4J BENEFITS AND WELLNESS NEWSLETTER
Prepared by Julie Wenzl • 541-790-7682 • October 2, 2014 • Issue Number 277
4J FLU SHOT CLINICS
A flu shot cannot prevent all cases of the flu, but it is the best protection we have against the flu and its complications. A flu vaccine also helps prevent spreading flu from person to person. The 2014-2015 vaccine available at the 4J flu shot clinics will help protect against 4 different influenza viruses: 2 A strains (H1N1 and H3N2) and 2 B strains (Victoria lineage and Yamagata lineage).
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all people 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine, but there are different protocols for young children. Our particular vaccine is not approved for children under 10, so if you have children you would like to get vaccinated who are not eligible for the 4J flu shot clinics, you will need to contact your pediatrician. Two flu shot clinics will be held in 4J for you to get this year’s vaccination.
Flu shot eligibility extends to:
- all active employees (even those who are not insurance eligible due to less than half-time status)
- all insurance eligible dependents of active employees, including those who have waived coverage
- all retirees and their dependents who are currently covered on the 4J insurance
- student teachers and substitutes (licensed and classified)
Flu shot eligibility does not extend to:
- retirees who are no longer on the 4J insurance
- retirees’ dependents who are not on the 4J coverage (even when the retiree is still covered)
In this case, “dependents” refers to spouses and domestic partners, as well as insurance eligible children age 10 or over. All children 10-16 years of age must have a parent or guardian with them to be vaccinated.
Flu shot clinics will be held in the Ed Center Auditorium, from 3 PM – 5:30 PM:
- Tuesday, October 7
- Thursday, October 9
The staff providing the vaccinations will need easy access to the deltoid muscle below the shoulder (upper arm). Please dress accordingly.
The 4J Wellness Clinic will not be giving routine flu shots. They will have a limited supply of the vaccine for high-risk patients only.
OTHER FLU SHOT OPTIONS
If you can’t make the 4J flu shot clinics and have OEBB/Moda insurance, you can receive a flu shot at a network pharmacy – no copayment necessary!
Call ahead of time to make sure the pharmacy has the vaccine you need. Show your Moda Health ID card (or your ODS insurance card, which is still valid) to the pharmacist for billing before receiving a vaccine – otherwise it may not be covered.
The following participating chain pharmacies provide vaccines:
- Rite Aid
- Safeway
- Fred Meyer
- Target
- Albertson Savon
- Bi-Mart
- Bartell Drugs
For a complete list of network pharmacies or if you have questions, call Moda Health Pharmacy Customer Service at 866‐923‐0411.
Cascade Health Solutions (2650 Suzanne Way, Suite 200, Eugene) will be holding drop-in flu shot clinics from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Mondays and Fridays. Please call 541-228-3100 for additional information.
RATES AND DEDUCTIBLES
Medical, vision, pharmacy and dental plans are administered on a plan-year basis. The new plan year begins October 1, 2014 and goes through September 30, 2015. The deductible and accruals toward maximum out-of-pocket reset October 1 regardless of whether they were met the previous plan year. However, if you did not meet your deductible during the previous plan year and had continuous coverage, any expenses applied to your deductible during the last 3 months of the previous plan year will be carried over and applied to the deductible for the new plan year.
While the new insurance rates take effect October 1, we pay our monthly insurance premiums at the end of the month, not the beginning. Thus, active employees and retirees still receiving a paycheck will see the rate change reflected in the October 31 paychecks. Retirees who have arranged for payment from a bank account will see the change in rates in the November 5 ACH payment.
Please check your paycheck or bank statement to verify that you have been charged the correct amount for your insurance elections.
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS
Like our insurance plan year, the new FSA plan year began October 1, 2014 and runs through September 30, 2015. If you submitted an FSA enrollment form for dependent care expenses and/or unreimbursed eligible health-related expenses, you should see the first deduction come out of your end of October paycheck.
The Benny Cards should arrive sometime in mid-November. You can continue to use your FSA as you always have until those arrive. Once you have your Benny Card and begin to use it, remember to save your receipts – you’ll need them for documentation.
If you have any questions, the PacificSource Administrators Customer Service number is 541-485-7488 or you can access the PSA website at http://psa.pacificsource.com/PSA/.
4J WELLNESS CLINIC NEWS
The 4J Wellness Clinic is now certified by the State of Oregon as a Patient-Centered Primary Care Home (PCPCH). Additionally, the clinic staff is working with Moda to complete the steps necessary to become a Moda Medical Home and part of the Moda Synergy Network.
The PCPCH is a way of organizing primary care that emphasizes care coordination and communication leading to higher quality care and lower costs, and can improve patients’ and providers’ experience of care. In a PCPCH model, a team of healthcare professionals works together
with you and your family to help you achieve your health goals. Your health “team” is comprised of every health care professional that impacts your life – your primary care physician, pharmacist, therapist, other health care professionals, and most importantly, you! Through communication with your other health care providers, a PCMH strives to ensure safe, effective care.
SYNERGY NETWORK MEDICAL HOME ELECTION
If you enrolled in a new Synergy Network plan during open enrollment, remember that you must choose a Moda Medical Home (MMH). If you are covering dependents on your plan, they too must choose a MMH. Each member of your family can choose a different MMH if they desire.
If you would like to change the MMH you elected during open enrollment or if you opted to contact Moda directly after open enrollment to name your MMH, you may do so by calling Moda Health customer service at 866-923-0409. You can also send an e-mail to medical@modahealth.com.
TAX SHELTERED ANNUITY (TSA) VENDOR FAIR
You are cordially invited to attend a 403(b) Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA) Vendor Fair. This drop-in style format event will be a great opportunity to gather information on tax deferred retirement savings plans. This event will take place in the Ed Center Auditorium between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 28, 2014.
There will be experts on hand from many of the vendors who work with 4J employees, all together in one place. If you have been meaning to start your TSA, now is the time. If you already have a TSA going and have questions, this is a great opportunity to connect directly with your vendor.
All 4J employees are eligible to set up an account under the 403(b) Plan with any vendor who is on the District list of approved vendors: http://www.ncompliance.com/guest_employervendors.aspx?EmployerID=12
4J Retirement Plan B eligible employees (hired on or after July 1, 1998) are eligible to receive a TSA contribution from 4J:
- First year of eligibility – $50 / month
- Third year of eligibility – $75 / month
- Sixth year of eligibility – $100 / month
- Tenth year of eligibility – $150 / month
