WPS Benefit News

August 2022

In This Issue:

Wellness Points Reminders
Important Employee Benefit Reminders
Hootie's Tip: Maximizing Your Benefits
Where to Find Most Recent COVID Protocols
Back to School Resources on ComPsych EAP Website
Employee Benefits Contacts: Who We Are & How We Can Help

WELLNESS POINTS REMINDERS

Employee Benefits has offered some reminders through our newsletters this year, as well as a hand delivered postcard with wellness reminders. As we approach the last month of the wellness period, we wanted to offer a final reminder.

Wellness credits for 2023 are based on services from 9/1/21 through 8/31/22. While services need to take place in this period, documentation of these services is not due until the Open Enrollment deadline which will be shared in the coming months as those dates are announced. In other words, your services need to be completed by August 31st, but the documentation is not due by that date.

Providers send claims to insurance companies following your services, so it can take a month or more for these to be captured in your wellness points on the bswift site.

IMPORTANT EMPLOYEE BENEFIT REMINDERS

LIFE EVENTS & CHANGES TO YOUR HEALTH PLAN COVERAGES: IRS plan regulations require any changes to be made within 31 days of a life event. Life events include birth of a child, adoption, legal guardian placement of a child, divorce, marriage, or gain or loss of coverage elsewhere. Changes to your plan MUST be made within 31 days of the event. Changes are made in bswift by processing a life event and uploading documentation of the event. Outside of the 31 days within a life event, changes can only be made during the open enrollment period for the following calendar year.

Employee Benefits Contacts: Gina Wiedemann or Terry Fields

NEED FOR MEDICAL LEAVE: If you will be off for medical reasons for 6 days or more, you should contact Employee Benefits to begin medical leave paperwork (Jeana Melton for Classified Staff, and Nicole Heizelman for Certified Staff). Personal illness absences of more than 5 days require authentication and a return to work release. If your absence is more long-term, it also helps prepare documentation should you require short-term disability. Medical leave pays benefitted employees by using their own personal illness time; however, short-term disability payments can kick in after that paying at 70%.

Employee Benefits Contacts: Classified Staff - Jeana Melton; Certified Staff - Nicole Heizelman

WORKER'S COMPENSATION INJURIES: Work-related injuries should be reported immediately by filling out an Employee Report of Incident Form and having your supervisor sign it (injuries reported more than 21 days from the incident are automatically denied based on state statues for timely reporting.). Incident reports should be faxed to our Work Comp office at 973-4671. If you desire treatment for your injury, you should also call our office so this can be arranged. The Work Comp office must authorize and arrange any treatment covered within this program.

Employee Benefits Contact: Sandra Cruz

RETIREMENT: Retirement estimates can always be researched by setting up a personal account at www.kpers.org. Once you know you are going to retire, please contact Alexis Summers to begin that process. At least a two-month notice is ideal to ensure paperwork is completed for timely initiation of payments. If you are Bridge eligible, a six-month notice is required to not delay that payment.

Employee Benefits Contact: Alexis Summers

LOSS OF DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY: Please report loss of district technology to Security and to your principal and then report the incident number to Douglas Mumma in Employee Benefits.

Employee Benefits Contact: Douglas Mumma

HOOTIE'S TIP: MAXIMIZING YOUR BENEFITS

We have offered these reminders before, but our goal is to make you the best independent consumer of your own benefits that you can be. We don't want you to leave any benefits on the table unused that could help you. Please review the reminders below!

ALL EMPLOYEES:

EAP with ComPsych:

6 free visits to a counselor for you and each member of your household per issue
Free financial wellness program online through WellthSource
Free cognitive behavioral therapy program online through MyStrength
Free webinars
Host of other great website content to help you balance your life including shopping assistance, travel research, etc.

Your Employee Benefits Contact: Boni Burkhart

BENEFITTED EMPLOYEES:

Dental plan enrollees: Two free cleanings and exams per calendar year with in-network provider

Vision plan enrollees: One free vision exam per calendar year with in-network provider

Health plan enrollees: With an in-network provider-

Free CDC approved vaccines (i.e.: Flu, COVID, Meningitis, Shingles, Pneumonia, etc.)
Free colonoscopy
Free mammogram including follow-up diagnostic mammograms
Free annual physical exam with basic lab work
Free well woman exam with pap smear
Free well man exam with PSA

Your Employee Benefits Contact: Gina Wiedemann

EMPLOYEES WHO EARN LEAVE:

Catastrophic leave: By donating one day of your personal illness leave, you become enrolled permanently in this benefit. Should you run out of sick leave in the future due to medical reasons for yourself or an immediate family member, you would be able to request up to 20 days of leave per year (July 1-June 30) to be paid back to you.

Your Employee Benefits Contact: Boni Burkhart

WHERE TO FIND MOST RECENT COVID PROTOCOLS

While we longer have a COVID hotline, COVID protocols are still in place for the protection of both employees and students. These are drawn from local guidance. The most up to date COVID protocols can always be found at this link. It is always better to check the link rather than depend on a printed version since as we have seen with this pandemic, things can change frequently:

https://www.usd259.org/Page/21489

The link not only provides information on quarantine and isolation periods but also provides testing information as our excellent Health Services team continues to offer testing for employees and family by calling 973-4790 to set up an appointment.

Back to School Resources on Compsych EAP Website

Our EAP (Employee Assistance Program) with ComPsych offers helpful resources in all areas of your life. You can access all of these services by creating an account at www.guidanceresources.com. Use the code USD259 when prompted.

By typing in "back to school" in the search bar, you will find a wealth of options as we approach the return to school.

Articles that can be found here include the following topics:

Tips for saving money on back to school supplies
Getting your child on a back to school sleep schedule
Back to school planning
Helping your child transition from middle to high school

While these resources are great for parents, there are also dedicated resources for teachers. Please watch your e-mail for a special guide designed for our educators that will be sent out by our Chief Human Resources Officer Sean Hudspeth as part of a welcome back guide for you!

Source:

www.guidanceresources.com