 23)
• Bswift Website Improvements Coming Soon
• Summer Family Fun Giveaway: Enter Now for Drawing on July 31st!
• Employee Benefits: Who We Are & How We Can Help You
  

July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Our EAP (Employee Assistance Program) ComPsych highlights that topic this month with their Diversity & Inclusion guide. The information stresses the importance of embracing individual differences and recognizing everyone's unique contribution in the workplace. Demonstrating a genuine and authentic sensitivity and openness to learn about cultural backgrounds, native languages, and social practices of those around us supports a diverse workforce.

Additional specific resources can also be found within this month's guides on ComPsych on disabilities in the workplace, social change, and tips on how to be an inclusive co-worker.

Employee Benefits often promotes the counseling and work/life balance component of ComPsych, but much professional growth information can also be found within the site as well.

Set up your account today to access these resources!

www.guidanceresources.com

Web ID: usd259

For Counseling: (866)517-1254

TTY: 800-697-0353

App: GuidanceNow/myStrength

More reminders: For some of you, this is repeat information. You will find with Employee Benefits that we often tell you the same information more than once. The way we look at it, when it comes to something as important as your benefits, it is worth another reminder if we reach a new listener. We have shared in an e-mail, in a newsletter, and also in a postcard mailing to your home. We are giving you a final reminder before your annual open enrollment booklets come out this fall.

How to still meet your wellness points with services by August 31, 2023: The postcard below offers a reminder about the two different options you will have this fall to meet wellness points for the calendar year 2024. You can do this the traditional way with the wellness criterion you are used to OR you can achieve if you have completed both an annual physical with lab work AND a vision exam. Services must have taken place between September 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023 to apply toward the 2024 discount. Again, we do not want you uploading any wellness documentation.

Please do not upload or send in wellness point documentation: Part of keeping it SIMPLE is making the process easier for you and giving you time to look at your benefits and reduce paperwork frustrations for you. Documentation will only be needed if you are part of a random sample audit following open enrollment and we are unable to verify your services. Hold onto any documentation you do have for that purpose.

Wellness points moving forward beginning with services in September 2023: As you begin working on your next wellness timeframe which runs from September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024: you will need one of only two services to meet wellness criterion for the calendar year of 2025. This will be either an annual physical with lab work OR a vision exam.

Preventative exams still covered: All preventative exams are still covered at 100% on your insurance plans with in-network providers, and we encourage you to still maximize your benefits and health by taking advantage of these.

Special Note for New Hires that are hired after April 1st each year AND employees transferring from a non-benefitted into a benefitted position after April 1st each year: You will automatically have wellness criterion met for the rest of that year and the following calendar year. Wellness criterion would apply to you in years after that.

Hootie and the team are working hard to improve your customer experience by customizing the website with bswift to fit the needs of the Wichita Public Schools employee better. We have been testing different scenarios and making sure things work. We won't roll this out to you until we know it is just right. The new site will be cleaner, more user-friendly, and have fresh updates we think you will enjoy. Once the new site is live, we will let you know. Your user name, password, and website address will all still be the same.

Hootie has 10 croquet sets to give away this month. Everything old becomes new again! Impress your friends or family with something different! It is great for an adult gathering or for families. Enjoy these last days of summer with your loved ones.

The set is shown below and includes enough for six players and in two different sizes for different heights. These items will need to be picked up at AMAC as they come boxed.

Please click the link here to be entered to win. Winners will be drawn on July 31st.

Summer Family Fun Giveaway

BENEFIT ANALYST

• Administration of employee and retiree health plan which includes medical, dental, vision, pharmacy benefits, and flexible spending accounts
• Annual open enrollment
• gwiedemann@usd259.net (316)973-4564

RETIREMENT SPECIALIST

• Serves as the district retirement liaison
• Acts as the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) designated agent for USD 259
• asummers@usd259.net (316)973-4590

BENEFITS & BUDGET ASSISTANT

• District life insurance & supplemental life insurance
• New hire benefits enrollment
• Annual open enrollment
• Budget tracking assistance for department
• tfields@usd259.net (316)973-4522

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS HEALTH, WELLNESS & DISABILITY TECHNICIAN (CERTIFIED STAFF)

• Certified staff contact for Medical Leave
• Certified staff contact for FMLA
• Certified staff contact for Maternity/Parental/Adoptive Leave
• Unpaid Health Leave of Absences
• nheizelman@usd259.net (316)973-4632

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS HEALTH, WELLNESS & DISABILITY TECHNICIAN (CLASSIFIED STAFF)

• Classified staff contact for Medical Leave
• Classified staff contact for FMLA
• Classified staff contact for Maternity/Parental/Adoptive Leave
• jmelton@usd259.net (316)973-4458

Workers' Compensation Technician

• Administering all aspects of the district's Workers' Compensation program
• Authorization and coordination of care as directed by Kansas State Statutes under the KS Department of Labor
• scruz@usd259.net (316)973-4579

Workers' Compensation Claims Assistant

• Providing support to the Workers' Compensation program in timely and accurate assistance in claims processing of employee claims in accordance with best practices and state regulations

• nwerner2@usd259.net S(316)973-4504

Risk Compliance Analyst

• Property & Casualty Insurance Claims related to damage to district property and buildings
• Risk Analysis
• Bodily Injury Claims for Students & Members of Public
  
• dmumma@usd259.net (316)973-4566

Supervisor of Employee Health, Wellness & Disability Programs

• Supervising Workers' Compensation, FMLA and Medical Leave Programs
• Managing mandatory referrals to, and promotion of, ComPsych EAP (Employee Assistance Program)
• Administration of Catastrophic Leave Pool and benefit applications
• bburkhart@usd259.net (316)973-4737

Manager of Employee Benefits & Insurance Management

• Facilitating strategic goals that bring competitive and diverse benefit choices to USD 259 employees
• Developing communications and educational resources for employees to help them become independent consumers of their own benefits
• Overseeing multiple benefit specialty areas for the district and managing a team of subject matter experts
• Aligning benefit offerings with district mission and vision
• ddettmer1@usd259.net (316)973-4561

WISE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS MASCOT

• Help employees become independent consumers of their own benefits
• Guide employees on how to maximize usage of benefits and minimize financial impact
• Educate employees on where to find and how to access the benefits information needed to make their work and personal lives better

• employeebenefits@usd259.net (316)973-4581

Email: employeebenefits@usd259.net
Website: https://www.usd259.org/employeebenefits
Location: 903 South Edgemoor Street, Wichita, KS, USA
Phone: 316-973-4581