Eugene Education Association

2815 Coburg Road • Eugene, OR 97408 • Phone 541-345-0338

THANK YOU TSUKI ODA-RIDDELL AND DAYNA MITCHELL!

Your Joint Benefits Committee will be losing two dedicated and knowledgeable members with the retirement of Tsuki Oda-Riddell and the ending of Dayna Mitchell’s term as EEA President.  Tsuki joined the JBC in the fall of 2002 and Dayna came on board in the fall of 2007.  Both Tsuki and Dayna are dedicated advocates for active and retired members, and have provided valuable input and a tremendous amount of work on a variety of benefits issues.  Thanks Tsuki and Dayna for all of your work on the JBC, and the countless other things you do on behalf of EEA members.  Best wishes as you begin your next series of adventures – you will be missed on the JBC!

WELLNESS CLINIC UPDATE

I am pleased to announce that Cascade Health Solutions will be the new provider for our 4J Wellness Clinic!  The name may be familiar as CHS has been the provider for our 4J flu shot clinics for many years now.  CHS is actively recruiting staff and working hard on transition issues in order to get the clinic reopened as soon as possible.

Watch your mailbox this summer – you’ll receive a postcard letting you know the clinic reopening date.

ELIMINATION OF PLAN 5

After a great deal of discussion and evaluation, the Joint Benefits Committee has opted to eliminate OEBB/ODS Medical Plan 5 from the list of medical plan offerings for 4J licensed employees and retirees.  This was not a decision that was made lightly, but the cost of plan 5 has reached a point where it is no longer financially feasible to continue with it.  If you are currently enrolled in plan 5 you will need to log into the myOEBB system during open enrollment this fall to select your new plan.

The Flexible Spending Accounts are not available to retirees, but active employees who have not yet opted to set up an FSA may want to consider it as an option this fall.  If you will be moving to a higher deductible plan, the FSA is an excellent way to pay for medical expenses using pre-tax dollars.  Details about FSA plans will be included in the open enrollment mailing to 4J employees

BARIATRIC SURGERY BENEFIT

Effective October 1, 2012, OEBB will add coverage for bariatric surgery to all medical plans.  This benefit is limited to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and is for the OEBB Subscriber only.  The surgery will only be available to members who meet specific criteria. You can read the details about the new bariatric surgery benefit on the OEBB website: http://oregon.gov/OHA/OEBB/docs/MeetingAttachments/2012/BariatricSurgeryCriteria.pdf

There are no other medical plan design changes for the upcoming plan year – deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums, and coinsurance levels on OEBB /ODS Medical Plans 6, 7, and 8 remain unchanged.

LOA REQUEST FORM

The Leave of Absence Request Form has been updated and is now available on the 4J Human Resources forms webpage: http://www.4j.lane.edu/hr/forms.  This form is required for family or medical leaves of more than five working days or any bereavement leave.  The revised form replaces the previously used Extended Leave of Absence Request Form.

To apply for a leave, contact Brandon Crohare, Leave Coordinator for the 4J Human Resources Department.  Brandon can be reached by phone at 541-790-7676 or by e-mail at crohare_b@4j.lane.edu.

ODS RX CHANGE

Effective July 1, 2012, ODS will no longer cover Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) prescriptions that have comparable over-the-counter (OTC) options available for members to purchase.  This change will affect members obtaining prescriptions for a PPI through their ODS pharmacy benefits.

ODS will fax letters to providers who have recently prescribed these medications for an OEBB member, informing the physician of the impending coverage change as well as pointing them to sources of medical evidence warning against long-term use of these medications.

If this change will impact you, you can expect to receive a letter from ODS explaining the change.

If you have any questions about this change or the letters, please contact ODS Pharmacy Customer Service at 866-923-0411.

OPEN ENROLLMENT MAILINGS – WATCH FOR BOTH!

In early to mid-August, you should be on the lookout for two separate mailings with open enrollment information – one from OEBB and one from 4J.

The information from OEBB will come either via US mail or e-mail, depending on the option you selected during the 2011 open enrollment process.  It will contain plan information details and instructions for completing the online enrollment process.

The information from 4J will come via US mail and will contain insurance rates, enrollment information for the Flexible Spending Accounts available to 4J employees, the schedule for online enrollment assistance, and details about the totally revamped Benefits Forum.

The OEBB open enrollment period will begin August 15th and will continue through September 15th, and the new plan year will begin October 1st.

In order to ensure that you receive the mail you need, please make sure 4J has your current address.  If you need to update your address and/or phone number, please complete and submit a Change of Address form to 4J Human Resources.

SUMMER BREAK

This is the last issue of the Benefits Newsletter for the 2011 – 2012 school year.  Like all teachers, I will be on vacation time beginning June 14th.  However, I will be periodically checking voicemail and e-mail during the summer.  If you need to reach me, please call or send an e-mail, and I will get back to you as soon as I am able (wenzl@4j.lane.edu / 541-790-7682).

For questions regarding benefits or claims, contact ODS:

• ODS Medical Customer Service – 866-923-0409
• ODS Dental Customer Service – 866-923-0410
• ODS Pharmacy Customer Service – 866-923-0411
• http://www.odscompanies.com/oebb/members.shtml

For questions regarding eligibility, contact OEBB:

• OEBB Information – 888-469-6322
• http://oregon.gov/DAS/OEBB/

To access the Employee Assistance Program:

• Reliant Behavioral Health – 866-750-1327
• https://www.myrbh.com/

For questions regarding life or long term disability insurance:

• The Standard – 1-866-756-8115
• http://www.standard.com/mybenefits/oebb/ – The_Standard_Insurance_Company

For questions regarding a Flexible Spending Plan:

• Manley Services – 541-485-7488
• http://www.manleyserv.com/

For general plan information:

• 4J Employee Benefits Hotline – 541-790-7667
• benefits.4j.lane.edu

Have a great and well-deserved summer break!

AUGUST PREMIUM PAYMENT REMINDER

If you are a licensed employee hired for this school year only and your hire date was before November 1, 2011, your insurance benefits will run through August.  If you will be taking a leave from 4J or will not be returning next school year (for reasons other than retirement), your final paycheck will be at the end of July.  If you currently have a monthly insurance premium withheld from your paycheck, please remember that you can still make arrangements to have your August premium spread out over your June and July paychecks. This allows you to pay for your benefits with pre-tax dollars, and prevents you from having to take the financial hit all at once.

To make this arrangement, send an e-mail to the Employee Benefits Office (benefits@ 4j.lane.edu).  This e-mail must be sent by June 13, 2012 in order to meet the payroll deadline.  There is not a form to fill out, but you must express your wishes in writing to get this set up.