5 Things You Need to Know for 2014

Transcription

1 AffordAble CAre ACt Newsletter ANd NotiCe A PUBLICATION OF CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY HUMAN RESOURCES SEPTEMBER 2013 MAkiNg HeAltHCAre reform easy Healthcare reform, the Affordable Care Act, or the ACA no matter what you call it, it s complex! This newsletter will boil it down to what matters, provide tips to decrease your need for healthcare and offer resources where you can learn more. Read on and share this with your friends and family. The ACA affects nearly all Americans, and we are committed to keeping you informed. what s HAppeNed so far Since the law was signed, Creighton has been making changes to our medical benefits, such as: 2011 You can cover dependent children to age 26 on our medical, dental and vision plans. You need a prescription to be reimbursed for drugs (except insulin) from Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts Your Form W-2 shows the value of your healthcare coverage. It does not change the amount of income taxes you pay. You can get a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) that explains your health plan in plain language. Each SBC uses the same format so you can easily compare medical plans and choose what is best for you. To review the current SBCs, go to The annual Health Flexible Spending Account contribution limit changed from $5,000 to $2,500. In-network preventive healthcare services are covered at no cost. Go to for details. The ACA has a lot of parts, and some of the changes resulting from the law take effect on January 1, So what will the ACA mean to you in the future? Take a quick look at what s next. 1

2 five things to know for 2014 When you re ringing in the New Year on January 1, some of the parts of healthcare reform will take effect. Here are five things you need to know for Medical Coverage is required individual Mandate Nearly all Americans must have medical coverage or pay a tax penalty. The tax penalty in 2014 is $95 or 1% of family income, whichever is greater. You can get medical coverage through: A Creighton University medical plan or another group plan, such as your spouse s plan, during annual benefits enrollment; A government-sponsored plan, such as Medicaid, Medicare, the Children s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or TRICARE; or The health insurance marketplace/exchange (see #3 on this page) full-time equals 30 Hours With the ACA, a full-time employee is someone who averages at least 30 hours per week. Creighton s benefit-eligible definition is more inclusive than the ACA, so those who work at least 20 hours per week are eligible for health insurance and other benefits. Health insurance Marketplaces/exchanges You can satisfy the individual mandate by enrolling in a Creighton University medical plan. Others will need to get medical coverage through a health insurance marketplace, sometimes called an exchange. Marketplaces will be administered by the state or federal government. Individuals can use the marketplaces to buy medical coverage from different insurance companies at different prices. Enrollment starts October 1, payment Assistance for Medical insurance Individuals who can t get minimum essential coverage at an affordable price through their employer may be able to get help from the government, such as a federal tax credit. However, all Creighton University benefitseligible employees will have access to affordable coverage and will not be eligible for government help. Some employees who are not benefits-eligible may qualify for Medicaid due to state expansion of this program. Note: Nebraska DID NOT expand Medicaid eligibility. women s preventive Care United Healthcare will administer coverage and payment of FDA-approved contraceptive methods for women at no cost. Besides contraceptives, other services will be covered under the UHC administered policy. More information will be sent by UHC to eligible policy holders in the coming months. Creighton University will not arrange or fund this coverage in line with final regulations under the religious employer exemption. For more information on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act go to CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY 2

3 the real secret to AffordAble HeAltH CAre It s a simple fact. If you take good care of your health, you ll need less medical care. And it doesn t take a complicated new law to make that happen! Try these easy tips for feeling your best: tip #4: eat right Eating your vegetables is good for you. So are lean proteins, whole grains, fresh fruit, and low-fat dairy products. Do the math. The best combination of foods for a healthy plate is to fill half of it with fruits and vegetables, one fourth with whole grains, and the last fourth with protein. Check out the Choose My Plate website ( for tips and hints on how to eat healthy. tip #1: preventive Care is good for your Health and wallet Stay on top of preventive care so you can stop illness before it stops you. Creighton makes it easy and free! You pay no out-of-pocket costs when you get preventive care from an in-network provider. To review the preventive care guidelines for yourself and your family, go to tip #2: free simplywell screening and wellness programs Choose Myplate.gov Share your SimplyWell screening report with your physician at your next preventive exam and develop a plan of action. Creighton s Wellness Program offers a variety of free or low cost offerings to educate, motivate, and get your health on track. tip 5: Move it, Move it, Move it Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself! Working out 30 minutes a day, most days of the week, is an easy way to: tip #3: rest easy and reduce your risks Reduce stress and improve your mood; Maintain a healthy weight or lose weight; Prevent disease; Boost your energy; Sleep better; and Feel good about yourself! Good sleep does more than get rid of dark circles under your eyes! When you sleep enough generally eight hours a night for most adults you reduce your risk of colds, flu, and more serious illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. Benefits-eligible staff and faculty have free access to the Campus Recreation centers, but even a 30 minute walk around our beautiful campus will improve your mood. Grab a co-worker and get out there! AF FORDABL E CARE ACT 3

4 New Health insurance Marketplace Coverage options and your Health Coverage Form Approved OMB No (expires ) part A: general information When key parts of the health care law take effect in 2014, there will be a new way to buy health insurance: the Health Insurance Marketplace. To assist you as you evaluate options for you and your family, this notice provides some basic information about the new Marketplace and employment -based health coverage offered by your employer. what is the Health insurance Marketplace? The Marketplace is designed to help you find health insurance that meets your needs and fits your budget. The Marketplace offers one-stop shopping to find and compare private health insurance options. You may also be eligible for a new kind of tax credit that lowers your monthly premium right away. Open enrollment for health insurance coverage through the Marketplace begins in October 2013 for coverage starting as early as January 1, Can i save Money on my Health insurance premiums in the Marketplace? You may qualify to save money and lower your monthly premium, but only if your employer does not offer coverage, or offers coverage that doesn't meet certain standards. The savings on your premium that you're eligible for depends on your household income. does employer Health Coverage Affect eligibility for premium savings through the Marketplace? Yes. If you have an offer of health coverage from your employer that meets certain standards, you will not be eligible for a tax credit through the Marketplace and may wish to enroll in your employer's health plan. However, you may be eligible for a tax credit that lowers your monthly premium, or a reduction in certain cost-sharing if your employer does not offer coverage to you at all or does not offer coverage that meets certain standards. If the cost of a plan from your employer that would cover you (and not any other members of your family) is more than 9.5% of your household income for the year, or if the coverage your employer provides does not meet the minimum value standard set by the Affordable Care Act, you may be eligible for a tax credit. 1 Note: If you purchase a health plan through the Marketplace instead of accepting health coverage offered by your employer, then you may lose the employer contribution (if any) to the employer-offered coverage. Also, this employer contribution as well as your employee contribution to employer-offered coverage is often excluded from income for Federal and State income tax purposes. Your payments for coverage through the Marketplace are made on an after-tax basis. How Can i get More information? For more information about coverage offered by your employer, please check your summary plan description or contact a member of the Benefits Team in Creighton University s Human Resources Department call The Marketplace can help you evaluate your coverage options, including your eligibility for coverage through the Marketplace and its cost. Please visit HealthCare.gov for more information, including an online application for health insurance coverage and contact information for a Health Insurance Marketplace in your area. 1 An employer-sponsored health plan meets the "minimum value standard" if the plan's share of the total allowed benefit costs covered by the plan is no less than 60 percent of such costs. 4

5 part b: information About Health Coverage offered by your employer This section contains information about any health coverage offered by your employer. If you decide to complete an application for coverage in the Marketplace, you will be asked to provide this information. This information is numbered to correspond to the Marketplace application. Here is some basic information about health coverage offered by this employer: As your employer, we offer a health plan to: All employees. 3 Some employees. Eligible employees are: Employees who are in a benefit-eligible position and are scheduled to work at least 20 hours per week are eligible for health coverage. With respect to dependents: 3 We do offer coverage. Eligible dependents are: Your legally married spouse (as defined under Nebraska law), and you or your Spouse s child who is under age 26, including a natural child, stepchild, a legally adopted child, a child placed for adoption or a child for whom you or your Spouse are the legal guardian; or an unmarried child age 26 or over who is or becomes disabled and dependent upon you. We do not offer coverage. 3 If checked, this coverage meets the minimum value standard, and the cost of this coverage to you is intended to be affordable, based on employee wages. ** Even if your employer intends your coverage to be affordable, you may still be eligible for a premium discount through the Marketplace. The Marketplace will use your household income, along with other factors, to determine whether you may be eligible for a premium discount. If, for example, your wages vary from week to week (perhaps you are an hourly employee or you work on a commission basis), if you are newly employed mid-year, or if you have other income losses, you may still qualify for a premium discount. If you decide to shop for coverage in the Marketplace, HealthCare.gov will guide you through the process. 5

6 2500 California Plaza Omaha, Nebraska Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA, NE PERMIT NO. 227 ACA HeAltH insurance MArketplACe NotiCe enclosed what s Next? No questions about it, the ACA is one of the largest healthcare laws in history. We ve already seen changes as a result and there are more to come. Here s what will happen later this year. when Now through october 3 october 1 November 6 November 7 November 22 January 1, 2014 what will HAppeN Complete the SimplyWell online health questionnaire and get screened for free. Share the results with your doctor and define an action plan. ACA Marketplace opens for those who don t have access to employer plans. (see page 2 for more information) Benefits Fair at Skutt Ballroom 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Open enrollment begins log on to make your 2014 elections Open enrollment ends Solution Center closes at 6:00 p.m. CST New plan year for Creighton benefits begins f o r i N q u i r i e s C o N ta C t H u M A N r e s o u r C e s 2222 b u r t s t r e e t H C r e i g H to N. e d u