4J Licensed Newsletter #219

STATEWIDE INSURANCE POOL
A NO-COST/LOW-COST OPTION
BICYCLE HELMETS & SAFETY
WELLNESS CLINIC REMODEL
NEW BENEFITS OFFICE TEAM MEMBER
MENTAL CALISTHENICS FROM MR. BENEFITS ANSWER MAN

STATEWIDE INSURANCE POOL (back to top)
On March 13, the Oregon State House of Representative passed SB426, legislation to create an Oregon Educators Benefits Board (OEBB) – a statewide health insurance pool for all public school employees in Oregon. On March 21, the bill was signed into law by Governor Kulongoski. This legislation had failed to emerge from committee during the previous two legislative sessions. With Democrats in control of both legislative houses and strong advocacy of the governor, the bill passed both houses with relative ease this time around. At implementation, all public school employees’ medical, dental, and vision insurance will (with a few exceptions) be covered by OEBB plans.

Here is what we know to date about OEBB:

Stay tuned, during this our final year as a member of the OSBA Insurance Trust, and we’ll be sure to keep you informed.

A NO-COST/LOW-COST OPTION (back to top)
I recently became aware of the fact that a number of full-time licensed employees have chosen to waive their district insurance coverage. This is despite the fact that the amount of the district’s contribution toward a full-time active employee’s insurance is sufficient to cover the monthly premium cost completely for the C500 plan – resulting in an insurance plan at no out-of-pocket premium cost. I assume that in all these cases, the decision to waive coverage was based on the fact that the member had other coverage. But by waiving his/her 4J coverage each of these members may have given up the opportunity to enjoy double (100%) coverage not only for him/herself, but also for every family member after individual/family deductibles are met – at no additional out-of-pocket cost.

I have contacted each of those folks individually by mail to at least talk to me about the details. There are also some part-time members at .80 FTE or greater, who might also find future election of his/her currently waived insurance financially advantageous.

Making the right decision could save an individual, under a “worst-case scenario,” thousands of dollars. I would very much like the opportunity to explain the details of this issue and to help you make an informed decision at the next enrollment period.

Please call me if you’d like to discuss this.

BICYCLE HELMETS & SAFETY (back to top)
A dedicated cycling friend once described to me an experience she had that motivated me to never ride without a helmet and to write the following article and rerun it each spring. When her front bike tire blew out, causing her to lose control, and vaulted her headfirst over the handlebars onto the pavement, she walked away from the accident with minor scrapes and bruises and a bike helmet that was broken in half – the helmet, rather than her head, had absorbed the potentially fatal impact.

Sunny days, warm temperatures – Now that spring weather is finally emerging, many of us (fair-weather cyclists) have the motivation we need to get on our bikes at the end of the day or on the weekend for a welcome dose of fresh air and exercise. Some might even choose to bike rather than drive to and from school.

Over the course of many years, studies of bicycle safety and injuries have proven beyond any doubt that the most effective practice for preventing cycling deaths, or the most common serious cycling injury, head trauma, is wearing a bike helmet. The result of this knowledge is that a number of states, including Oregon, require the wearing of helmets while cycling, at least for children. The editors of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter offer the following statistics to support the wearing of helmets.

The implication is clear. Before your seat settles onto your bike saddle, make sure a helmet settles onto your head. While a helmet does not guarantee a safe ride, it does guarantee a better chance of avoiding serious injury or death if an accident occurs.

WELLNESS CLINIC REMODEL (back to top)
Only finalization of the permit processes remains before the earlier-announced Wellness Clinic remodel will begin. Once construction begins, you will need to park in the main parking lot and access the clinic via the main (front) Ed Center entrance since the back lot will be a closed staging/construction area.

Thanks in advance for your patience during this project. The result will be a wonderful new, modernized facility that will better meet the health care needs of 4J employees for years to come.

NEW BENEFITS OFFICE TEAM MEMBER (back to top)
The newest member of the Employee Benefits Office team is Linda Corey. Linda joined the Risk Management/Employee Benefits staff in February. Her smiling face will generally be the first you see when you come into the EBO - hers is the helpful voice you will hear when you call the office at 687-3491. Join me in welcoming Linda to 4J.

MENTAL CALISTHENICS FROM MR. BENEFITS ANSWER MAN (back to top)
It has been well documented that staying mentally active is critically important as one ages. To that end, Mr. BAM offers these “mind stretchers,” compliments of George Carlin:

Michael Caley
Licensed-Staff Benefits Coordinator
Eugene School District 4J
200 North Monroe
Eugene, OR 97402-4295
Phone: W: 541-687-3244 H: 541-485-1493
fax: 541-687-3687 e-mail: caley@4j.lane.edu

4J Benefits and Wellness Newsletter