GraduateTeaching Assistant Benefit Orientation

1
Graduate/Teaching AssistantBenefit Orientation

• Academic Year
• 2004 - 2005

2
Office of Human Resources

• Benefits Office
• UAB 300
• 437-4729
• http//hr.albany.edu

3
Orientation Summary

• Paychecks
• Union Dues
• Attendance Reporting/Sick Leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flex Spending Accounts
• Retirement
• Tax-Deferred Savings Plans
• Health Benefits

4
Paychecks

• Paid biweekly on Wednesday
• Checks and/or Direct Deposit Advice delivered to
  department
• Review check stub for information on deductions,
  taxes, year-to-date totals, etc.
• It is critical that you notify HR of address
  changes

5
Lag Payroll

• Payroll period starts on Thursday, ends two weeks
  later on Wednesday
• Paychecks arrive two weeks after the end of a
  payroll period
• Lag payroll means you have a check coming after
  you leave payroll

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When Do I Get Paid?

• All GA/TA appointments begin on August 12
• End of payroll period is August 25
• First check arrives two weeks later on September
  8
• You must sign for your first paycheck at the
  Student Payroll Office in Campus Center Room 52

7
When Does My Appointment End?

• Fall semester appointments end on December 30
• Last check issued on January 12
• Health Insurance through January 26
• Academic year appointments end on May 18, 2005
• Last check issued June 1, 2005
• Health Insurance through June 15

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Union Dues

• Graduate Student Employee Union
• 2 of base salary
• Membership is not required
• Will pay the same amount in agency fee if you do
  not join
• Membership provides ability to vote on elections
  and contracts other benefits
• GSEU will send information

9
Attendance Reporting

• Attendance Report sent to department each
  semester
• Must certify presence and record any absences
  each semester
• Sick leave may be granted in units of 1/4 day or
  greater

10
Sick Leave

• Eligible after one semester, or its equivalent,
  of service
• up to 5 days per year (July 1 - June 30) with
  approval
• may be used for illness or death in family

11
Employee Assistance Program

• Confidential assessment and referral
• Workshops Stress Reduction, Supervisory
  Training
• Self-enhancement/wellness programs
• Brown-bag sessions
• Book, video, tape library
• Watch for newsletters announcing programs

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Employee Assistance Program

• University EAP
• Roslyn Jefferson, MSW, EAP Coordinator
• MSC 200
• 442-5483
• www.albany.edu/eap/

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Flex Spending Account

• Dependent Care Advantage Account
• Pre-tax contributions up to 5,000
• Day care expenses for children under 13, disabled
  children of any age, or dependent adults living
  in your home
• Carefully estimate expenses -- use it or lose it

14
Flex Spending Account

• Information and enrollment kit is on the Flex
  Spending Account web site
• Enroll within 60 days of appointment for 2004 tax
  year (by October 11, 2004)
• Watch for announcement for 2005 tax year open
  enrollment period this Fall
• To enroll www.flexspend.state.ny.us or
  1/800/358-7202

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Retirement Plan

• ERS

NYS Employees Retirement System www.osc.state.ny.u
s/retire
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Retirement Plan

• Enrollment is voluntary
• May apply at any time
• Date of membership is date of application
• Membership is permanent once enrolled
• Contact HR if you are already a member so you can
  get service credit

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Employees Retirement System

• Defined Benefit Plan guaranteed benefit based
  on formula
• 20-30 years of service final average salary x
  years of service x 2 percent
• 30 years of service additional 1.5 for each
  year above 30 years
• fewer than 20 years of service final average
  salary x years of service x 1.66 percent

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Employees Retirement System

• Retire with full benefits at age 62 or at age 55
  with 30 years of service
• Retirement possible at age 55 with fewer than 30
  years of service benefit is permanently reduced
  for each year you are under age 62

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Employees Retirement System

• Vested after 5 years (vesting benefit
  guaranteed at retirement age based on formula)
• Employee contributes 3 of salary for first 10
  years of membership
• Loans up to 75 of employee contributions
• May withdraw membership if you leave with fewer
  than ten years of service

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Retirement Plan

• Other features
• Portable within NYS public employment
• Disability retirement ordinary disability and
  accidental disability retirement benefits
• Death benefit up to 3 x salary
• Accidental death benefit 50 of last years
  salary paid annually to surviving dependents as
  defined by law

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Tax-Deferred Savings

• Participation is optional
• Stop/start any time
• You direct investments
• 2 plans available
• TIAA-CREF
• NYS Deferred Compensation

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Tax-Deferred Savings

• TIAA-CREF
• 403(b) plan
• Tax-Deferred Annuity or Supplemental Retirement
  Annuity
• Up to 13,000 annually
• Contact Diane Reed, 437-4729, for additional
  information and enrollment material

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Tax-Deferred Savings

• NYS Deferred Compensation
• 457(b) plan
• Available in all NYS agencies/local governments
• Up to 13,000 annual contribution
• Contact Deferred Comp representative at
  1/800/422-8463 for additional information and
  enrollment material

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NYS Health Insurance Program

• NYSHIP
• Administered state-wide by NYS Department of
  Civil Service
• Campus Administrator Office of Human Resources
  Management
• UAB 300
• 437-4729

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NYSHIP Student Employee Health Plan

• Eligibility
• half assistantship
• 3,800 annual stipend (1,900/semester)
• Benefit information is mailed c/o department as
  soon as we receive appointment forms
• Must enroll within 45 days after date of
  appointment (by September 27)

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SEHP

• F-1 International Students
• You are required to enroll in SEHP (not the
  International Students Scholars Insurance Plan)
• We will notify Student Accounts and International
  Education of your eligibility as soon as we
  receive your enrollment form the International
  Insurance fee will be removed from your bill

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SEHP

• F-1 International Students
• You are still required to pay the medical
  evacuation/repatriation fee
• Request a refund of the International Insurance
  fee if you have already paid it

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SEHP

• J-1 International Students
• You are not eligible for SEHP
• You will be enrolled automatically in the
  International Students and Scholars Insurance
  Plan
• We will notify Student Accounts of your
  eligibility for a 90 employer contribution
  toward your premium

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SEHP

• J-1 International Students
• You are also eligible for up to a 75
  contribution toward the additional cost of
  dependent coverage
• pay only the medical evacuation/ repatriation fee
  and 10 of the mandatory insurance fee
• You will receive a refund if you already paid the
  full cost of mandatory insurance

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SEHP

• Domestic Student/Permanent Resident
• Enrollment in SEHP is optional
• Also eligible to enroll in student accident and
  sickness plan (no employer contribution toward
  this plan)
• May request cancellation and refund from Student
  Accounts if you already purchased optional
  student insurance and prefer to enroll in SEHP
  (cancellation deadline applies contact
  University Health Center)

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SEHP

• To enroll
• Review NYSHIP SEHP Benefit Summary
• Read Pre-Tax Contribution Program Fact Sheet
• Complete and sign Health Insurance Transaction
  Form (PS404G)
• Return form to HR, UAB 300, on or before
  September 27

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SEHP

• Effective date of coverage
• Apply prior to or on date of appointment,
  coverage is effective on date of appointment
• Apply before deadline, coverage is effective the
  day application is received in HR
• Apply after deadline, coverage is effective 30
  days after receipt of application

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SEHP

• Provide the following proofs
• Copy of birth certificate or passport for self
  and all enrolled dependents
• Copy of Social Security card for self and all
  enrolled dependents
• Copy of marriage certificate (if applicable)

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SEHP

• You must re-enroll if
• You were enrolled with Research Foundation and
  funding was changed to State
• Your coverage with SUNY SEHP lapsed over the
  summer
• You currently have SEHP coverage under COBRA and
  need to change back to active coverage

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SEHP Coverage

• Individual or Family
• Eligible Dependents
• Spouse or Domestic Partner (separate affidavit of
  partnership required)
• Children (natural, adopted, stepchildren)
• Other Children (statement of dependence required)
• Unmarried children covered to age 19

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SEHP Coverage

• Changing Coverage
• Notify Human Resources within 30 days to avoid
  waiting period
• Effective date of change
• within 30 days of involuntary loss of coverage
  date form is received in HR
• within 30 days of acquiring dependent date of
  event

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SEHP Coverage

• Effective date of change
• within 30 days of involuntary loss of coverage by
  dependent date form is received in HR
• all other changes 30 days after form is received
  in HR

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Health Insurance Premiums

• Biweekly Cost
• 4.30 individual
• 26.08 family
• rates change every January
• Premiums paid up front
• Deduction from check of September 8 pays for
  coverage from September 9-September 22
• Arrears taken, if necessary, for coverage prior
  to first deduction

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Health Insurance Premiums

• Pre-Tax Contribution Program
• SEHP premiums paid before Federal/State taxes are
  computed
• Cannot cancel or lower level of coverage
  arbitrarily
• Tax change period in November
• can change between pre- and post-tax
• can cancel or lower level of coverage arbitrarily
• change is effective beginning of January

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SEHP Summer Enrollment

• Coverage continues over the summer if you are
  expected to return with an eligible appointment
  in fall
• Need verification from department
• HR will contact enrollees with details
• Extra deductions are taken from the last 3 checks
  in spring

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SEHP Plan Benefits

• Carriers
• Empire BlueCross/BlueShield - hospital
• United HealthCare - medical/surgical
• ValueOptions - mental health/substance abuse
• Express Scripts - Rx
• GHI - dental
• Davis Vision - vision

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Not the Empire Plan

• SEHP is NOT the Empire Plan (different
  eligibility rules, benefits)
• Empire Plan - a health insurance program
  available to some other State employees
• SEHP uses Empire Plan carriers, providers, claim
  forms

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SEHP Plan Benefits

• Annual Benefit Maximum
• Prescription Drugs 2,500
• Non-Network Benefits 100,000
• All benefits combined 350,000

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SEHP Precertification

• Pre-admission certification required ...
• before a scheduled hospital admission
• before a maternity hospital admission
• within 48 hours after emergency or urgent
  admission
• before having a scheduled (non-emergency) MRI

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Role of University Health Center

• Two ways to receive medical care
• as a student
• as an employee (through SEHP)
• University Health Center is NOT a participating
  provider in SEHP

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Hospital Coverage

• Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• Virtually all hospitals participate
• 200 deductible
• Plan pays 80 of allowable charges after
  deductible
• Non-network same as network. Pay provider,
  submit claim forms for reimbursement

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Copays

• In Network
• 15 Emergency Room (waived if admitted)
• 8 hospital outpatient department (waived if
  admitted)
• 8 office visit
• Non-Network
• 80 reimbursement of allowable rates after 100
  annual deductible
• Pay provider, submit claim form

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Medical/Surgical Coverage

• United HealthCare
• Maximum 15 network visits 8 copay
• Your responsibility to find network providers
• Participating providers not guaranteed in all
  specialties or geographic areas
• Participating provider in hospital covered in
  full (not subject to 15 visit max)

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Medical/Surgical Coverage

• Routine health exams
• Reimbursed up to 60 once every two years if
  under 40 annually if over 40
• Spouse/domestic partner not covered for routine
  health exams
• Allergy testing
• only covered in-network
• Check exclusions in Benefit Summary (page 10)

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Managed Physical Medicine

• Chiropractic Care - separate 15 visit limit
• Physical therapy - 60 visit limit
• Guaranteed access to participating provider
• Out of network additional 100 deductible
  reimbursed 80 of allowable expenses

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Home Care Advocacy Program

• Call for prior authorization
• Home care services in lieu of hospital care
• Out of network 80 reimbursement if
  pre-certified
• Diabetic supplies paid in full
• pre-certification required
• out of network up to 100 of allowable

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Mental Health/Substance Abuse

• ValueOptions
• Pre-certification required (referral line
  available 24/7)
• Outpatient mental health up to 30 visits per year
• Network 50 up to 50 for visits 1-10 50 up
  to 35 for visits 11-30
• Non-network 50 up to 25 for all visits

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Mental Health/Substance Abuse

• Inpatient mental health
• up to 30 days per year
• Plan pays 80 after 200 copay (50 if not
  pre-authorized)
• Out of network same as network (50 of allowable
  expenses if not pre-certified)

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Mental Health/Substance Abuse

• Outpatient alcohol/substance abuse
• 8 copay for unlimited medically necessary
  pre-certified care
• non-network 8 copay up to 60 visits per year
  50 of allowable expenses if not pre-certified
• Inpatient alcohol/substance abuse
• Up to 7 days for detox under hospital benefit

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Prescription Drugs

• Express Scripts
• 6 generic, 10 brand-name with no generic
  equivalent for 30-day supply
• 10 plus cost difference for brand name with
  generic equivalent
• Non-network reimbursed at network rate pay
  provider submit claim for reimbursement

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Prescription Drugs

• University Health Center is NOT a participating
  pharmacy
• 200 pharmacy benefit per semester as a student
• Anything above 200 at University Health Center
  considered out of network for SEHP

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SEHP Carrier Contact Information

• 1/877/7-NYSHIP (1/877/769-7447)
• Option 1 United HealthCare
• Option 2 BlueCross/BlueShield
• Option 3 ValueOptions
• Option 4 Express Scripts

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Dental Benefits

• GHI (Group Health Incorporated)
• MUST use participating provider
• call 800/947-0101
• www.ghi.com
• Exam, cleaning, x-rays - 20 copayment, two
  visits per year
• Other services discounted if provider accepts GHI
  Discounted Access Program

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Vision Care

• Davis Vision
• MUST use participating providers
• call 800/999-5431
• www.davisvision.com
• exam - 8 co-pay
• glasses/contacts
• discounts 10-25
• 40 reimbursement

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Insurance ID Cards

• ID Card(s) mailed to home address
• one for each covered family member
• separate from dental ID card
• Important to keep HR informed of address changes

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Questions

• Contact Human Resources Benefits Office
• UAB 300
• 437-4729
• http//hr.albany.edu