Published by:
Arthur Hart, Classified Benefits Coordinator
Phone: 541-790-7679 e-mail: hart_a@4j.lane.edu
Greetings Classified Staff
My name is Arthur Hart, and I am your new Classified Benefits Coordinator. I started my relationship with 4J at 4 years of age attending Lincoln Elementary, was a graduate of South Eugene High School in 1993, married my high school sweetheart in 1996, and after various adventures returned to work at 4J Transportation in 2012. I hope my next 20 years with 4J will be as great as the first!
I am looking forward to my next adventure– helping you utilize your benefits to the fullest. Please contact me with any questions or concerns that you have regarding your benefits.
A hearty thank you to Diana McElhinney who has left some big shoes to fill, and has worked very hard to make this a great transition for me!
My office is located at The Ed Center. Office hours are 8:00-12:00 &1:00-5:00 daily. Contact me at 541-790-7679 or hart_a@4j.lane.edu.
-Art
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The EAP provides services to help employees privately resolve problems that may interfere with work, family, and other important areas of life. As an OEBB member, there is no cost to you or your family members for using EAP services.
EAP services include:
- 24-hour Crisis Help – Toll-free access for you or a family member experiencing a crisis.
- Confidential Counseling – Face-to-face counseling sessions for each new issue, including family, relationships, stress, anxiety, and other common challenges.
- Confidential Telephonic Counseling – Telephonic counseling sessions for each new issue, including family, relationships, stress, anxiety, and other common challenges.
- eAccess – Convenient access to online consultations with licensed counselors.
- Childcare Referral Services – Childcare professionals provide information and support on parenting, school issues, adoption, college planning, teenager challenges, summer camps, daycare, and other important issues for parents.
- Eldercare Referral Services – Adult and eldercare specialists assist in finding quality information and services including transportation, meals, exercise, activities, prescription drug information, in-home care, daytime care, and housing.
- Financial Services – Call to speak with a professional regarding your budget, credit, retirement, investment, tax or other financial questions.
- Home Ownership Program – Free support and information about making smarter choices when shopping for a new home, making financing and/or refinancing decisions, relocating, or selling a home.
- Identity Theft Services – Support in planning the recovery process for restoring your identity and credit after an incident.
- Legal and Mediation Services – Legal services include a free, half-hour consultation, by phone or in person, followed with a 25% discount in legal fees. (Legal services are not provided for any employer related issues.) Mediation services include free consultations for personal, family, and non-work related issues such as divorce, neighbor disputes, or real estate. A discount of 25% is available if a professional mediator is retained.
- Wills & Other Legal Forms – EAP includes easy, free, online legal forms.
When you call EAP, you just need to provide 4J District as your employer and basic contact information. During a crisis, you can call to speak with a counselor 24 hours a day.
Call the EAP at 1-866-750-1327 or go online
www.myrbh.com – use access code: OEBB.
It’s Flu Season Again
What to do to stay healthy and prevent flu?
- Get vaccinated. Vaccines are tested by the FDA for safety and are effective at preventing the flu. The influenza vaccine CANNOT cause flu!
- Wash hands or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol after contact with any surface that could be contaminated, including hands, desks, pens, door knobs, etc., and especially before touching your face or eating.
How to protect others who are vulnerable, like the elderly and very young:
- Get vaccinated. If you have infants at home, or care for an elderly parent, you can protect them by preventing the flu in yourself.
- Stay home if you have a fever, and for 24 hours after the fever resolves.
- Wear a mask if you have a cough and fever and must be around others.
- Tamiflu can be used to prevent flu if given early after exposure. Discuss this with your health care provider to see if it is appropriate.
How do you know if you have the flu?
- Flu usually hits hard and fast. Children often initially get a fever and vomiting. Adults get a fever, sore throat, ache all over, dry cough, weakness, runny nose.
What to do about the flu?
- Most people will recover with rest, fluids and medicine for fever, cough and aches and pains. Sometimes the flu can cause another infection like pneumonia or ear infections, and other serious illnesses. Antiviral medicine is available, Tamiflu, that helps shorten the course of the flu by a day or two, and can help reduce the severity of the illness, but it has drawbacks too. Talk this over with your health care provider if you get the flu.
Where can you get vaccinated or treatment for influenza (flu)?
- 4J Wellness Clinic: For employees eligible to access the 4J Wellness Clinic, please call 541-686-1427 to schedule a quick MOA appointment for a flu shot.
- Moda Health Members: If you have Moda insurance, you can receive a flu shot at a network pharmacy without a copayment. Call ahead of time to make sure the pharmacy has the vaccine you need. Show your Moda Health ID card to the pharmacist for billing before receiving a vaccine, otherwise it may not be covered. Call Moda Health Pharmacy Customer Service at 866‐923‐0411 for a complete list of network pharmacies.
- Kaiser Permanente Members: Kaiser offers drop-in flu shot clinics every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Monday through Friday) at the downtown clinic office located at 100 W. 13th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97402. No copayment is required for the vaccine. Please call 1-800-813-2000 for more information.
Classified Benefits & Wellness Newsletter
As we integrate new technologies into our daily lives, it changes how we interact with information. With this in mind, we are moving away from the mass paper copy distribution of this newsletter. Starting with the next edition, we will be distributing paper copies only to worksite break areas to be shared. The Newsletter will be emailed to all Classified Staff, and published on the 4J website.
This adjustment is not just about saving paper. Focusing on electronic publications will also allow us to make more use of website links and other tools that will allow the reader to quickly gain more information on subjects that interest them. If a paper edition is still the best for you, it will be in your break area.
Senate Bill 1067 (SB 1067)
SB 1067 is a bill relating to government cost containment measures. It will begin affecting OEBB plans on October 1, 2019.You may be affected by this bill if you have other family members (spouse, domestic partner, or children) eligible for OEBB or PEBB benefits. For more information please watch the recorded January 30th Double Coverage webinar.
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This newsletter is reviewed and edited each month by the District 4J and OSEA representatives of the Classified Joint Benefits Committee (JBC).The information in this newsletter is summarized, and is not intended as advice or counsel.
