Due to the timing of the academic year, the University Benefits Committee (UBC) does not meet in the summer. Instead, the UBC performs the bulk of its annual work in the fall. This year was no different. However, we did welcome several new UBC members. Presently, the UBC consists of:

Mike Daly, who serves as the UBC Chair, along with (in alphabetical order): Maureen De Armond, Linda Feiden, Jennifer Harvey, Marlene Heuertz, Nate Holdren, Elissa Johnson, Lee Jolliffe, Karl Kaiser, Jeremy Kidd, Venessa Macro, Andy Verlengia, Adam Voigts, and Andrew Welch.

UBC is an advising (not decision-making) committee on matters relating to employee health benefits. Drake’s guiding principles regarding benefits is to provide quality benefits that are responsive to the needs of employees and their families. We strive to offer benefits that are competitive with peers and other Iowa employers. Consistent with our fiduciary duties, we also strive to provide straightforward and efficient benefits, while maximizing our limited resources.

Drake University is advised by wonderful outside consultants who have worked with Drake for years and know our institution (and the market) quite well. Last year, Mark J. Becker & Associates joined Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. Drake continues to be advised by Mark Becker, Nick Brown, and now also Madison Pavlich.

Based on feedback from campus, we explored, among other topics, the addition of a new stand-alone optional vision plan and enhancements to dental coverage. The UBC also assessed responses to a Request for Proposals (RFP) regarding Drake’s Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM).

You can review UBC meeting minutes on the Benefits page.

— Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. With diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should.  When this happens, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream.  Over time, this can cause serious health problems, including heart and kidney disease, vision loss, and stroke.

In the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled.  That might include you, and you may not even know it.  More than 37 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 1 in 5 don’t know they have it.  Another 96 million U.S. adults have prediabetes, which increases your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, yet more than 8 in 10 don’t know it.  So how do you know if you have diabetes?

First, are you at risk?  There are three main types of diabetes; type 1, type 2, and gestational, but over 90% of those diagnosed with diabetes have type 2.  To check your risk of type 2 diabetes, take this 60-second quiz from the CDC.  Second, check for any possible symptoms (thirsty, tired, losing weight, blurred vision, etc.).  Even if you pass the risk and symptom test, the only way to truly know for sure if you have diabetes is to have your blood sugar checked by your primary care physician.  It is a simple blood test.

If you are diagnosed with diabetes, your health care team will guide you.  If you are at a high risk for diabetes, you can lower your risk for type 2 diabetes today by staying at (or getting to) a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet, and being active.  The steps you take today can make all the difference tomorrow.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

November is open enrollment month for benefit selections that take effect Jan. 1, 2023.  There are some changes and enhancements being made to the benefits through Drake University.

On Nov. 18, we will offer two open enrollment benefit overview sessions for you to learn more.  You have the option of joining a live session or a virtual session (same material—pick which one you prefer to attend):

• In-Person Event: 10:30–11:30 a.m. in the Olmsted Center, Room 310
• Virtual Event: 1:30–2:30 p.m. Click here to join the virtual session (or email drakehr@drake.edu to be added to the meeting invite).

During these sessions, we’ll share highlights of the plan changes taking effect on January 1. Drake HR and some of our key consultants and vendors will be prepared to answer any questions you may have.

We will record the virtual session for people who are unable to attend either session and share that link in the Nov. 22 issue of OnCampus.

Naturally, if you have any benefits-related or open enrollment questions, please don’t wait to ask them. You can contact Drake HR at drakehr@drake.edu at any time.

— Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

On Friday, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., we will be hosting Drake’s annual Benefits & Wellness Fair in Levitt Hall. Please come!

We will have benefits and wellness partners and vendors on hand to answer questions. There will be snacks, freebies, and the chance to enter a raffle for prizes. Most importantly, this is an opportunity for you to be sure you understand and take advantage of the benefits and perks offered to you as an employee of Drake University.

The Fair is an important annual event to help prepare you to make benefit elections for January 1, 2023.

To entice attendees to meet with our guests, we’ll hand out passports that will be stamped by the visitors you meet. If you get enough stamps, we’ll enter your name in a raffle for prizes.

November is open enrollment month! Throughout the month you can enroll in benefits for 2023. Please check OnCampus and review HR communications for additional benefits-related information and events throughout the month of November.

— Marlene Heuertz, Linda Feiden, and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

Because Drake has a mandatory retirement plan, employees who choose to contribute to the voluntary/supplemental retirement plan, may contribute up to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) contribution limits. In 2022, the contribution limit is $20,500.

On Oct. 20, 2022, the IRS announced the contribution limit for 2023 will be increased to $22,500. This limit applies to employees who participate in Drake’s voluntary/supplemental plan offered by Drake through TIAA.

Additionally, the IRS increased the “catch-up contribution limit” for employees age 50 and over to an additional $7,500 in 2023, up from $6,500 in 2022. Thus, employees who are age 50 and older may contribute up to $30,000 ($22,500 plus $7,500) pre-tax dollars to Drake’s voluntary/supplemental retirement account, starting Jan. 1, 2023.

Questions about your Drake retirement plan?

Our TIAA vendor will attend Drake’s Benefits & Wellness Fair on Nov. 4 (9–11:30 a.m.) in Levitt Hall. If you have questions related to your Mandatory or Voluntary retirement plan, please stop by the Fair and speak directly with a TIAA Field Consultant. If you are unable to attend the fair, please reach out to drakehr@drake.edu with any benefits questions.

— Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

The maximum contribution limit for Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) will increase to $3,050 during the 2023 Plan Year. That’s $200 more than this year’s $2,850 limit.

Drake’s Health Care FSA Plan will allow participants to carry over up to $570 of unused 2022 contributions to the 2023 Plan Year. Contributions carried over, in addition to newly elected amounts, may be used to pay for eligible expenses incurred during the 2023 Plan Year.

For example: Participants who elect $3,050 for the 2023 Plan Year and carry over $570 of unreimbursed contributions from 2022 will have a total of $3,620 in their Health Care FSA effective January 1, 2023. Additionally, at the end of the 2023 Plan Year, participants may carry over up to $610 to the 2024 Plan Year.

The maximum contribution limit for Dependent Care FSAs will remain at $5,000 in 2023. Drake’s Health and Dependent Care FSAs are administered by Advantage Administrators.

Important Note about FSA Participation: Your enrollment in an FSA does not automatically continue from year-to-year. If you want to participate in Drake’s FSA plans during 2023, you must make a new election during Open Enrollment this month. If you forget to enroll or re-enroll, you will not be able to enroll once Open Enrollment has closed. Every year at least one person forgets to re-enroll and learns the hard way. Don’t be that person this year!

Questions about flexible spending accounts?

Advantage Administrators will be present at Drake’s Benefits & Wellness Fair on Nov. 4 (9–11:30 a.m.) in Levitt Hall. If you have questions related to flexible spending accounts, please stop by the Fair and speak directly with their representative. If you are unable to attend the fair, please reach out to drakehr@drake.edu with any benefits questions.

— Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

Important Reminder: Employees on Drake’s health plan who wish to receive a wellness health insurance premium discount in 2023, need to complete a physical with their Primary Care Physician (PCP) between Dec. 1, 2021 and Nov. 30, 2022 and submit a Premium Discount – Annual Physical Form by Dec. 2, 2022.  This is the only option to receive the discount in 2023. 

Besides receiving a premium discount, an annual physical is a great way to receive important health information through age and gender specific examinations, schedule recommended preventative screenings, and create a doctor-patient relationship. 

If you have not scheduled your annual physical yet with your PCP, you are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.   

Please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu with questions. 

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

When most people think about the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), they think about workplace safety—having the right equipment to safely do the job (ear plugs, knee pads, safety goggles), putting signs up when the floor is wet, and the like. However, OSHA also works to improve mental health of employees in the workplace.

Through a two-year agreement, OSHA is partnering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), to promoting workplace mental health and suicide prevention awareness. September is also National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and you are encouraged to  take some time to review the OSHA/AFSP resources.

Suicide Prevention: 5 Things You Should Know Poster

One of the AFSP resources linked here shared information about  Risk Factors and Warning Signs.

Warning signs

Something to look out for when concerned that a person may be suicidal is a change in behavior or the presence of entirely new behaviors. This is of sharpest concern if the new or changed behavior is related to a painful event, loss, or change. Most people who take their lives exhibit one or more warning signs, either through what they say or what they do.

Talk: If a person talks about:

• Killing themselves
• Feeling hopeless
• Having no reason to live
• Being a burden to others
• Feeling trapped
• Unbearable pain

Behavior: Behaviors that may signal risk, especially if related to a painful event, loss or change:

• Increased use of alcohol or drugs
• Looking for a way to end their lives, such as searching online for methods
• Withdrawing from activities
• Isolating from family and friends
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Visiting or calling people to say goodbye
• Giving away prized possessions
• Aggression
• Fatigue

 Mood: People who are considering suicide often display one or more of the following moods:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Loss of interest
• Irritability
• Humiliation/Shame
• Agitation/Anger
• Relief/Sudden Improvement

We encourage everyone to take a few minutes to watch a video, review a poster, or read an article shared on this site. As with planning for any kind of crisis (tornados, fires, etc.), we hope we never need to deploy the resources, but it is always helpful to know where to go to learn more when you really need the help.

Reminder: New 3 Digit Number Available to Get help now. Call the new three-digit dialing code 988 or find online chat at 988lifeline.org/chat Para obtener información en español, llame al 1-888-628-9454 o visite el sitio web

— Maureen De Armond, HR; Chris Nickell, Environmental Health & Safety