Each year benefits-eligible employees anticipate information about next year’s benefits, which typically includes the news that monthly costs are going up.
But, this year, there is some good news — only one of the health plan options is going to cost more in 2009; the cost for
the other two options is staying the same as in 2008.
Also, people who elect the Aetna Choice option for 2009 will enjoy a higher
amount deposited into their Health Reimbursement Arrangement. In fact, the
changes to the Aetna Choice option will be so significant in 2009 that the
Benefits Office is changing that option’s name to “Aetna HealthFund.”
“In May we proposed a plan to the Health Care Cost Containment Committee to lower
the deductible in the Aetna HealthFund option and increase the Health
Reimbursement Arrangement, so the gap that participants must cover before the
plan pays coinsurance will be much smaller,” said Jane Bruce, HR director, Benefits Administration.
Employees’ monthly costs for the BlueCross Advantage P option will rise between 5 percent
and 11 percent, depending on the tier (employee-only, employee and children,
employee and spouse/partner, or family).
“The cost of the BlueCross option is increasing because that is the plan in which
most of our faculty and staff are enrolled and where utilization is higher. It
is simple math — we must raise the rates to coincide with more use.
“On a yearly basis faculty and staff should explore their health care needs and
determine which is the best health plan option from those that are available,” Bruce said.
Changes to the health plan and other benefits are effective Jan. 1 2009.
Employees elect 2009 benefits during Open Enrollment, Oct. 1–15. The Benefits Fair, where employees can get answers to their benefits
questions from benefits administrators and vendors, is scheduled for Sept. 25
at the
Student Life Center. Open Enrollment will be online again this year and
informational packets will be mailed in September.
Other benefits elected during Open Enrollment are dental; vision; short-term
disability; accidental death and dismemberment; and personal spending accounts
(PSAs). There are no changes planned for the coverage of these benefits at this
time.
Benefits information, including Open Enrollment benefits information as it is
updated, can be found on the Human Resources Web site.
Vanderbilt Medical Center is banning smoking on campus by staff, patients,
visitors and contract employees, effective Sept. 1.
The ban follows a series of increased restrictions on campus smoking, beginning
in 1989 with a ban on indoor smoking. Designated outside smoking areas were
established on campus in the 1990s, and enforcement of the designated areas has
been stepped up in recent years.
The coming ban has brought to the forefront many ongoing, and some new,
resources available for staff and faculty who want to stop using tobacco.
The following list of resources was provided by Vanderbilt Health and Wellness. Vanderbilt offers a variety of resources to support smokers who want to quit. Visit the Health and Wellness Web site at www.healthandwellness.vanderbilt.edu to find the appropriate option. A 24-hour a day quit line will be announced
soon.
Medical resources
See your Primary Care Provider for help. Your PCP can provide counseling, advice on nicotine replacement and may
prescribe medicine to help you quit. Find a provider by calling 936-MYMD
(6963.)
Vanderbilt’s Occupational Health clinicians provide counseling and medication to help faculty and staff quit
smoking at no cost. Whether you see OHC or your PCP, you can obtain up to two
months of medications by enrolling in Occupational Health’s Quit Rx program. The program covers Chantix, nicotine patches and Zyban. Call 936-0955
to schedule an appointment or visit: www.occhealth.vanderbilt.edu.
The Kim Dayani Center offers an eight week program including counseling and medication, on-site or in your department (if
there are four or more individuals who want to attend). The $300 program is
covered by the Vanderbilt health care plan; for benefits-eligible faculty/staff
not on the health plan, the cost of the program is reimbursed by Health Plus. To register call Barbara Forbes, M.S., A.P.N., G.N.P., at 322-4751 or e-mail barbara.forbes@vanderbilt.edu.
Support resources
Nicotine Anonymous support group at Vanderbilt. Call Work/Life Connections-EAP at 936-1327 for more information. It’s hard to quit…get the support of others who understand.
One-on-One Coaching. Get support and encouragement as you work toward your wellness goal. Make an
appointment with a Health Plus Wellness Coach at the front desk or by calling
343-8943.
Stress management. Learn relaxation techniques and stress resilience from a counselor at Work/Life
Connections-EAP. Make an appointment by calling 936-1327.
Self-Help resources
Obtain a copy of “The No Nag, No Guilt, Do it Your Own Way, Guide to Quitting Smoking” by award-winning medical writer Tom Ferguson, M.D. Call Health Plus to receive a
copy at 343-8943 or e-mail health.plus@vanderbilt.edu.
Online support is available at www.trytostop.org where you can use the free online Quit Wizard to track your progress and get
helpful tips along the way.
Resources for managers:
Manager tool-kit: Work/Life Connections-EAP provides tool-kits designed to help managers give
support to staff and colleagues making the transition to a smoke-free life.
Facts sheet for managers. Get a useful facts sheet to help you understand what you can do to support
others who want to quit.
PeopleFinder update under way
The compilation process is beginning for the next edition of the Vanderbilt
University Directory.
The information for the directory is pulled from the online PeopleFinder
application. It’s important that the information be accurate, so all employees are being asked
to check their individual listing.
The following information from PeopleFinder will be listed in the directory.
• Name
• E-mail Address
• Department Name
• Department Phone Number
• Location
Please review this information in PeopleFinder to ensure that it is accurate. If
you need to update your information you can log in using your VUnetID and
ePassword. Once in the application, select the Personal Update link. The
following fields can be updated:
• Phone Number
• Voice Mail Number
• Fax Number
• Titles
• Location
• Delivery Address
You should contact the person who is responsible for your department’s listings if any other changes are needed or if you experience problems. To
find your department’s responsible person:
• Under “Department Search” (on the left hand side of the page) enter the Department Name.
• Click the “Find” button.
• There will be a “View” button on the left side of the name.
• Click the “View” button and the directory-responsible person’s name will be listed on the page with the department information.
