Eugene Education Association
2815 Coburg Road • Eugene, OR 97408 • Phone 541-345-0338
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT REIMBURSEMENT DEADLINE
Manley Services is now PacificSource Administrators (PSA). As a result, the website and forms have a new look, but the process for requesting reimbursements is as simple as ever. If you had a Flexible Spending Account for unreimbursed health-related expenses and/or dependent care expenses during the previous plan year, please remember that all expenses must have been incurred between October 1, 2011 and September 30, 2012 to be eligible for reimbursement.
In order to claim the money you set aside, you’ll need to either file your claim electronically or submit a Reimbursement Request to PSA along with the appropriate documentation. You can find information about how to file a request for reimbursement, as well as the necessary form(s) on the PSA website: http://psa.pacificsource.com/Flex/Request_Reimbursement/
The deadline for reimbursement requests for the previous plan year is December 31, 2012. If you have questions, please call PSA customer service at 541-485-7488 or 800-422-7038.
The current flexible spending plan year began October 1, 2012 and runs through September 30, 2013. Your next opportunity to sign up for a flexible spending plan will be during the next FSA open enrollment period, August 15 – September 13, 2013.
FEELING STRESSED?
Stress can be a healthy coping mechanism that keeps you safe, focused, and aware. It’s your body’s emergency action plan so you can go, go, go if need be. However, living in a constant state of emergency can be hazardous to your health.
When stress levels are too high, your body sends signals telling you to take a break. If you don’t listen, your body makes you pay attention with pesky symptoms like headaches, irritability, fatigue, confusion, high blood pressure, and skin problems. If high stress goes on too long without relief, it can cause serious health conditions.
When you can feel the pressure building, a short-term solution is to try a mini-relaxation exercise. Mini-relaxations are stress busters you can reach for any time and can help calm you when you’re stuck in traffic, thwart stress before an important meeting, or help you keep your cool when you are faced with people or situations that irritate you. The experts at Harvard Medical School offer the following suggestions.
When you’ve got one minute:
Place your hand just beneath your navel so you can feel the gentle rise and fall of your belly as you breathe. Breathe in. Pause for a count of three. Breathe out. Pause for a count of three. Continue to breathe deeply for one minute, pausing for a count of three after each inhalation and exhalation.
Alternatively, while sitting comfortably, take a few slow deep breaths and quietly repeat to yourself “I am” as you breathe in and “at peace” as you breathe out. Repeat slowly two or three times. Then feel your entire body relax into the support of your chair.
When you’ve got two minutes:
Count down slowly from 10 to 0. With each number, take one complete breath, inhaling and exhaling. For example, breathe in deeply saying “10” to yourself. Breathe out slowly. On your next breath, say “nine”, and so on. If you feel lightheaded, count down more slowly to space your breaths further apart. When you reach zero, you should feel more relaxed. If not, go through the exercise again.
When you’ve got three minutes:
While sitting, take a break from whatever you’re doing and check your body for tension. Relax your facial muscles and allow your jaw to open slightly. Let your shoulders drop. Let your arms fall to your sides. Allow your hands to loosen so there are spaces between your fingers. Uncross your legs or ankles. Feel your thighs sink into your chair, letting your legs fall comfortably apart. Feel your shins and calves become heavier and imagine your feet growing roots into the floor. Now breathe in slowly and breathe out slowly.
These mini-relaxations won’t take the stress out of your life, but if you’ve got a minute or three, they really can work to help you cope with the little things that can add up to bigger stress.
WELLNESS CLINIC UPDATE AND WINTER BREAK HOURS
Cascade Health Solutions (CHS) has been hard at work to get the 4J Wellness Clinic reopened and operating at full capacity. Your patience during the transition from PeaceHealth to CHS is very much appreciated. Keep in mind that in essence this is a whole new clinic, complete with new software and procedures for the providers. While the clinic staff is in this learning curve, wait times for appointments may be a bit longer than you are used to. The Joint Benefits Committee is working closely with the clinic staff to address issues as they arise and will continue to monitor Wellness Clinic services.
Keep in mind that appointments for physicals are longer in duration and have a limited number of slots available each day. If you are scheduling a preventive care physical, please understand that the wait time for this type of appointment may be longer than the wait for an urgent health concern.
If you are unable to get an appointment for an urgent concern immediately, the new clinic software allows your name to be put into a queue. Clinic staff will phone patients in this queue if an appointment slot opens up due to a cancellation. We can all help this process by canceling appointments we cannot attend as soon as possible.
Please remember there is a $20 no-show fee for missed appointments at the Wellness Clinic. If possible, please give the Clinic 24 hours notice when you need to cancel an appointment. If your appointment is less than 24 hours away, please call and cancel anyway – this may allow the Clinic to schedule an appointment for another patient. The Wellness Clinic has a voicemail system, so if you realize outside of regular hours that you must miss your appointment, you can call and leave a message – 541-686-1427.
The 4J Wellness Clinic will be closed December 24, 2012 through January 1, 2013.
The regular Wellness Clinic hours, which will resume January 2nd are Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. with the last appointment slot at 5:30 p.m. The Clinic is closed for lunch from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. The phone number is 541-686-1427.
EUGENE URGENT CARE
If you have a need for medical care outside of 4J Wellness Clinic hours or are unable to schedule an immediate appointment at the clinic, you may visit Eugene Urgent Care with whom the clinic has partnered to provide services to you at preferred pricing. To insure that you receive the preferred rates at Eugene Urgent Care, be sure to identify yourself as a Eugene School District 4J employee when you seek care. Remember that preferred pricing does not mean there will be no cost to you – deductibles and co-insurance payments will apply so you will be billed for your appointment. However, the visit will be billed at rates lower than a traditional urgent care visit.
Eugene Urgent Care has three locations and all are open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., 7 days a week:
Eugene Urgent Care
598 E 13th Avenue
(Corner 13th and Patterson)
Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 636-3473
Eugene Urgent Care
1800 Coburg Road
(Just South of Beltline)
Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 345-8760
Thurston Urgent Care
5781 Main Street
(Corner Main and 58th)
Springfield, Oregon 97478
(541) 654-0282
SICK LEAVE BANK
The Eugene Education Association manages the Sick Leave Bank (SLB), the purpose of which is to grant hours to eligible members in cases of long-term absence necessitated by illness or injury.
During the SLB fall enrollment period (August 29 – October 31, 2012), 161 licensed employees made a donation of one or two days, 5 of them for the first time. One donor donated the maximum allowed (16 hours) despite the fact that she works less than 1.0 FTE. There will be a second SLB enrollment period this school year from February 1 – April 5, 2013, and e-mail reminders will be sent at that time. Thank you SLB donors!
Like all teachers, I will be on winter break from December 22, 2012 through January 6, 2013. Have a wonderful and restful time away!
