4J Licensed Newsletter #212

ANOTHER NEW BEGINNING
MID-YEAR RETIREMENT AND PLAN ELECTION
QUALIFYING EVENTS AND DEPENDENT COVERAGE
ANNUAL OPEN ENROLLMENT
OPEN INVITATION
OPEN ENROLLMENT MEETINGS
PAY ATTENTION AND DRIVE

ANOTHER NEW BEGINNING (back to top)
Summer Break has passed and the 2006-07 school year has arrived. As is the case each year, as caring professionals, we find or create ways to insure the success of our students – even in the face of the ever-familiar challenges: a diverse student population, resources that feel stretched to the breaking point, kids with special needs, etc. Our job is both difficult and rewarding. What we do makes a difference! Each year we face the first days and the needs of our students with enthusiasm and good cheer fresh from a summer of rest and rejuvenation.

As I like to remind you in this newsletter as we return each fall, always keep in mind that taking care of yourselves is absolutely essential if you are to successfully take care of the needs of your students!

This year our dental benefits plan remains unchanged. Our medical coverage, which goes into effect on October 1, has a change in the prescription coverage (the annual Rx deductible has been eliminated and a maximum $10 copay for generic drugs will be implemented). And the additional good news is that the increase in the district contribution to insurance combined with the most favorable premium renewal rates we have received in a number of years will allow the monthly out-of-pocket cost for each of the plans available to certified active and retired employees to be reduced! We continue with OSBA/Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon for medical/vision/Rx coverage and ODS for dental coverage.

We, the teacher representatives on the JBC, wish you a happy and successful school year and continue our commitment to providing all members with insurance coverage that is both comprehensive and as affordable as possible.

Here is a current list of your JBC representatives should you have questions or concerns.

Mike Caley, Benefits Coordinator, Ed Ctr., x3244
Kit Duchin, South Eugene HS, x3218
Paul Duchin, EEA President, 345-0338
Jeff Jackson, OEA Consultant, 345-0338
Mark Nyegaard, Holt Elementary, x4100
Tsuki Oda-Riddell, South Eugene HS, x3206
Linda Preston, Retiree Representative, 684-9750
Julie Wenzl, Monroe Middle School, X3254

MID-YEAR RETIREMENT AND PLAN ELECTION (back to top)
Our plans sponsor, Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) allows changes of plan election for active employees each year to any available plan but limits retirees to changes only from a higher-cost to a lower-cost plan at their retirement date or during annual enrollment periods.

The reason I mention this now is that some of you may be considering retirement sometime between October 1, 2006 and September 30, 2007. If so, the plan you are enrolled in for the 2006-07 plan year will determine which plan(s) you are eligible to elect at retirement. As a reminder, the plans available to certified active and retired employees are, from highest to lowest cost, the A200 plan, the PPO plan, and the C500 plan.

Be sure that you make your plan election decision with your retirement coverage options in mind if you plan to retire during or at the end of this school year. In summary, enrollment in the A200 plan provides you the widest possible choice of plans at retirement while enroll-ment in the C500 limits your choice at retirement to only the C500 plan. Please call me if you have questions (x3244).

QUALIFYING EVENTS AND DEPENDENT COVERAGE (back to top)
Qualifying events, (birth or adoption of a child, marriage, declaration of domestic partnership) allow new dependents to be added at any time to your plan. Their enrollment however, must be completed within 31 days of the event or the dependent will be ineligible for coverage until the next open enrollment period (September) for active employees. In the case of retirees, failure to enroll a new dependent within 31 days of the qualifying event irrevocably eliminates their eligibility for coverage in the future.

Bring the required documents to the Employee Benefits Office and complete the enrollment process within 31 days of the event. In the event that there is a delay in securing the necessary legal document(s) from the official source due to special circumstances, be sure to come and talk to Jackie McLauglin before the 31 days has expired.

ANNUAL OPEN ENROLLMENT (back to top)
By the time you read this newsletter, you should also have received your Benefits Overview Booklet. Besides the bound overview materials explaining your benefits package, the front and back pockets have documents that you should review. Among the materials will be a preprinted enrollment form. The enrollment form needs to be turned in only if you are making changes to your enrollment (adding/dropping dependents, address changes, plan election changes, secondary insurance changes, etc.) If you are making no changes you do not need to turn in the enrollment form – all your current coverage will continue unchanged.

OPEN INVITATION (back to top)
As your employee benefits resource and advocate, I would like to extend the offer to any staff or group of teachers that has questions about medical/dental coverage or other components of your benefits package to come out to your school for an informal Q & A session. Please call (x3244) or email me (caley@4j.lane.edu) if you would like me to visit.

OPEN ENROLLMENT MEETINGS (back to top)
Consider this your first (or second if you have received and reviewed your Enrollment Packet) notice of the annual Open Enrollment meetings. This is your chance to come and get your questions answered about your insurance coverage. All meetings are at the Ed. Center.

PAY ATTENTION AND DRIVE (back to top)
Some interesting factoids from the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter:
“Nearly 80% of all crashes involve driver inattention. Among the riskiest behaviors are map reading, applying makeup, and dialing a cell phone."

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