During the educational sessions offered in November, Wellmark shared some additional programs that are available to health care plan participants at no additional cost. So, if you are on Drake’s healthcare plan, you can check out these additional perks. We have added these items to our Perks Page. If you have not checked out that page yet, you are missing out! There are a lot of perks to being a Drake employee.

#1: Free Identity Theft Protection

What it is: Drake employees and their dependents who are enrolled in Drake’s healthcare have access to identity protection services at no cost. Wellmark has a partner agreement with IDX Identity. It just takes a few minutes to enroll. The program will conduct an immediate scan of the information you provide (such as personal email accounts, bank accounts). Once you create an account, you’ll be sent alerts, you can periodically check your dashboard, etc. They also offer a number of other services, including a private search browser and password checker.

How to find it: Log into myWellmark and scroll to the very bottom of the webpage, on the bottom left you will see “Identity Protection” (under “DO MORE” and “Contact Us”). When you click on that link, you’ll first see a screen where you need to copy the enrollment code. When you go to enroll, have your Wellmark insurance card handy. To create an account, you will need to provide the Group No. and your ID number (which is listed directly below your name). After you create your account, you will need to verify your email address and then you will be able to log in. Provide as much or as little information as you like and test out the different tools.

What I Learned: Both of my personal email accounts had recently been hacked, one as recently as Sept. 30, 2023! They offered “What should I do?” guidance (I updated my passwords and will be extra leery of suspicious emails).

#2: Blue 365

What it is:  Oh boy! You are going to love Blue 365. Blue365 offers premier health and wellness discounts and is free to join. You can sort by topic to check out all current deals on topics such as: apparel & footwear, fitness, hearing & vision, home & family, nutrition, personal care, and travel.

How to find it: Log into myWellmark. On the left side of the screen, you’ll see a column of tiles, the top one being “Home”. Go down to the “Well-being” tile and click on it. You can learn more about all of the different vendors and discounts offered through Blue 365 by clicking on Visit Blue365 (on the right side of the screen under Member Discounts). Once on the Blue 365 site, you’ll need your health insurance card handy to create an account.

What I learned: Deals are added and expire regularly—so check back regularly to see what is new and still active. At present, you can get discounts on things like: Garmin equipment, Blue Apron, Nutrisystem, Skechers, Crocs, Reebok, Kind bars, Jabra earbuds, pet insurance, Chewy, Walt Disney World, Budget/Avis, and many other vendors. So many deals. Check it out!!

#3: BeWell 24/7

What it is: Health questions can arise no matter the time of day. From your child’s earache to side effects from a new medication, BeWell 24/7 can help. You can call the BeWell number day or night to get answers from real health care professionals and put your mind at ease. By using this resource you can:

• Receive an evaluation based on your symptoms and recommendations for where to go for care.
• Locate health care providers and facilities — whether at home or traveling.
• Discuss treatment options and answer your health and wellness questions.

How to find it: Log into myWellmark. On the left side of the screen, you’ll see a column of tiles, the top one being “Home.” Go down to the “Well-being” tile and click on it. You can learn more about BeWell 24/7 on this page. To access this service call 844-84-BEWELL (844-842-3935).

#4 Pregnancy Support Program

What it is: This site provides expecting parents with support by:

• Providing educational materials based on your needs
• Helping you understand if you or your baby are at risk
• Being available to answer questions whenever you have them

How to find it: Log into myWellmark. On the left side of the screen, you’ll see a column of tiles, the top one being “Home.” Go down to the “Well-being” tile and click on it. If you click “Learn More” on the Pregnancy Support Program tile, you will land on a new page with a number of resources—including a prenatal assessment, “Count the Kicks” and “Text4Baby”.

— Maureen R De Armond, Human Resources

Drake’s open enrollment period for benefits is held during November with the window closing at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30. This is a hard close, but you still have time. If you have not yet reviewed or made modifications to your benefits for 2024, please do so right away.

The deadline to submit your premium discount form for 2024 is also Nov. 30.

If you still need to complete the enrollment process, you can visit the benefits portal and run through the election process in just a few short minutes. Remember that you must re-enroll in flexible spending accounts (FSA) each year—that benefit does not automatically continue from year to year. Additional information about benefits for 2024 can be accessed through the benefits page and also this temporary open enrollment page.

If you have any benefits-related or open enrollment questions, please don’t wait to ask them. Reach us at drakehr@drake.edu at any time (please, please do not wait until Nov. 30 to enroll or contact us with questions—that is cutting it too close!).

— Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

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