Human Resources

Human resources

Open enrollment benefit information for the 2009-10 academic year

Section 125 Form Due Date Monday, May 14, 2009 More information

All employees working half-time or more may...

• make your selections about which benefits you will select for the new college year beginning July 1,
• decide which dependents, if any, you wish to cover, and,
• choose which plan(s) in which you wish to enroll.
  
  

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

1. April 30, 2009: from 9:30 a.m.-12 noon and 1:15-3:30 p.m. You may complete your Section 125 form and do all your sign-ups or changes for insurance coverage (except health insurance) at the third annual Benefits Fair in the College Church Fellowship Hall.
2. May 14, 2009 : your section 125 form and any insurance application forms are due to Vickie Miller in Human Resources.

Forms

ALL FORMS MUST BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED TO VICKIE MILLER BY MAY 14: A new application or cancellation form is needed for any benefit in which you are changing coverage. Changing your Section 125 form is one step; a new application is needed for the insurance company to know your change of coverage.

Many of the forms are available online from the HR forms page. Download them, fill them in, print them out, and return all forms to the Human Resources department campus mail to Kulp 003. You can also stop by the HR department anytime to pick up a form..

Come to the Benefits Fair for detailed information and help filling out the forms. Call the HR office if you can't remember your current selections or have questions. You will receive a copy of your current year Section 125 form in campus mail to help you prepare, and we will also have it available at the Benefits Fair.

Benefits Fair

You may do all your sign-ups at the Benefits Fair Thursday, April 30, from 9:30 a.m.-noon. and 1:15-3:30 p.m. in the College Church Fellowship Hall.

The Benefits Fair on April 30 will feature representatives of most of our benefit providers who can offer assistance in describing products and completing applications. A Human Resources table will include Section 125 forms and answers to your open enrollment questions. We will have your current year 125 form available to compare. Please plan to visit each vendor on the 30th at the College Mennonite Church Fellowship Hall.

The following benefits are involved in Open Enrollment:

Health insurance

A small increase of 2.4% will take effect July 1 for family premium coverage. This increase is well below the national trend of 10% for 2008. Even with this increase, family coverage premiums will still cost less than what we paid in 2005-06 prior to moving to the Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan. The rates per month for 2009-10 are:

	Single Coverage	Employee/Children	Employee/Spouse	Full Family
Employee	$0	$109.90	$301.10	$411.00
College	$357.48	$467.38	$357.48	$467.38

In your coverage decision, remember that the rates above are gross deductions. The net cost to you will be 75-80% of these figures due to taking them out of your check pre-tax (tax free).

Dental insurance

The Dental Insurance rates will increase 3% for 2009-10, due to our group usage and increases in overall dental service costs. Employees pay the full cost of these premiums.

Dental Monthly Premium Cost:

			Plan 6b
Employee only			26.59
Employee + 1 dependent			54.85
Full Family			110.91

Vision Service Plan

VSP offers two plans with 4 levels of employee and family coverage. These plans and monthly rates, paid by the employee, for 2009-10 are outlined below:

	Employee	Empl + 1	Empl + Dependents	Full Family
Plan B	$ 8.09	$13.63	$13.91	$22.43
Plan C	$11.92	$20.07	$20.49	$33.04

Both plans offer coverage with a co-payment for an examination by an optometrist and new lenses/contacts once a year. Frames are covered up to $120 every year with Plan C and every two years with Plan B. Co-payments are $10 for an exam and $25 for glasses with standard lenses in Plan B, and $20 for both in Plan C. Contact lenses and certain lenses for glasses are discounted in price but not included in the $25 co-pay.

AFLAC Insurance

We offer 4 supplemental insurance products through AFLAC: Life, Accident, Cancer, and Specified Health Event (includes heart, stroke, kidney failure and other conditions). Premium costs are paid by the employee, and rates vary according to age and family coverage chosen. This insurance pays cash directly to the employee or beneficiary regardless of health or other insurance coverage.

Cancer Plus 30 insurance

You can continue your current coverage by checking the appropriate box on the Section 125 form, or change coverage. However, we are not enrolling new employees in this plan. You may want to consider signing up for the Aflac Cancer

Rec-Fitness Center membership

For you, your spouse, and your children under 19 not in college, or if single, then a friend can be included on your membership. No need to fill out a form unless you are becoming a new member or changing dependents.

Medical expense reimbursement account (Section 125)

Deciding how much you wish to take out of your check tax-free for medical expenses you incur during the college year that are not covered by insurance.
Remember that employees and dependents are able to use 125 funds for over-the-counter medications with an itemized receipt attached to the claim form. This includes any item associated with treatment of an illness or injury, including cold remedies, Claritin, creams and salves, aspirin and other pain relievers, etc. Vitamins and food supplements will only be covered with a doctor’s prescription. For more information, you may consult this IRS site: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rr-03-102.pdf., or see IRS Publication 502. Also, in choosing how much to place in your medical reimbursement account, you may want to consider the deductible of $1250/2500 and the 70% coverage after meeting the deductible.

Childcare expense reimbursement account (Section 125)

Same as above, except it applies to childcare expenses for children under age 13 so you can work.

Both of the "Section 125" reimbursement account benefits have the tax-free deduction advantage mentioned above, but both contain a penalty--what you haven't used for eligible expenses occurring during the college year is forfeited. In completing this section, remember to enter both the per pay amount and multiply it times 24 to enter the total year's contribution. Mennonite Mutual Aid, the company that processes our reimbursement accounts, will send you a confirmation letter early in the college year. Please review it carefully for accuracy.

NOTE : Like this year, those participating in medical or childcare reimbursement accounts need to file claim forms with MMA along with the explanation of benefit forms we receive from Highmark PPO or the receipt from your childcare provider. Claim forms are found at http://www.goshen.edu/hr/home/Forms.

Sign-up instructions -- Please download the Section 125 Open Enrollment form [PDF fill-in form], complete, print, sign and send to the Human Resources office via campus mail. We suggest you make a copy of the form. If you would like a form sent to you via campus mail instead, contact hr@goshen.edu, or call 6111. We strongly encourage you to complete one at the Benefits Fair April 30. On this form you need to list your health, dental and supplemental insurance coverage choices, and the amount to be placed in your medical or childcare reimbursement account. Please consult the AFLAC representative (Cheryl Miller, 875-1961) to enroll and determine your premium amount. Please complete one even if you are not having any money withheld from your paycheck (for instance, if you are a full-time employee who is only taking single medical coverage, you would sign at the bottom of the form that you are declining to participate). Employees who are working .5 to .749 FTE are eligible for health insurance coverage, but pay a pro-rated amount for single and dependent coverage. Please contact HR to determine the amount you will pay.

You need to complete a new application for health, dental, AFLAC and Vision Service Plan insurance only if you are adding or changing dependent coverage.

If you do not send us a Section 125 enrollment form for 2009-10, we will continue the same coverage you elected in 2008-09 on medical, dental, and supplemental insurances. We will also assume you do NOT want to participate in the medical or childcare reimbursement accounts in 2009-10.

If you are enrolling in dental, health or any supplemental insurance for the first time or changing coverage, you must complete new enrollment forms. Completing the Section 125 form alone will not change your coverage. The health insurance form is available at www.goshen.edu/hr/ under "forms" tab near the top of the home page. Dental and the other insurance applications will be available at the Benefits Fair or from the HR office.

Return all forms to Vickie Miller through campus mail or drop them off at Kulp 003 no later than May 14 . Call Vickie or Dave Janzen with any questions. .

Retirement

Changing the amount withheld from your paycheck for your retirement fund can be done anytime during the year so is not part of the open window/enrollment period. Please request a salary reduction agreement from the HR office.

As always, contact Vickie Miller at hr@goshen.edu, 535-6111, or Dave Janzen, davidpj@goshen.edu, 535-7507, for more information.