BenefitMe! January 2024 Newsletter
“Celebrate endings — for they precede new beginnings.” Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Your quarterly resource for university benefits news and updates
With the passing of another holiday season and the start of a new year, this newsletter includes benefit reminders and updates along with other helpful resources to help you kick off 2024 with a bang. This issue features:
January To-Do List Reminders
- Review your January pay stub carefully. Beginning Jan. 5, your pay stub will reflect the benefits you elected during Annual Enrollment for 2024. Make sure the deductions are correct and everything looks as it should, including your HSA contribution amounts. If something doesn’t look right or you have questions, reach out to benefits@uidaho.edu.
- Don’t leave money on the table! If you have any balances remaining in your Health Care Flexible Spending Account or a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account from 2023, don’t forget to submit your claims for reimbursement. You forfeit any unused funds in your accounts, so make sure to submit any outstanding claims for the 2023 calendar year by March 31, 2024.
- Review your beneficiary information. This is a good time of year to double-check that the beneficiaries you have listed for your life insurance, HSA, FSA and retirement accounts are accurate and current. To verify or update who is listed on your life insurance, log in to VandalWeb and navigate to Employees > myBenefits. To verify or update beneficiary information for any other benefits, contact the applicable benefit plan administrator. Contact information for each plan administrator is listed on pages 52-53 of your 2024 Benefits Guide.
Jump-Start Your Health in 2024 With Wondr Health
Are you struggling with stress and anxiety, managing your weight, or getting enough sleep? Then turn to Wondr Health for an easier way to live healthier and happier. Wondr Health’s digital platform provides a behavioral science-based program to teach you skills that will easily fit into your daily routine for long-lasting, real results. The program is unique as it’s built around you and your needs — not the other way around. You and your eligible dependents currently enrolled in a university medical plan can enroll in Wondr Health.
Register between Jan. 22 and Feb. 5 for the next Wondr Health session. The next session begins Feb. 12. Don’t miss your opportunity to take advantage of this life-changing program! To register and get started, visit wondrhealth.com/uofi.
The university offers additional programs and resources to help you take charge of your health. Complete this online questionnaire to determine which resources might be helpful to you
Check Out the New and Improved Blue Cross Member Website
Blue Cross of Idaho launched a new member website. You can now visit members.bcidaho.com to easily view important plan details and manage your health care from any device — anytime, anywhere. Some new site features include:
- Updated login and registration
- Personalized dashboard
- Streamlined claim tracking
- Easy access to plan coverage and benefit details
- Ability to easily manage your profile
Visit members.bcidaho.com via your phone, tablet or computer to take control and manage your benefits, your way. You can also check out this short video about the redesigned site.
But wait — there’s more! Watch your mail for new member ID cards that will arrive from Blue Cross of Idaho in April 2024. Use your current member ID card until your new one arrives. Once you receive your new member ID card, throw away your old one
Make a Mental Health New Year’s Resolution
Make 2024 the year of prioritizing your mental health, just like you prioritize your physical health. Whether you’re dealing with stress, depression, anxiety or other mental health struggles, the university wants you to know that you don’t have to go it alone. Watch for these signs that may indicate you or a loved one is facing an emotional crisis:
- A clear and abrupt change in behavior, appearance or routine
- Loss of interest in activities
- Withdrawal from social events and relationships
- Decline in work-product quality
- Dramatic mood swings
- Frequent substance use
If these signs sound familiar, know that the university provides these resources to help:
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP): As a benefits-eligible employee, you and your family members can access FREE and confidential in-person and telephonic counseling sessions as well as online, self-help resources. To connect with a counselor and begin receiving care, call 800-999-1077 or visit eaphelplink.com (company code: UI1).
- TELUS Health CBT: You also have access to TELUS Health CBT, which provides online support anytime, anywhere. This internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy program is available to you and your family at no cost. It teaches you how to understand and begin to change your thoughts, feelings and behaviors for the better. To connect by phone or video with a licensed professional, visit uidaho.abiliticbtus.com/home.
You also have access to mental health and substance abuse benefits through the university’s medical plan benefits. Please refer to this brochure for more information.
What You Told Us
It’s important to the university to provide you and your family with benefits and resources that help you stay happy, healthy and financially secure. Last September, we conducted a series of online employee focus groups to determine how we’re doing. All employees were invited to participate in an online focus group, and all responses were anonymous. Here’s a summary of what you told us.
If you didn’t get a chance to participate in a focus group and would like to share feedback, please email benefits@uidaho.edu.
Have you viewed this video about your benefits?
Go Brave and Bold With Us
We offer great benefits to keep you healthy and well as you help prepare the next generation of Vandals.