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April 17, 2014

Pitt Benefits

FitnessForLifeOpen Enrollment April 23 – May 14

Packets will be mailed to the departments of eligible faculty and staff members for distribution the week of April 21. Please take this opportunity to review your current benefit elections and make any changes online. The only other opportunity that you will have to make changes to your benefits during the year is if you experience a qualifying life event as permitted by the IRS. Examples of a qualifying life event include marriage, birth, divorce or death.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU WILL ONLY RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION STATEMENT IF YOU MAKE A CHANGE IN COVERAGE ONLINE DURING THE OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD. OTHERWISE, YOUR CURRENT ELECTIONS WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE JULY 1, 2014 – JUNE 30, 2015 PLAN YEAR.

If you would like to make changes to your current benefit elections, please do so through Employee Self Service on the University Portal at my.pitt.edu.

Health Care Flexible Spending Account –   Rollovers Are Now Allowed!

For the FY15 plan year, the federal government is allowing a significant change to the Health Care Flexible Spending Account. Participants will be allowed to roll over a maximum of $500 from the FY15 plan year to the FY16 plan year. This effectively minimizes the “Use it or lose it” provision, but only for health care spending accounts. The 2.5 month extension (until September 15) to incur a claim and file it against the former plan year no longer will be available.

The new rollover allowance for the Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts begins with the plan year starting July 1, 2014. Existing balances for the current plan year (July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014) may not be rolled over. Current participants have until September 15, 2014 to incur claims that may be submitted against the plan year ending June 30, 2014.

The 2.5 month extension will continue to apply for the dependent care account.

Optional Life Insurance Opportunity Available During Open Enrollment

During this year’s open enrollment, Aetna Life Insurance Company will allow an open enrollment for optional life insurance. This opportunity applies to faculty and staff who have not elected optional life insurance previously. During open enrollment, you may elect one times your base pay as optional coverage without providing Evidence of Insurability (EOI).

Optional life insurance is available to faculty and staff in increments from one to six times base pay. As a reminder, the University provides basic life insurance equal to one times base pay up to $50,000.

Dependent life insurance also is available. There are six tier levels for spouse/partner coverage ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. Coverage above $50,000 requires EOI.

Managing Your Health Online

Over a period of time UPMC has been developing quality online tools for managing your health and your health insurance. MyUPMC.com, formerly known as HealthTrak, provides current online information on your health care including test results, your medical record, prescriptions, recommended preventive tests and examinations, and the ability to send messages to your physician, just to name a few. You may notice on your documentation when leaving your physician’s office that there may be an access code and password provided to help jump start the process. Otherwise you may log onto the site and follow the directions to establish your own username and password.

From the MyUPMC.com site as well as from my.pitt.edu, you may sign on directly with MyHealth Online. The two names may seem a little confusing but remember that MyUPMC.com contains the direct source to your medical records while MyHealth Online provides access to insurance-related information and interactive health tools. As an example, from MyHealth Online you can access all of your Explanation of Benefit Statements (EOB’s) as a summary or with all the details. Flexible spending account information also is detailed on this site. Any information you need related to insurance claims can be found on this site. Want to have a live chat with Member Services or a health coach?  You connect to it from this site.

Please visit these sites. You may be surprised by the information you will find available at your fingertips!

UPMC AnywhereCare Is Introduced

There are always times when we would like to seek a physician’s advice but don’t want to take the time to schedule a visit and wait for an appointment. A new online tool is being introduced called UPMC AnywhereCare. This website allows you to “chat” with a physician through secure messaging or establish a video appointment. Receive a response with a diagnosis and treatment plan, usually within 30 minutes. Prescriptions are sent right to your pharmacy!

The cost of this service is a $10 copayment for Panther Gold members. The total cost is $38 if you are in a PPO plan. Your cost share will vary depending on whether you have met your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. This service can be accessed through MyUPMC.com.

Benefits Fairs

If you have questions or concerns about your benefits, please stop by one of the fairs. Representatives from the Benefits Department along with most of the University’s vendors will have tables at these events.

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Important Vendor Contact Information

Benefits Department

Office hours: 8 am-5 pm EST, 320 Craig Hall

412-624-8160 (Main Line) • 412-624-3485 (Fax)

www.hr.pitt.edu/benefits

Please visit our web site for FAQs, downloadable forms and other benefits information.

Medical

UPMC Health Plan

1-888-499-6885

www.upmchealthplan.com

Dental

United Concordia 1-877-215-3616

www.ucci.com

Vision

Davis Vision 1-800-999-5431

www.davisvision.com

Retirement/Savings

TIAA-CREF 1-800-682-9139

www.tiaa-cref.org/pitt

Vanguard 1-800-523-1188

www.vanguard.com

Flexible Spending Accounts

UPMC

1-888-499-6885

www.hr.pitt.edu/benefits/health-and-wellness/flexible-spending

LifeSolutions

1-866-647-3432

www.hr.pitt.edu/worklife-balance/

Payroll

412-624-8070

www.bc.pitt.edu/payroll/index.html

Faculty Records

412-624-4232

UPMC HealthPlan