Open Enrollment ends at 11:59 PM on Nov. 30—no exceptions (plan rules, sorry). If you participate in any of Drake’s benefits, please take a few minutes to walk through the open enrollment process in the Benefits Portal. Just the other day, I did this myself and it took me two minutes. It is easy, self-explanatory, and darn near fool-proof. Added bonus, it serves as a nice reminder of all the benefits Drake employees enjoy.

We encourage (no urge) you to take a few minutes to do this before you turn your attention to Thanksgiving Break. Then it is done, and you don’t have to remember to circle back to the topic after the break. Every year, we have people who miss the month-long window or wait until the absolute last minute and find they have questions and no time to have them answered. Don’t let this be you!

The window to submit your premium discount form is the same as open enrollment (Nov. 30). If you have not yet had your physical or submitted your form to Linda Feiden, that clock is ticking down as well.

If you have not checked it out yet, we have a temporary Open Enrollment webpage with additional information. You can also reach out to us at drakehr@drake.edu if you have specific questions.

— Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

Time is running out. Employees on Drake’s health plan, who want to receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2024—a savings of $34 per month—need to complete a physical with their primary care physician (PCP) and submit a Premium Discount-Annual Physical Form by Nov. 30, 2023.

If you had a physical since Dec. 1, 2022, but haven’t turned in your completed form, please do so now. If you haven’t scheduled your annual physical yet with your PCP, you are running out of time. Please email linda.feiden@drake.edu with questions.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

The holiday season can be a challenge when it comes to taking care of ourselves. This year’s Stop, Drop, and Roll holiday program is here to help.  ‘Stop’ the potential holiday weight gain, ‘Drop’ some of the bad habits, while picking up a few good ones, and ‘Roll’ into the New Year on a healthier path.

Even if weight gain isn’t a problem or priority for you, this program will cover wellbeing topics pertinent to everyone.

Send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu by Friday, Nov. 17 to register.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

We are nearly halfway through open enrollment, which has a hard close at the end of November. If you realize you forgot to re-enroll in your Flex Spending Account on December 1, it will be too late. The plan rules are not flexible.

Please log into the Benefits Portal (see the first tile under Human Resources on the MyDrake Employee Home Page) before Thanksgiving Break and assure you are all set for next year. Waiting until the very end of the month is never a great plan. If you have questions, let us know (drakehr@drake.edu).

Thank you to those who attended the in-person and virtual educational sessions on Friday, Nov. 10. Attendees got to hear directly from our consultants with Gallagher, who presented some historic information about benefits, addressed changes coming in 2024, and answered questions.

We recorded the virtual session and you can access the link on our temporary Open Enrollment webpage. While you are there, feel free to check out the other information related to open enrollment. If you have not yet explored Drake HR’s new internal website, the Benefits page and the page dedicated to employee Perks are both really informative.

— Maureen De Armond & Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

The IRS has announced the Health Care FSA contribution limit for the 2024 calendar year will increase from $3050 to $3200.

As previously communicated, Drake’s Plan will continue to permit the carryover of unused Health Care FSA contributions to the following plan year. For example:

• On Dec. 31, 2023, up to $610 of unused health care contributions in your Health Care FSA will automatically be carried forward to the 2024 Plan Year.
   
• On Dec. 31, 2024, up to $640 of unused health care contributions in your Health Care FSA will automatically be carried forward to the 2025 Plan Year.

If you have already made a Health Care FSA election for 2024, you may revisit the Benefits Portal to amend it.

If you wish to participate in Drake’s Health Care or Dependent Care FSA Plans during the 2024 Plan Year, you must make a new election in the Benefits Portal via myDrake no later than Nov. 30.

— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

If you are on Drake’s health plan and have not turned in your Premium Discount-Annual Physical Form – time is running out.  This is an annual requirement to receive the discount.

Employees on Drake’s health plan need to complete a physical with a PCP between Dec. 1, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2023, and submit a Premium Discount-Annual Physical Form by Nov. 30, 2023, to receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2024. This is a savings of approximately $34 per month.

If you had your physical since Dec. 1, 2022, please fill out the form and turn it in now. If you haven’t scheduled your annual physical yet with your primary care provider, you are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.

You can read more about the discount program and download the form for 2024 (or 2025) on this new webpage: Wellness Premium Discount.

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

Please email linda.feiden@drake.edu with questions.

— Linda Feiden, 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. Diabetes is the eighth leading cause of death in the United States (and may be underreported).

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.

For those on Drake’s health plan, inpatient and outpatient training, and education for the self-management of all types of diabetes is covered. All covered training or education must be prescribed by a licensed physician and outpatient training, or education must be provided by a state certified program.  You can go to Wellmark.com, click “Find a facility”, “Places by type”, and then type in “diabetic education” to find a list of in-network facilities that offer this education.

The steps you take today can make all the difference tomorrow.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Thank you to everyone who attended the Benefits & Wellness Fair on Friday, Nov. 3. We had approximately 70 people come through to meet vendors, play games, grab coffee, and enjoy snacks.

This Friday, Nov. 10, there are two informational sessions (they will cover the same material, so no need to attend both). If you have time and interest, please join us!

• In-Person Event: 10:30-11:30 a.m. in the Study Room in Cowles Library
• 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. 2024.  Drake HR and some of our key consultants and vendors will be on-hand to answer your questions. We will record the virtual session for people who are unable to attend either session, and share that link in the Nov. 21 issue of OnCampus.

Remember that Open Enrollment runs throughout the month of November with a hard stop at 11:59 PM on November 30. During Open Enrollment, you may make changes to your current health, dental, vision and voluntary life insurance effective January 1, 2024. In addition, if you wish to participate in the health or dependent care flexible spending account plans (FSAs) during 2024, you must enroll, or re-enroll, if you are currently participating in Drake’s FSA plans.

If you are looking for additional open enrollment information, check out our temporary Open Enrollment webpage. If you have not yet explored it, our new internal website also has a Benefits page and a page dedicated to Perks.

— Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

Employees on Drake’s health plan who wish to receive a wellness health insurance premium discount in 2024, must complete a physical with their Primary Care Physician (PCP) between Dec. 1, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2023. The monthly savings in premiums for 2024 will be approximately $34.00.

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

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

If you are already looking to 2025, physicals completed between December 1, 2023, and November 30, 2024, will cover that plan year.

You can read more about the discount program and download the form for 2024 (or 2025) on this new webpage: Wellness Premium Discount.

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

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

This year’s Benefits and Wellness Fair will be held Friday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Levitt Hall, Old Main.  Please mark your calendars.

We will have benefits and wellness partners and vendors on hand to answer questions. There will be snacks, freebies, and the chance to win prizes. We hear Griff may make an appearance, too.  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 during the month of November, which will take effect on January 1, 2024.

To entice attendees to meet with our guests, we’ll hand out bingo cards that will be stamped by the visitors you meet. If you secure a blackout (stamping all of the vendor spots), we’ll enter your name in a drawing for prizes.

The entire month of November is open enrollment month.  Throughout the month you can enroll in benefits for 2024.  In next week’s OnCampus, you’ll learn more about information sessions that will be held on November 10 (one live and one virtual).  Please check OnCampus all month and review HR communications for additional benefits-related information and events throughout the month of November.

— Maureen De Armond and Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources