Author: sipiorsk@uwgb.edu

The UW System is excited to introduce a new interactive benefits decision tool, called ALEX. ALEX is a personalized benefits counselor and can help you understand the benefits options that may be best for you and your family.

ALEX will be unveiled and available for the upcoming Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE) period October 2 – 27, 2017. Before you make your benefits elections during ABE, we strongly encourage you to let ALEX walk you through your options. ALEX is engaging and efficient. In just a few minutes you will understand your benefits options and have peace of mind as you make your benefits elections.

Watch for more information about ALEX coming soon!

Source: UW System Human Resources

ETF is offering a series of 30-minute, live, interactive webinars designed to increase your understanding of Wisconsin Retirement System benefits.  Individuals can also ask questions at the end of sessions.

5 Basic Steps to Your Retirement- Consider this webinar your quick reference guide to starting the retirement process within the next 12 months. ETF will review: choosing a termination date, how to request a retirement estimate – and how to read and understand it. ETF will also cover how to schedule a retirement appointment and – drum roll here — how to submit the retirement application.

• Thurs, Sept 7, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Wed, Sept 13, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Thurs, Sept 21, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Mon, Sept 25, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Choosing When to Retire- This webinar will focus primarily on choosing your optimal termination and WRS benefit effective dates. The focus will include not only the “December versus January” decision, but also how retirement timing at any point during the year can affect your retirement annuity amount and other employee retirement benefits.

• Fri, Sept 8, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Thurs, Sept 14, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Tues, Sept 19, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Tues, Sept 26, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

How to Use ETF’s Online Calculator to Estimate a Retirement Benefit- ETF’s online retirement calculator, one of the most-used tools on ETF’s website, allows you to calculate an unofficial projection of your WRS retirement benefit at any point in the future. This webinar will cover where to find and how to use the calculator, specific information required for data entry (e.g., desired retirement date, spouse or partner’s birthdate, etc.) and how to interpret the results.

• Tues, Sept 5, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Tues, Sept 19, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Wed, Sept 20, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Fri, Sept 29, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

WRS Employee Benefits Seminar- Whether you are just beginning your career under the Wisconsin Retirement System or close to retirement, join ETF for a presentation on WRS employee benefits. In this two-hour, evening seminar ETF thoroughly reviews benefit basics, the Core and Variable Trust Funds and things to know and do to maximize your benefits as you move through your career. Those within five years or so of retirement will appreciate hearing about WRS annuity options, return-to-work rules, post-retirement annuity adjustments and much more.

• Thurs, Sept 14, 2017 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Tues, Sept 26, 2017 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Tues, Nov 7, 2017 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Register for a Webinar

Please contact Human Resources at (920) 465-2390 or payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu with any questions.

The opportunity for staff and faculty to purchase a Fall Meal Plan using payroll deduction has arrived.  This opportunity is open through Sept. 29, 2017 for post-tax deduction from your payroll starting Nov. 1 (Academic Staff & Faculty) or Nov. 9 (University Staff).  There are four options to choose from including:

• FAST 75 Block Plan – includes 75 meals plus $50** in FAST Points – Cost $430 . . . cost per meal $5.73
• FAST 50 Block Plan – includes 50 meals plus $25** in FAST Points – Cost $295 . . . cost per meal $5.90
• FAST 25 Block Plan – includes 25 meals plus $25 in FAST Points – Cost $180 . . . cost per meal $6.20
• FAST 200 Points Plan – includes $215 in FAST Points – Cost $200.00 (Fall 2017 Special – $15 in bonus FAST Points)

*All FAST 75 Block Plan customers will receive a FREE reusable mug that includes unlimited free refills of coffee and fountain soda beverages at all retail locations on campus through December 20, 2017.  Previous FAST 75 plan holders can save $10 by reusing your mug from last year (see form to select this option).

**Chartwells is sponsoring the $50 (FAST 75) and $25 (FAST 50) for the Block Plan FAST Points and the bonus $15 in FAST Points on the FAST 200 Plan!

Please complete the form found here: FAST Meal Plan Deduction Request – to enroll in meal plan.

FAST Meal Plans and FAST Points

FAST Points are not new to UW-Green Bay.  They have been in place for over four years.  They are pre-paid declining balance funds you can purchase and load onto your official University ID for use at any Chartwells-managed food serving location on campus.  This Fall, through Sept. 29, 2017, the FAST 200 Points Plan includes $15 in bonus FAST Points through the generosity of Chartwells.  When customers use their “Points” in the Marketplace, they will receive a $0.50 discount bringing the net cost of breakfast to $5.75, lunch to $6.25, and dinner to $6.75 (+ sales tax).

FAST Meal Plans at UW-Green Bay serve as options for staff and faculty to purchase meals in a larger quantity at prices-per-meal lower than paying with cash, credit or PassPoints/Dining Points. This Fall’s FAST 75 Block Plan, at the cost of $430, equates to a cost-per-meal of $5.73 plus there are $50* in FAST Points for when you don’t need or want a full meal.  For this Fall, a new all stainless steel mug is being given to FAST 75 Block Plan customers, for free refills of coffee and soda at all retail locations (you can save $10 by reusing your mug from the prior year – see form for details to select this option).  In addition, all FAST Plan customers will receive a reusable To-Go container to use for take-out meals from the Marketplace inside Leona Cloud Commons.  Details on how to use the To-Go containers will be shared with all who participate and eventually posted on-line (https://new.dineoncampus.com/uwgb). The Block Meals and FAST Points on all FAST Plans will remain on your University ID account until they are used.  They can also be used for Combo Meals in the retail operations.

Please contact Rick Warpinski at (920) 465-2090 or warpinsr@uwgb.edu with any questions.

 

 

For many employees, health insurance benefits are the most important fringe benefit offered by the UW System. Every year, we see changes to the health insurance program even if the only change is your monthly premium contribution. Then in the fall, during the Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE) period, you have the opportunity to enroll in the health insurance program, make changes to your coverage level or change health insurance carriers. So let’s learn about the process of establishing those annual health plan options and costs.

What is the State Group Health Insurance Program?
The State Group Health Insurance program is an employer-sponsored program offering group health insurance to employees of state agencies, UW System, UW Hospital and Clinics Authority and participating local government employers.

The UW System does not determine the benefits, premiums, employee premium contributions or which health plans are offered. Changes for 2018 are expected to be approved by the Group Insurance Board (GIB) on August 30, 2017.

Who decides how much I have to pay for health insurance premium contributions?
The health plans submit premium bids to the Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) each July for the following year. The bids and required claims data is examined by the Group Insurance Board’s (GIB) actuaries and negotiations are conducted by ETF. The GIB must approve the premium rates for each health plan.

While most employees do not pay the full premium cost, the full premium cost does impact the amount of the employee monthly premium contribution. Each year, the monthly amount that employees are required to pay for health insurance is established by the state Division of Personnel Management (DPM). DPM determines the employee contribution towards premium based on the provisions in Wis. Stat. § 40.05 (4) (ag) and (ah). For most employees, the monthly premium contribution may not exceed 12 percent of the average premium cost of plans offered in each premium tier.

What are premium tiers?
ETF assigns each health plan to one of three premium tiers based on the relative efficiency with which a plan is able to provide the benefits and the quality of care that is required by the GIB. Plans are given extra credit in the tier assignment process if they scored well on measures of quality, patient safety, and customer satisfaction.

For most full-time employees, your monthly health insurance premium contributions are based upon the Tier in which your health plan is placed. A plan’s Tier may change from year to year but there will always be at least one Tier 1 plan offered in your area.

Who administers the State Group Health Insurance Program?
The Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) and the Group Insurance Board (GIB) have statutory authority for program administration and oversight [Wis Stat § 15.165 (2) and 40.03(6)]. All health plans follow GIB guidelines for eligibility and program requirements. The health plans (except the Access Plan and Access HDHP) all offer the same benefit package called Uniform Benefits (as well as the option of electing Uniform Dental coverage for a small additional cost) and compete in an annual competitive premium rates bid process.

Who decides what’s covered under the State Group Health Insurance Program?
The GIB generally determines the coverage offered by the health plans, however, the program must also comply with applicable state and federal laws. The GIB has a fiduciary responsibility to administer the program in accordance with state statute. The GIB decisions are based on ETF recommendations, GIB actuaries and other guidance.

Who decides which health insurance carriers are offered?
In today’s environment, the health plan decides if they want to participate in the State Group Health Insurance program and determines the counties in which they will offer plan providers.
The health plans must meet strict contractual requirements and their participation is authorized annually by the GIB if they meet the required criteria. If a health plan leaves the program, its members must select a new health plan during ABE.

Who is on the Group Insurance Board (GIB)?
The GIB is an eleven-member board that meet specified membership requirements. The GIB sets policy and oversees administration of the group health, life insurance and Income Continuation Insurance plans for state and UW employees and retirees and the group health and life insurance plans for local employers who choose to offer them. The Board also can provide other insurance plans, if employees pay the entire premium.

For more information about the GIB, please click here.

What is the role of the Legislative Joint Finance Committee (JFC)?
The 2017-2019 executive state budget included a requirement that any contracts for a self-insured health insurance program must be submitted to the JFC for review. The JFC then has a 21-day during which the JFC must decide if they will act to reject or modify the contracts.

The State of Wisconsin currently administers three self-insured benefit programs: pharmacy, Uniform Dental and the state-wide Access Health Plan. The other health plans currently offered are not self-insured (they are “fully-insured”). Because the JFC rejected the contracts for a self-insured health insurance program, all health plans, including the Access Plan, will be fully-insured in 2018. The pharmacy and Uniform Dental will remain self-insured.

Source: UW System Office of Human Resources & Workforce Diversity

The Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) has announced that six health plans will not be participating in the State Group Health Insurance Program in 2018.  Of the six health plans no longer available in 2018, four currently provide coverage in Northeast Wisconsin:

• Anthem Blue Preferred Northeast
• Arise Health Plan
• Humana Eastern
• United Healthcare of Wisconsin

Employees currently enrolled in these plans will be required to elect a new health plan during the annual open enrollment period, which will occur October 2 – October 27, 2017 for January 1, 2018 coverage.

Pending approval by the Group Insurance Board, the health plans available in our area for 2018 will be:

• Dean Health Insurance-Prevea 360
• Network Health
• Security Health Plan-Valley
• WEA Trust-East

Please see ETF’s website for additional information, including a Q&A Guide for 2018 Health Plans.  The health plans that will not be participating in 2018 will be sending out notifications to members later this week.  Our office will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.  In the meantime, please contact payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu or 920-465-2390 with any questions.

ETF is offering a series of 30-minute, live, interactive webinars designed to increase your understanding of Wisconsin Retirement System benefits.  Individuals can also ask questions at the end of sessions.

Additional Contributions- Find out how making additional contributions to your WRS account can potentially increase your retirement. This webinar also provides examples of how contributions grow over time with interest, how to pay additional contributions (payroll deduction or direct pay), etc.

• Tues, Aug 1, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Mon, Aug 7, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Mon, Aug 21, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Thurs, Aug 31, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Annuity Options- This webinar will help to increase your understanding of the WRS annuity options available to you at retirement. ETF will also explain the difference between a beneficiary and a named survivor.

• Wed, Aug 2, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Thurs, Aug 10, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Wed, Aug 23, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Thurs, Aug 31, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

WRS Retirement Benefit Calculation Methods- This webinar will explain the methods used for benefit calculations and the components of each method. Anyone who has requested or is planning to request an estimate will have a better understanding of how that amount was calculated.

• Tues, Aug 1, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Fri, Aug 11, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Tues, Aug 15, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Thurs, Aug 31, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Register for a Webinar

Please contact Human Resources at (920) 465-2390 or payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu with any questions.

The Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) has announced a slight decrease for 2018 Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) contribution rates effective January 1, 2018. According to ETF, the 2018 contribution rate changes are primarily due to higher favorable WRS Trust Fund investment performance.  In general, when trust fund investment earnings are greater than expected, contribution rates may decrease the following year.  When earnings are lower than expected, rates may increase to make up for the shortfall. Changes in WRS contribution rates are designed to be stable, with investment returns for the Core Fund smoothed over a five-year period.

WRS contribution rates are set annually by the ETF Board, upon review of its consulting actuary’s annual valuation of the system and its funding requirements.  The total rates are generally split evenly between employees and employers and adjusted annually.

Your contribution rate is determined by your WRS employment category. Most UW employees are covered by the General/Teacher WRS category. High level administrators (chancellors, president, vice presidents, provosts) are covered by the Executive category.  Employees whose main duties are related to law enforcement or the protection of the public (police officers, fire fighters) are covered by the Protective category.

The 2018 rates will apply to all paychecks paid in 2018, beginning on the January 2, 2018 for Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited Appointees paid monthly, and January 4, 2018 for University Staff paid bi-weekly.  As a reminder, WRS contributions are taken on a pre-tax basis for state and federal purposes.

For More Information:

• Sign up for ETF’s webinar, WRS Employee and Employer Contribution Rates
• Review ETF’s brochure, Your Benefit Handbook
• Review ETF’s webpage, WRS Contribution Rate History, which shows WRS employer and employee contribution rates since 1989.

 

 

 

 

 

The UW offers a variety of term life insurance plans for employees to consider.  Participation and coverage amounts will vary by individual depending on specific life circumstances and age.  See UW Life Insurance Plans for eligibility, coverage levels and premiums.

How Much Life Insurance do you Need?

For information to help decide life insurance needs, see the article How Much Life Insurance is Enough? Use the insurance needs calculator referenced in the article. These resources may help decide how much life insurance is needed at different times during your career.

Enrollment Opportunities

• New Employee/Newly Eligible – New employees and newly eligible employees are offered the opportunity to enroll in the life insurance plans offered by the UW. There may be opportunities during your career to make changes to coverage.

• Continuing Employee – If employees did not enroll in life insurance as a new employee or newly eligible employee, or did not enroll in all the available plans, they may be able to enroll during their career if they have a qualifying life event such as the birth or adoption of a child, marriage, divorce.  See Family Status Change for details.  An Employment Change may also provide an enrollment opportunity.Employees may also be eligible to enroll through Evidence of Insurability (EOI), which requires medical underwriting. Cancellation or reduction of coverage is also available and appropriate for some individuals.It is important for employees to revisit their life insurance plan participation, coverage and premium levels throughout their active employment as insurance needs change.

• Terminating or Retiring Employee – While the UW life insurance plans provide coverage during an employee’s working life, continued coverage upon termination or retirement from the UW is not guaranteed.  Employees may have either a conversion or continuation option for the UW life insurance plans. Not all plans offer these options.

Conversion vs Continuation

When continuing a life insurance plan typically former employees will continue as a group member.  Depending on the employee’s circumstances, this may be a more economical choice than converting the insurance plan.

When converting a current life insurance plan typically employees will convert to an individual policy.  This choice is typically more costly than continuation.

UW Life Insurance Plans and Conversion or Continuation Options Offered

(All plans are term life insurance.  Benefits are payable only for covered events while coverage is in effect) 

	State Group Life	Individual & Family Life	UW Employees, Inc. Life	Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)	University Insurance Association (UIA)  Life
Options Upon Termination from Employment (not retirement)	Conversion; Continuation of employee coverage if employee has 20 plus years of WRS service.	Conversion to individual policy.	Conversion to individual policy.	Conversion to individual policy.	Conversion; Continuation if the termination is due to disability as outlined in the plan certificate.
Options Upon Retirement	Continuation of employee coverage; conversion of Spouse/DP & Dependent coverage.	Conversion to individual policy.	Conversion to individual policy.	Continuation of group policy.	Continuation of group policy or conversion to individual policy (employee choice).

 

For information on life insurance enrollment, conversion or continuation and the associated enrollment deadlines, visit the UW System Employee Benefits website.

Contact Human Resources at (920) 465-2390 or payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu with any questions.

Source: UW Service Center

ETF is offering a series of 30-minute, live, interactive webinars designed to increase your understanding of Wisconsin Retirement System benefits.  Individuals can also ask questions at the end of sessions.

5 Basic Steps to Your Retirement- Consider this webinar your quick reference guide to starting the retirement process within the next 12 months. ETF will review: choosing a termination date, how to request a retirement estimate – and how to read and understand it. ETF will also cover how to schedule a retirement appointment and – drum roll here — how to submit the retirement application.

• Fri, July 7, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Wed, July 12, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Thurs, July 20, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Mon, July 31, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Beneficiary Designations- What Happens to My Account When I Die- Do you have a beneficiary designation on file with ETF and does it reflect how you would want your WRS death benefits paid? This webinar reviews the importance of having a beneficiary designation on file and keeping it updated as life events occur. ETF will also review how to correctly complete a designation form, what it means if you do not have one on file with ETF, and how to request a copy of your current form.

• Thurs, July 13, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Tues, July 18, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Wed, July 26, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Mon, July 31, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Overview of the Wisconsin Retirement System- This webinar will cover participation in the Wisconsin Retirement System, how the WRS is funded and what benefits are available under the WRS. A brief overview of the Core and Variable Trust Funds and how the WRS is structured are included.

• Tues, July 11, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Fri, July 21, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Wed, July 26, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Mon, July 31, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Register for a Webinar

Please contact Human Resources at (920) 465-2390 or payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu with any questions.