* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. WAITING. THEY'LL [00:00:01] THAT WE QUEUE THEM AND THEN THEY START RECORDING. UNDERSTOOD. GOOD AFTERNOON, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD [Healthcare Information on September 23, 2024.] AND GET STARTED. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. THIS IS THE SECOND OF TWO DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS. SO THE FIRST PRESENTATION THAT WE DID LAST WEEK WAS MORE ON HEALTHCARE AND LOGGING IN, AND THAT IS AVAILABLE ON EMPLOYEE ACCESS. AND EMAIL WAS ALSO SENT OUT WITH A PRESENTATION ON THERE AS WELL. UM, AND SO THIS PRESENTATION IS ON ALL OF THE OTHER BENEFITS THAT ARE OFFERED DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT, AND I HAVE TOM ROBERTS HERE WITH ALLIANT, WHO'S GOING TO WALK US THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION. SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO HIM NOW. I, HI EVERYBODY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M GRATEFUL TO BE WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON. I HOPE THAT THIS IS HELPFUL TO ALL OF YOU IN MAKING YOUR BENEFIT DECISIONS FOR THE YEAR. UM, HOPEFULLY THERE'LL BE SOME GOOD TAKEAWAYS FROM TODAY'S DISCUSSION THAT YOU CAN SHARE, UH, WITH YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, UM, IN TERMS OF MAKING GOOD DECISIONS FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR BENEFITS. SO AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA BE COVERING ALL THE NON-MEDICAL BENEFITS THAT ARE OFFERED THROUGH THE CITY. THESE INCLUDE THINGS LIKE DENTAL VISION, BUT WE'LL GET RIGHT INTO IT. UM, AND, UH, WE'LL GET STARTED. SO THIS IS YOUR OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD. IT STARTED LAST MONDAY, AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE 10TH OF OCTOBER. AND THIS IS THE ONE TIME OF YEAR THAT YOU CAN MAKE BENEFIT CHANGES. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY DO, UM, OTHER THAN OPEN ENROLLMENT GENERALLY. UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT QUALIFY YOU FOR MAKING CHANGES, BUT I'LL COVER THAT IN JUST A SECOND. BUT BASICALLY, THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR THAT YOU CAN SWITCH TO DIFFERENT PLANS. YOU CAN ADD OR DROP DEPENDENCE. YOU CAN CHANGE A, A DIFFERENT, UH, COVERAGE. UM, THE FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT IS IMPORTANT. YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR THAT EACH YEAR. YOU CAN ALSO SIGN UP FOR VOLUNTARY BENEFITS. WHO'S ELIGIBLE FOR YOUR BENEFITS? YOU'RE ELIGIBLE IF YOU'RE A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE WORKING 48 HOURS A WEEK. IT ALSO INCLUDES YOUR DEPENDENTS. THIS INCLUDES YOUR SPOUSE, YOUR DOMESTIC PARTNER, YOUR CHILDREN. UM, THIS ALSO INCLUDES NATURAL ADOPTED OR STEPCHILDREN. AND AGAIN, GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHILDREN, THESE ARE CHILDREN UP TO AGE 26. THERE ARE SOME UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THAT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. ALRIGHT, IN TERMS OF CHANGING YOUR BENEFITS WHEN IT'S NOT OPEN ENROLLMENT, THERE ARE A FEW CIRCUMSTANCES DURING THE YEAR WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY MAKE A CHANGE. THESE INCLUDE THINGS LIKE GETTING MARRIED, HAVING CHILDREN, UM, MAYBE YOU, UH, HAVE A, A DEPENDENT THAT LIVES IN A DIFFERENT AREA AND THAT CHANGES THEIR NETWORK STATUS, AND THAT WOULD, UH, BE A QUALIFYING EVENT FOR THAT. SO IN GENERAL, YOUR SELECTIONS ARE LOCKED IN FOR THE YEAR, UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT OPEN ENROLLMENT. BUT IF YOU DO HAVE ONE OF THESE QUALIFYING EVENTS, LEASE CONTACT HR, THEY CAN HELP YOU WITH WHAT YOUR OPTIONS ARE AT THAT TIME. THERE ARE SOME OPEN ENROLLMENT RESOURCES THAT THE CITY WILL BE DISTRIBUTING TO YOU. UM, ONE OF THESE IS THE BENEFITS GUIDE. THIS WILL BE COMING OUT SHORTLY, SO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THAT. IN ADDITION TO THIS PRESENTATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE TODAY, THE BENEFITS GUIDE HAS A LOT OF USEFUL INFORMATION THAT ARE HELPFUL TO YOU IN TERMS OF MAKING YOUR BENEFIT DECISIONS. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THAT OVER AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD SHARE WITH YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL. SO WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT A, A NUMBER OF BENEFITS TODAY. THEY'RE LISTED UP ON THE SCREEN. THESE INCLUDE THINGS LIKE YOUR DENTAL PLANS, VISION PLANS, FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS, LIFE, VOLUNTARY LIFE LONG-TERM, DISABILITY ACCIDENT INSURANCE, CRITICAL ILLNESS INSURANCE, AND EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, OR EAP, A NEW PLAN CALLED THE METLIFE LEGAL PROGRAM, AND THEN PET BENEFIT INSURANCE. SO LET'S START WITH THE DENTAL PLANS. HIGH LEVEL, YOU HAVE TWO BENEFIT CHOICES THROUGH DELTA DENTAL. ONE IS KNOWN AS THE DELTA DENTAL DHMO PLAN. THE OTHER IS THE PPO PLAN. IN GENERAL, YOUR BENEFITS THROUGH DENTAL COVERAGE COVER FOUR TYPES OF CARE. THOSE INCLUDE PREVENTATIVE CARE. THOSE ARE THINGS LIKE YOUR CHECKUPS, YOUR CLEANINGS, AND X-RAYS. BASIC CARE, WHICH ARE THINGS LIKE YOUR FILLINGS, ROOT CANALS, GUM DISEASE, TREATMENT, MAJOR CARE. THOSE ARE THINGS LIKE BRIDGES, CROWNS, AND DENTURES. AND THEN THERE'S ORTHODONTIA. SO UP ON THE SCREEN, YOU'RE GONNA SEE YOUR BENEFITS. AGAIN, THESE ARE ALSO GONNA BE IN YOUR BENEFITS GUIDE IF YOU CAN'T SEE THIS TOO WELL. SO JUST KNOW THAT THESE ARE HIGH LEVEL, WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE BETWEEN THE TWO PLANS. ON THE LEFT SIDE IS THE DELTA DENTAL DHMO PLAN, AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS THE PPO PLAN. SO I'M GONNA START WITH THE DHMO PLAN. THAT PLAN IS A SMALLER NETWORK OF DENTISTS. SO YOU HAVE TO USE AN IN-NETWORK DENTIST THROUGH THE DHMO, SIMILAR TO THOSE OF YOU THAT USE AN HMO FOR MEDICAL CARE [00:05:01] WITH THE DHMO, YOU HAVE TO STAY WITHIN DELTA'S NETWORK. THAT PRIMARY CARE DENTIST WILL DIRECT YOUR CARE, INCLUDING IF YOU NEED TO SEE A SPECIALIST. IT USES WHAT'S KNOWN AS A FEE SCHEDULE. THAT MEANS THAT EVERY DENTAL TREATMENT HAS A CODE AND THERE'S COPAYS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. THERE'S AN ACTUAL BENEFIT SUMMARY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PLAN THAT WILL GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH THINGS COST. THEY VARY BY THE VARIOUS TREATMENTS. HIGH LEVEL, THERE'S NO CALENDAR YEAR MAX, SO YOU CAN KEEP SPENDING. SO YOU GOTTA BE CAREFUL ON THIS PLAN AND ASK MORE QUESTIONS, HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR DENTIST. THEY MAY SUGGEST THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT THINGS IN A PARTICULAR SITTING. HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEM. ASK THEM WHAT THINGS ARE THE THINGS THAT I NEED TO DO THAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT. IT'S SIMILAR TO LIKE TAKING YOUR CAR TO THE AUTOBODY SHOP. BOB, HEY, YEAH, I NEED TO HAVE THREE THINGS DONE ON MY CAR. WELL, WHAT THINGS DO I NEED TO HAVE DONE THAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT? IT'S THE SAME KIND OF CONVERSATION THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOUR DHMO DENTIST. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT I NEED TO HAVE TODAY IN THIS SETTING? AND THEN MAYBE YOU SPACE OUT SOME OF THOSE OTHER TREATMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WHEN THEY MAKE THE MOST SENSE. NOW, IF YOU ARE IN PAIN, PLEASE HAVE THE WORK DONE. DON'T WAIT. ON THE PPO SIDE, YOU HAVE MORE CHOICES. UH, THERE'S THE, THERE'S DIFFERENT, UM, THERE'S CONSIDERED IN-NETWORK AND THERE'S OUT OF NETWORK. IF YOU, AND, AND IN DELTA'S PPO NETWORK, THERE'S THREE TYPES OF DENTISTS. PPO, WHICH IS THE BEST. THOSE, YOU'LL GET THE BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK BY USING A PPO DENTIST. THEN THERE'S PREMIER OR TRULY OUT OF NETWORK, AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT ON THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT WITH A PPO DENTIST, YOU'RE GONNA HIGH HAVE A HIGHER CALENDAR. YOUR MAXIMUM, YOU HAVE $2,100 TO USE ON YOUR VARIOUS DENTAL SERVICES. IF YOU USE A PREMIER OR TRULY OUT OF NETWORK DENTIST, YOU HAVE 2000 TO WORK WITH. SO THAT'S JUST A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE IN THAT. NOW, ONE KEY QUESTION THAT I ALWAYS RECOMMEND THAT YOU ASK A DENTIST IS NOT, HEY, DO YOU GUYS TAKE DELTA DENTAL? MOST DENTISTS WILL SAY YES. WHAT YOU WANT TO ASK IS, ARE YOU PPO OR ARE YOU PREMIER? THAT'S A REALLY KEY THING. SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. NOW, BACK TO THE PPO, AGAIN, CALENDAR YOUR MAXIMUM OF $2,100. THERE IS A DEDUCTIBLE THAT, UH, THAT APPLIES WHEN YOU HAVE MA UH, BASIC OR MAJOR SERVICES DONE. IF YOU'RE JUST HAVING YOUR, YOUR CLEANINGS, WHICH IS CONSIDERED DIAGNOSTIC AND PREVENTIVE WORK, THOSE ARE COVERED AT A HUNDRED PERCENT BASIC SERVICES. THOSE ARE THINGS LIKE FILLINGS AND ROOT CANALS. THOSE ARE COVERED AT 80%. YOU PAY 20 MAJOR WORK, CROWNS, DENTURES, THAT SORT OF THING. THAT'S COVERED AT 50% AND THEN DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT YOU RIGHT NOW? OR PPO? OKAY, STOP IT OFF. I'LL COVER PREMIER IN JUST ONE SECOND. MM-HMM, . AND THEN CONTINUING ON THE PPO SIDE, THERE IS ORTHODONTIA. IT HAS A LIFETIME MAXIMUM FOR ADULT AND CHILDREN OF $1,500. NOW, LIFETIME, IT'S NOT THE SAME AS A CALENDAR. MAXIMUM LIFETIME MEANS KIND OF ONE AND DONE, AND THEN, THEN YOU, THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE. NOW, PREMIER IS MORE OR LESS THE SAME. THE ONLY KEY DIFFERENCE IS THE DEDUCTIBLE AND THE CALENDAR YEAR MAXIMUM. THERE'S A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DEDUCTIBLE FOR THE PREMIER OR TRULY OUT OF NETWORK. AND THEN THE CALENDAR YEAR MAXIMUM IS ONLY 2000. THE BENEFITS WORK THE SAME ON DIAGNOSTIC PREVENTATIVE. IT'S COVERED AT A HUNDRED PERCENT, 80% FOR BASIC SERVICES AND THEN 50% FOR MAJOR SERVICES. THE THING THAT YOU WANT TO THINK OF IS IF YOU HAVE A PPO DENTIST, YOUR YOUR MONEY WILL GO FURTHER. IF YOU HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF WORK DONE WITH PREMIER, THAT'S ALSO VERY GOOD, BUT THOSE DENTISTS ARE CONTRACTED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY, MEANING YOU WILL PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR THE SAME SERVICE THAN IF YOU WERE USING A PPO. WHAT YOU WANT TO TRY TO AVOID IS GOING TRULY OUT OF NETWORK. THOSE DENTISTS CAN BALANCE BILL YOU AND THAT WILL END UP COSTING YOU MORE. SO STICK WITH PPO OR PREMIER AND YOU'LL BE IN GOOD SHAPE. COUPLE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO IN TERMS OF YOUR DENTAL INSURANCE. YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR AN ONLINE ACCOUNT AT DELTA DENTAL INSURANCE IN S.COM. UM, FOR THE DH MO, YOU WILL GET AN ACTUAL ID CARD, BUT WITH THE PPO PLAN, YOU DO NOT GET AN ID CARD. HOWEVER, IF YOU'D LIKE ONE, UM, WANT TO PUT SOMETHING IN YOUR WALLET OR YOUR PURSE, YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND SET UP AN ACCOUNT AND PRINT AN ID CARD THERE. THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF OTHER GREAT SERVICES THAT YOU CAN EXPLORE ON THE WEBSITE, SO WE DO RECOMMEND THAT YOU SET UP AN ACCOUNT AND GET LOGGED IN. IT'S ALSO A GOOD WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR CLAIMS. ANOTHER GOOD TIP THAT YOU CAN DO IN TERMS OF MANAGING YOUR DENTAL CARE IS TO GET A PRE-TREATMENT ESTIMATE. IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ANY DENTAL WORK THAT'S ROUGHLY $300 OR MORE, YOUR DENTIST CAN SUBMIT A ESTIMATE OF EXPENSES TO DELTA DENTAL. DELTA DENTAL WILL SHOOT BACK WHAT THEY WILL COVER, AND THEN YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF HOW [00:10:01] MUCH YOUR COSTS ARE GONNA BE BEFORE YOU HAVE THE DENTAL WORK DONE. I, MYSELF AM ON A BUDGET AS ALL. ARE YOU HAVING THAT KIND OF FIGURED OUT BEFORE I GO AND GET THE DENTAL WORK IS A GOOD IDEA. SO WHENEVER YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MAYBE SAY A CROWN DONE, PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA TO GET A PRE-TREATMENT ESTIMATE DONE BEFORE YOU GET THE WORK DONE. THAT WAY YOU KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA COST. COUPLE OTHER VALUE ADDS WITH DELTA DENTAL, THEY HAVE DISCOUNT PROGRAMS FOR HEARING AIDS AS WELL AS LASIK. UH, AMPLIFON IS THE ONE ON THE LEFT THAT'S THE HEARING AID DISCOUNT AGAINST JUST THE DISCOUNT PROGRAM. BUT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS CAN CALL THE NUMBER OR VISIT THEIR WEBSITE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT NEED HELP WITH. ADDITIONALLY, THEY DO HAVE A LASIK DISCOUNT PROGRAM. AGAIN, I KNOW IT'S DENTAL, BUT THEY DO HAVE A DISCOUNT PROGRAM ON LASIK THROUGH QUAL SITE. THERE'S A NUMBER THAT YOU CAN EXPLORE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DISCOUNT PROGRAM. AND THEN AT THE VERY BOTTOM, THERE'S THE QR CODE AND WEBSITE FOR LIFE PERKS, WHICH OFFERS A, A VARIETY OF DISCOUNTS THAT YOU CAN LOOK UP AND CHECK OUT AND SEE IF THOSE WOULD BE APPLICABLE TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY'S NEEDS. UM, I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL LOOKING FOR A GOOD DEAL ON CERTAIN THINGS. THE LIFE PERKS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA EXPLORE. ONE OTHER, UH, UNIQUE FEATURE OF THE PPO PLAN IS CALLED SMILE WAY. THIS IS A WELLNESS BENEFIT THAT'S PART OF THE PPO PLAN THAT YOU CAN OPT IN IF YOU HAVE OR YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE. SOME OF THESE UNIQUE HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT ARE PUT UP ON THE SCREEN HERE. IF YOU HAVE ANY OF ONE OF THESE OR YOUR FAMILY MEMBER DOES, YOU CAN OPT INTO THIS PROGRAM, WHICH WILL GIVE YOU SOME ADDITIONAL DENTAL SERVICES BY HAVING SOME OF THESE CONDITIONS. NOW THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY APPLY TO THOSE OF US THAT ARE, UH, HEALTHY AND DON'T HAVE ANY OF THESE CONDITIONS, BUT SOME OF YOU OR MAYBE SOME OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE SOME OF THESE CONDITIONS AND THIS WOULD GIVE THEM, GIVE THEM SOME ADDITIONAL BENEFITS. SO DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK INTO THAT IF THAT MIGHT APPLY TO YOU. OKAY, WE'VE COVERED THE TWO DIFFERENT DENTAL PLANS, DHMO AND PPO. NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO VISION CARE. THE CITY OFFERS VISION CARE THROUGH VSP AND THIS IS A, A VISION PROGRAM THAT'S DESIGNED TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR VISION NEEDS. UM, IN ADDITION TO THE ACTUAL PLAN BENEFITS YOU CAN GET, UM, UP TO EXTRA $20 ON CERTAIN FEATURED BRANDS THAT ARE COVERED. UM, IT DOES ALSO HAVE A LASIK BENEFIT, UH, DISCOUNT THAT YOU CAN LOOK INTO AS WELL. AND THEN ICONIC IS AN ONLINE SHOPPING WEBSITE THAT YOU CAN USE. IF YOU'RE NOT, MAYBE YOU DON'T LIKE TO GO TO THE BIG BOX RETAILERS OR YOUR VISION PERSON, UH, YOUR VISION PROVIDER, MAYBE YOU LIKE TO SHOP ONLINE. THIS IS ANOTHER WAY THAT YOU CAN USE YOUR VISION BENEFITS. SO HIGH LEVEL, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF THE VISION PLAN. YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S IN AND OUT OF NETWORK. VSP HAS A VERY LARGE NETWORK OF PROVIDERS, SO WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO ALWAYS USE AN IN-NETWORK PROVIDER. UM, WHEN YOU GO OUT OF NETWORK, THE PLAN WILL PAY FAR LESS. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU STICK WITH SOMEBODY IN NETWORK. THERE'S LOTS OF PROVIDERS TO CHOOSE FROM. SO HIGH LEVEL, WHAT IS THE PLAN? COVER EACH, EACH 12 MONTHS, YOU CAN GET AN EXAM, AN EYE EXAM, AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S GOOD FOR YOUR OVERALL WELLNESS. AND IT'S IMPORTANT EVEN IF MAYBE YOU DON'T NECESSARILY WEAR GLASSES OR CONTACTS AT THIS STAGE, GETTING AN ANNUAL EYE EXAM IS A REALLY A GOOD IDEA THAT CAN DETECT A NUMBER OF THINGS AHEAD OF TIME, WHICH IS GOOD FOR YOUR OVERALL HEALTH. 10 BUCKS FOR THE EXAM, IT'S ONCE EVERY 12 MONTHS FRAMES. YOU CAN PURCHASE FRAMES AND IT COVERS UP TO $140 ALLOWANCE. ANY FRAMES THAT ARE ABOVE THAT 140 ALLOWANCE, YOU'LL PAY THE ADDITIONAL COSTS OF THOSE. UM, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE ALLOWANCE FOR SOME OF THE BIG BOX RETAILERS IS SMALLER, $75. THAT'S BECAUSE COSTCO, SAM'S CLUB AND WALMART ALL BUY AT A BULK DISCOUNT. THEREFORE, YOUR MONEY GOES FURTHER WHEN YOU USE THOSE, UH, RETAILERS. THAT'S WHY THE ALLOWANCE IS A LITTLE BIT LOWER, BUT YOU CHOOSE WHERE YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING. UM, THE BENEFIT IS ONCE EVERY 12 MONTHS ON FRAMES, LENSES, AFTER THAT $10 EXAM COPAY ARE COVERED AT A HUNDRED PERCENT. THERE ARE SOME KINDS OF LENSES THAT MAY COST YOU A LITTLE BIT OUT OF POCKET, BUT IN GENERAL, UH, IT COVERS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF LIKE SINGLE VISION, BIFOCAL AND TRIFOCAL. AND THAT'S ONCE EVERY 12 MONTHS AS WELL. IF YOU'RE SOMEONE THAT NEEDS CONTACT LENSES IN LIEU OF GLASSES, THOSE ARE ALSO COVERED EVERY 12 MONTHS UP TO AN $130 ALLOWANCE. OKAY? YES, I BELIEVE IT. IT'S MOST LIKELY THAT THAT 20% WILL PROBABLY ONLY APPLY TO THOSE OUTSIDE THOSE BIG BOX RETAILERS. [00:15:01] GOOD QUESTION . SURE. THE QUESTION WAS, DOES MY 20% DISCOUNT APPLY TO SOME OF THE BIG BOX RETAILERS LIKE COSTCO, WALMART, GENERALLY SPEAKING, PROBABLY NOT. THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE WHEN YOU'RE PURCHASING OUTSIDE OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, UH, RETAILERS. OKAY, GOOD QUESTION. SO LIKE ANY OF YOUR BENEFITS, SIGNING UP FOR AN ACCOUNT@VSP.COM IS A GOOD WAY TO GET PLUGGED IN. THERE'S ADDITIONAL BENEFIT INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN FIND THERE AND OTHER GOOD RESOURCES IN TERMS OF YOUR ICARE HEALTH. THERE'S ALSO, UH, THE ABILITY TO LOOK UP, UH, PROVIDERS. YOU CAN ALSO CALL IN TO THEIR 800 NUMBER AS WELL. WITH VVSP, YOU DON'T NEED AN ID CARD. YOU SIMPLY LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU HAVE VSP. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THEY'LL ASK YOU FOR SOME PERSONAL INFORMATION, MAYBE YOUR DATE OF BIRTH OR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, AND THAT'S THE WAY THEY LOOK YOU UP. OKAY? WE ARE GONNA SHIFT OVER TO ANOTHER IMPORTANT BENEFIT. THIS BENEFIT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR EACH YEAR. SO THIS ONE IS WORTH PAYING ATTENTION TO. IT'S A GREAT BENEFIT. THERE'S TWO BUCKETS OF WHAT'S KNOWN AS FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS, A MEDICAL FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT, AND DEPENDENT CARE. AND I'M GONNA GO THROUGH BOTH OF THEM. THERE'S SLIGHT DIFFERENCES TO EACH ONE OF THOSE. SO MEDICAL FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS. THIS ALLOWS YOU TO PUT ASIDE PRE-TAX MONEY TO USE FOR HEALTHCARE EXPENSES. THIS CAN INCLUDE MEDICAL, DENTAL, AND VISION RELATED EXPENSES. UM, INCLUDES THINGS LIKE YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATION, UM, LAB TESTS, DOCTOR VISITS. UM, IT IS A USE IT OR LOSE IT PLAN. THAT'S IMPORTANT 'CAUSE YOU WANT TO SET ASIDE MONEY EACH YEAR FOR THINGS THAT YOU'RE PLANNING TO USE THE MONEY ON YOU OR YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS. YOU CAN HAVE YOUR, YOU CAN INCLUDE THINGS FOR YOUR SPOUSE OR YOUR CHILDREN EVEN IF THEY AREN'T ON YOUR MEDICAL PLAN. SO THINK ABOUT IT. IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE ON A PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION OR YOUR SPOUSE OR YOUR CHILDREN AND YOU KNOW THE COPAY, WHAT IT IS EVERY MONTH, PUT DOWN ON A SHORT LITTLE BUDGET SHEET, WHAT YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND THE MONEY ON. OR YOU MIGHT LOOK BACK ON THIS YEAR AND GO, HOW MANY TIMES DID I GO TO THE DOCTOR? OR, HEY, I'M GONNA HAVE TO HAVE, UH, A KNEE SURGERY. I'M GONNA HAVE TO PROBABLY HAVE 15 PHYSICAL THERAPY VISITS AT $20 A COPAY. THINK ABOUT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. IF YOU'RE GONNA BUY A PAIR OF GLASSES, HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU NEED TO HAVE EXTRA TO PAY FOR THEM? IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOME SERIOUS DENTAL WORK, THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT YOU WOULD SET THE MONEY ASIDE FOR. UM, YOU CAN PUT UP TO A MAXIMUM OF $3,200. THAT'S THE CURRENT 2024 LIMITS THAT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE, BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, $3,200. AND A KEY THING ABOUT THIS PLAN IS THAT THE MONEY THAT YOU SET ASIDE IS AVAILABLE ON JANUARY 1ST. SO IF YOU NEED SOMETHING DONE OR YOU ARE HAVING A PLANNED SURGERY OR PROCEDURE RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY, YOUR MONEY IS AVAILABLE TO YOU RIGHT THEN. UM, IT WILL BE PAYROLL DEDUCTED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WHATEVER AMOUNT THAT YOU SELECT. UM, THERE IS ONE OTHER KEY FEATURE THAT'S BUILT INTO THIS. IF YOU FIND YOURSELF AT, UH, AT THE END OF THE YEAR. 'CAUSE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO USE THE THE FUNDS BETWEEN JANUARY AND THE END OF DECEMBER, BUT IF YOU FOUND YOURSELF WITH UP TO $640, THAT $640 CAN ROLL OVER INTO THE NEXT PLAN YEAR. SO BUDGET ACCORDINGLY. TRY NOT TO LEAVE TOO MUCH EXTRA IN THERE, UM, BECAUSE TRULY, LIKE IF I ENDED UP WITH A THOUSAND DOLLARS AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND I CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPEND IT, I'M GONNA LOSE SOME OF THAT MONEY. SO TRY TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THINGS YOU KNOW YOU'RE GONNA SPEND THE MONEY ON. SO AGAIN, CONSIDERING THIS, MAYBE YOU HAVEN'T DONE THIS BEFORE, THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO PUT PRE-TAX MONEY ASIDE TO PAY FOR YOUR HEALTHCARE EXPENSES. IT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO SAVE MONEY, UM, BUT IT IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR EACH YEAR. HERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN SPEND THE MONEY ON. YOU DO HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, THE MY SMARTCARE, WHICH IS THE PROVIDER THAT THE CITY USES. THEY HAVE A LIST OF THESE TYPES OF EXPENSES TOO. UM, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT SOME OF THESE, THESE ARE SOME OF THE COMMON ONES. OVER ON THE RIGHT YOU'LL SEE THINGS THAT IT GENERALLY WON'T COVER. SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. THE MY SMARTCARE, WHICH IS THE PROVIDER, THERE SHOULD BE A LINK INTO YOUR BENEFITS MATERIALS FOR THAT. AND IF YOU'RE STUCK, HR CAN PROBABLY POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. YEP. THE OTHER BUCKET OF MONEY, IF YOU, UM, HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE IN DAYCARE, PRESCHOOL BEFORE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS UP TO AGE 13, YOU CAN SET ASIDE $5,000 IN A DEPENDENT CARE [00:20:01] FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT. SO AGAIN, PRE-TAX MONEY UP TO 5,000, IT'S PER HOUSEHOLD. SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ACCRUES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO YOUR $5,000 WON'T BE AVAILABLE ON DAY ONE. IT ACCRUES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THROUGH YOUR PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS. SO THAT'S THE KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEPENDENT CARE AND MEDICAL. AGAIN, SOME OF YOU, IF YOUR KIDS ARE ALL GROWN, YOU PROBABLY DON'T EVEN NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS PART, BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH SMALL CHILDREN, THIS IS A GAME CHANGER, IS VERY HELPFUL. I USE IT WHEN MY KIDS WERE YOUNG, SO IT'S A VERY HELPFUL BENEFIT. UM, THERE ARE SOME CIRCUMSTANCES IF YOU DO HAVE AN ADULT DEPENDENT WHO, UM, IS ABOVE 13, THAT COULD BE APPLICABLE, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, CHILDREN UNDER 13 IS WHAT THIS WOULD BE USED FOR. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA SHIFT OVER AND TALK ABOUT LIFE AND DISABILITY INSURANCE. UM, THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO HELP FILL FINANCIAL GAPS, UM, AND HELP YOU IF YOU ARE DISABLED AND OUT OF WORK FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME OR POTENTIALLY CARE FOR A FAMILY MEMBER IF EVER THERE WAS A LOSS. SO THROUGH THE CITY, THERE IS EMPLOYER PAID BASIC LIFE. THIS WOULD COVER, UM, IF YOU WERE TO DIE. UM, THIS WOULD COVER, UH, TAKING CARE OF YOUR BENEFICIARIES. UM, THIS, THERE IS A CITY PAID BENEFIT PER YOUR MOU. SO IF YOU'RE NOT SURE AND NEED TO CHECK ON THAT, CONNECT WITH HR, THEY CAN TELL YOU WHAT YOUR BENEFIT AMOUNT IS. UM, BUT UM, YEAH, THAT'S, UH, I HOPE NONE OF YOU HAVE TO EVER, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE ANY OF THAT. BUT IT IS, UH, A BENEFIT THAT IS COVERED BY THE CITY. NOW, IF YOU WANTED TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL VOLUNTARY LIFE INSURANCE ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THE CITY PAYS FOR YOU, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY EACH YEAR DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL VOLUNTARY LIFE INSURANCE. MOST OF YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT NEW HIRES, SO EACH TIME THAT YOU SELECT AN AMOUNT, YOU'LL HAVE TO DO WHAT'S KNOWN AS EVIDENCE OF INSURABILITY. SO FILL OUT A SHORT AMOUNT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY, WHICH IS OFFERED THROUGH MUTUAL OF OMAHA, WILL DETERMINE WHETHER YOU'RE APPROVED OR NOT FOR THE ADDITIONAL LIFE AMOUNT. THAT BEING SAID, YOU CAN PURCHASE UP TO AS AN EMPLOYEE UP TO $500,000. ADDITIONAL VOLUNTARY LIFE INSURANCE FOR SPOUSES. YOU CAN DO UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF WHATEVER YOUR AMOUNT IS, MEANING IF I SELECTED A HUNDRED THOUSAND, MY SPOUSE CAN ALSO DO A HUNDRED, BUT IF I DO THE 500, MY SPOUSE CAN DO NO MORE THAN 250. YOU CAN ALSO COVER YOUR CHILDREN, UM, UP TO $10,000. UM, SO LIKE I SAID, FOR THE MOST PART, IF YOU'VE NEVER ELECTED THIS BEFORE AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME, KNOW THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO DO THE EVIDENCE OF INSURABILITY. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, ANOTHER GOOD PLACE TO GET HELP FROM HR, THEY CAN HELP YOU WITH THE PAPERWORK. OKAY? THERE'S ALSO LONG-TERM DISABILITY. THIS WILL PROVIDE BENEFITS FOR YOU IF YOU WERE EVER, UH, OUT OF WORK DUE TO AN INJURY OR ILLNESS FOR AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME. UM, THERE IS A BASE AMOUNT THAT IS COVERED FOR ALL FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES THAT'S PAID FOR THE CITY. HOWEVER, YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO HAVE THE BUY-UP AMOUNT. THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE BASE AND THE BUY-UP ARE THE ELIMINATION PERIODS. SO AGAIN, UM, YOU'LL SEE THE BASIC PLAN. IT'S, IT'S 60% OF YOUR MONTHLY EARNINGS UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 5,000 THAT STARTS AFTER 180 DAYS OF DISABILITY. IF YOU DO THE BUY-UP PLAN, SAME BENEFITS, 60% UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 5,000 BENEFITS BEGIN AFTER 90 DAYS, MEANING A SHORTER ELIMINATION PERIOD. NOW, BENEFITS CAN POTENTIALLY, UH, CO-MINGLE WITH STATE AND FEDERAL, UH, DISABILITY. SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND THAT THE BENEFITS MAY, UM, ALSO KIND OF GO TOGETHER, UM, AND OFFSET WITH THOSE OTHER DISABILITIES. THE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE, UH, MOST UNDERRATED BUT VERY BENEFICIAL BENEFITS TO THE CITY. THIS IS A CITY PAID BENEFIT, NO COST TO YOU. IT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU 24 7, AND IT'S TOTALLY CONFIDENTIAL. THIS IS A GREAT BENEFIT IF EVER YOU ARE IN NEED OF SHORT-TERM COUNSELING. MAYBE YOU'RE GOING THROUGH ANXIETY, MAYBE YOU'VE GONE THROUGH A BOUT OF DEPRESSION. MAYBE YOU'RE HAVING SOME SPOUSAL OR KID ISSUES THAT YOU NEED SOME EXTRA HELP WITH. THE EAP IS A GREAT RESOURCE TO YOU. THERE IS A NUMBER THAT YOU CAN CALL, A WEBSITE THAT YOU CAN TAP INTO. UM, THIS IS A REALLY GOOD BENEFIT AND IT INCLUDES NOT ONLY YOU, BUT ANYONE THAT LIVES WITHIN YOUR HOUSEHOLD. SO, UM, YOUR, YOUR SPOUSE, DOMESTIC PARTNER AND CHILDREN UP TO AGE 26. IT DOES EVEN INCLUDE YOUR CHILDREN IF THEY LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE HOME, AS LONG AS THEY'RE UP TO AGE 26. [00:25:02] BUT IN ADDITION TO THE SHORT TERM COUNSELING, THE EAP OFFERS A NUMBER OF OTHER REALLY HELPFUL BENEFITS. THERE'S LEGAL ASSISTANCE, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, YOU CAN TALK TO THEIR, UM, RESOURCES AND GET SOME EXTRA HELP ON THAT. UM, IF YOU ARE WORKING THROUGH ELDER CARE ISSUES, MAYBE YOU'RE TRYING TO PLACE YOUR PARENT INTO ASSISTED LIVING OR NURSING AND YOU'RE JUST, AND THEY LIVE OUTTA STATE AND YOU JUST DON'T KNOW REALLY GOOD PLACES FOR THEM TO GO CALL THE EAP, THEY CAN DO SOME OF THE LEGWORK FOR YOU AND PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME OPTIONS THAT YOU COULD CONSIDER. MAYBE YOU'RE NEW TO THE AREA AND YOU JUST NEED HELP FINDING A NEW CHILDCARE, UH, PROVIDER. THE EAP CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT IN A LOT OF WAYS. IT'S KIND OF LIKE A GOOGLE SEARCH. UM, THE EAP IF YOU NEED SOME EXTRA HELP IS A GOOD RESOURCE TO TAP INTO. THE PRIMARY THING IS THE SHORT TERM COUNSELING. UH, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE POST PANDEMIC HAVE REALLY STRUGGLED WITH VARIOUS THINGS. UH, THE GOOD PART ABOUT THE EAP, IT'S TOTALLY CONFIDENTIAL. YOU CAN GO THERE AND GET SOME HELP. THEY CAN GET YOU CONNECTED WITH COUNSELORS. UM, REALLY GOOD RESOURCE, UH, FULL-TIME THAT ARE COVERED UNDER THE MUTUAL OF OMAHA PLANS. OKAY, I HAVE A FEW ADDITIONAL BENEFITS. THESE ARE VOLUNTARY BENEFITS, WHICH ARE MEANS EMPLOYEE PAID. SO YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF PURCHASING THESE ADDITIONAL LINES OF COVERAGE, UM, ACCIDENT CRITICAL ILLNESS, NEW LEGAL PROGRAM THROUGH METLIFE AND PET INSURANCE. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT ACCIDENT INSURANCE. UM, MY TWO CHILDREN BOTH PLAY SPORTS AND MY OLDEST IS RECOVERING FROM ACL SURGERY. SO WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS KIND OF STUFF. UH, IF YOU, YOU CAN, I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT REAL FOR YOU GUYS, UM, THAT ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN. UM, BUT SPORTS IS A DEFINITELY A PRETTY COMMON THING. BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE WORKING IN THE BACKYARD, YOU FALL OFF A LADDER AND GOSH DARN IT, YOU, YOU BANGED UP YOUR ELBOW REAL GOOD. YOU END UP IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM, MAYBE YOU END UP WITH SOME STITCHES. UH, YOU BROKE A COUPLE BONES. THE ACCIDENT PLAN IS A REALLY GOOD RESOURCE THAT PAYS YOU TAX FREE BENEFITS IF YOU ARE INJURED, UH, IN DUE TO AN ACCIDENT. SO REALLY GOOD BENEFIT. UM, IT COVERS THINGS LIKE DOCTOR VISITS, PHYSICAL THERAPY, EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS, UM, HOSPITALIZATION. MAYBE YOU END UP IN AN AMBULANCE. IT WOULD COVER THOSE AND IT'LL PAY BENEFITS PER DIFFERENT TYPE OF SITUATION THAT HAPPENS TO YOU. BUT SOME OF THE COVERED INJURIES MAY INCLUDE THINGS LIKE DISLOCATIONS, FRACTURES, BURNS, UM, LACERATIONS OR CUTS. UM, SO KEEP THAT IN MIND IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS. YOU CAN INCLUDE YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOURSELF, YOUR SPOUSE AND YOUR CHILDREN, UM, AND ONE OTHER. AND, AND, AND ESSENTIALLY WHEN THEY PAY PER VARIOUS THING, YOU'LL GET A CASH PAYOUT AND IT'LL PAY YOU THE CASH. YOU ULTIMATELY DETERMINE WHERE YOU WANT TO USE THE MONEY. SO YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREAT BENEFIT. UM, GOOD, NICE LITTLE SAFETY NET. AND THERE IS A NICE FEATURE IN IT CALLED THE HEALTH SCREENING BENEFITS. SO IF YOU GET A CERTAIN, UH, LIST OF HEALTH SCREENING BENEFITS DURING THE YEAR, THE PLAN WILL PAY YOU 50 BUCKS, WHICH IS A GOOD WAY OF, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY COVERING SOME OF THOSE PREMIUM COSTS THAT YOU'RE GONNA PAY TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF PLAN. SO THAT'S ANOTHER GOOD FEATURE OF THE ACCIDENT PLAN, IS THAT HEALTH SCREENING BENEFIT EVER REPLACE ALAC. UM, DOES THE CITY OFFER DI THINK YOU HAVE THE CHOICE OF EITHER OR, IS THAT RIGHT? SO YOU COULD EITHER CONTINUE WITH THE AFLAC OR YOU COULD CHOOSE THE MUTUAL OF OMAHA PLAN. UM, IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S PRETTY REASONABLE. I DON'T KNOW IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THROUGH HR YOU CAN PROBABLY GET THOSE PRICING. OKAY. CRITICAL ILLNESS IS ANOTHER VOLUNTARY BENEFIT THAT YOU CAN GET THROUGH MUTUAL OF OMAHA. THIS, UH, HELPS YOU IF YOU WERE TO EVER EXPERIENCE ONE OF THESE SERIOUS ILLNESSES, IT'LL PAY YOU A, A LUMP SUM TAX-FREE BENEFIT, UM, UPON THE DIAGNOSIS OF ONE OF THESE COVERED CONDITIONS. UM, YOU ULTIMATELY WILL USE THAT SUM OF MONEY HOW YOU SEE FIT. MAYBE IT'S JUST TO PAY YOUR MORTGAGE, YOUR OTHER VARIOUS EXPENSES THAT YOU HAVE, OR IT MAY HELP YOU TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THOSE MEDICAL EXPENSES. UM, YOU SELECT THE BENEFIT AMOUNT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE, UM, EITHER FROM 5,000 TO 30,000, AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO SELECT AMOUNTS FOR YOUR SPOUSE AND YOUR CHILDREN. UM, COVERED CONDITIONS. UM, THE, THE MAIN THINGS THAT THIS IS USUALLY USED FOR ARE THINGS LIKE HEART ATTACK, STROKE, CANCER, UM, BIG STUFF. SO IF YOU WANT, UH, A SAFETY NET FOR, IF GOD FORBID, ANY OF THESE TYPES OF [00:30:01] THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU OR YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, THE CRITICAL ILLNESS PLAN IS A GOOD BENEFIT TO CONSIDER. IT ALSO HAS A HEALTH SCREENING BENEFIT THAT PAYS YOU $50 FOR ANYONE THAT YOU HAVE THAT'S COVERED UNDER THE PLAN. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN USE THAT, UH, TO GET THE $50 OR A BLOOD TEST, CHEST X-RAY, COLONOSCOPY, UH, MAMMOGRAM, PAP SEAR OR CHEST TESTS. IS THAT ONE BENEFIT PER YEAR? ONE BLOOD TEST PER YEAR, ESSENTIALLY? YEAH, IT'LL PAY, IT'LL ONLY PAY YOU THE WELLNESS BENEFIT $50 PER YEAR DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU KNOW YOU GET DONE AS FAR AS YOUR SCREENING. I THINK THAT LIKE A COPAY OR IF YOU DO LIKE ONE OF ANY OF THESE SCREENINGS, THE PLAN WILL PAY YOU THE $50 FOR GETTING THE SCREENING DONE. YOU'LL HAVE TO SUBMIT PAPERWORK TO GET THAT 50 BUCKS, BUT IT'S A GOOD WAY OF COVERING SOME OF THE COSTS OF YOUR PREMIUMS BY DOING THAT EACH YEAR AND SUBMITTING THE CLAIM. OKAY. MAKES SENSE? YES. OKAY. GOOD QUESTION. HOW LONG WE HAVE TO REPLAY EVERY YEAR OR WOULD YOU SIGN UP? YOU SIGN UP AND IT KEEPS ON GOING, YOU'LL CONTINUE TO PAY PREMIUMS ON THIS TYPE OF CLAIM? GOOD QUESTION. OKAY. COUPLE OTHER VALUE ADDS THROUGH MUTUAL OMAHA, UM, IS THE TRAVEL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. IF YOU WERE EVER TRAVELING MORE THAN A HUNDRED MILES FROM HOME, THE TRAVEL ASSISTANCE COULD BE A GOOD WAY TO GET SOME ASSISTANCE, MAYBE LOSE YOUR PASSPORT IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, OR YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND YOU'RE JUST REALLY TRYING TO SCRAMBLE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO GET SOME HELP. THE MUTUAL OF OMAHA TRAVEL ASSISTANCE CAN ASSIST YOU IF YOU RUN INTO ANY KIND OF SITUATION LIKE THAT. I SINCERELY HOPE NONE OF YOU GUYS HAVE TO USE THAT, BUT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO MAYBE PUT IN YOUR, UM, SUITCASE OR YOUR WALLET, UM, AS A GOOD TAKEAWAY JUST TO HAVE JUST IN CASE ANYTHING HAPPENED. UM, ADDITIONALLY, THERE'S SOME WILL PREP SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED THROUGH EPOCH. UM, THESE GIVE YOU SOME BASIC ONLINE WILL AND PREPARATION. NOW THESE ARE NOT COMPLEX WILLS. THESE ARE VERY, VERY BASIC, BUT FOR SOME OF US, THAT'S ALL WE NEED. MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ASSETS OR THINGS TO PROTECT. A SIMPLE WILL WOULD BE A GOOD THING TO GO DO. THIS GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO GO ONLINE AND CREATE THAT TOOL. SO JUST GIVE THAT SOME THOUGHT. THAT'S A NICE OTHER, UH, VALUE ADD THROUGH MUTUAL OF OMAHA. OKAY, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT STARTING JANUARY 1ST, UH, THE CITY IS GOING TO BE OFFERING A LEGAL PROGRAM THROUGH METLIFE. THIS IS GIVES YOU AN ABILITY TO SIGN UP FOR A MONTHLY PREMIUM. IT'S ROUGHLY ABOUT $20 A MONTH. UM, IT COVERS YOU, YOUR SPOUSE AND YOUR CHILDREN, AND IT GIVES YOU ACCESS TO A HUGE NETWORK OF LEGAL PROFESSIONALS THAT YOU CAN GET ASSISTANCE WITH, WITH ALL KINDS OF THINGS. UM, MAYBE YOU'RE FIGHTING A TRAFFIC TICKET. UH, MAYBE YOU WANT A LITTLE BIT MORE HELP WITH THINGS LIKE WILLS AND ESTATE PLANNING. THIS WOULD GIVE YOU ACCESS TO AN ATTORNEY THAT CAN PROVIDE YOU EITHER IN PERSON OR TELEPHONE SUPPORT FOR A NUMBER OF THINGS. UM, MAYBE YOU ARE, YOU HAVE SOME, UM, PROPERTY AND YOU NEED SOME HELP WITH A TENANT ISSUE OR, UM, GETTING SOME GUIDANCE WITH SOME ISSUES WITH THAT. IF YOU RUN INTO LIKE A CIVIL LAWSUIT AND YOU NEED SOME HELP WITH AN ATTORNEY, YOU COULD ACCESS THE METLIFE LEGAL PROGRAM FOR THAT. UM, MAYBE YOU'RE HAVE SOME AGING PARENTS AND HAVE SOME ELDER CARE ISSUES, UH, INVOLVED IN THAT. THAT'S ANOTHER WAY THAT YOU CAN GET HELP FROM ATTORNEY. UH, METLIFE HAS A HUGE NETWORK OF ATTORNEYS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN ALL 50 STATES. UM, AGAIN, TELEPHONE AND OFFICE CONSULTATIONS. THEY CAN ALSO LOOK AT DOCUMENTS THAT YOU MAY NEED ASSISTANCE WITH, UM, AND REVIEW THINGS LIKE MAYBE YOU GET A DEMAND LETTER FROM SOME SORT OF, UH, LEGAL ISSUE. UM, YOU COULD PULL IN THE ATTORNEY FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THAT. IT'S A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM. AGAIN, NOT ALL OF US NEED HELP WITH LEGAL STUFF, BUT SOME OF US MAY, MAY NEED, DEPENDING ON OUR CIRCUMSTANCES, THE CITY IS GIVING YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE THIS ADDITIONAL VOLUNTARY INSURANCE. SO GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT. THE CITY ALSO OFFERS PET INSURANCE. FOR MANY OF YOU, YOU MAY NOT HAVE CHILDREN, BUT YOUR PET IS A CLOSE MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY. THEREFORE, PET INSURANCE MIGHT BE A REALLY GOOD THING TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR DOG OR CAT. UM, THE CITY OFFERS TWO DIFFERENT FORMS OF INSURANCE. I'M GONNA BREAK IT DOWN AS BEST AS I CAN. UM, THESE ARE OFFERED THROUGH PET BENEFITS SOLUTIONS. THE FIRST ONE, WISHBONE PET INSURANCE IS A COMPREHENSIVE, UM, PET INSURANCE PROGRAM. THIS IS A MORE ROBUST PLAN. IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WILL GO ONLINE AND YOU WILL PICK YOUR PLAN BASED ON YOUR NEEDS FOR YOUR DOGS OR CATS DEPENDING ON HOW YOU HAVE, YOU DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF COVERAGE THAT YOU WANT. SO IT COULD BE UP TO AROUND AN ANNUAL LIMIT OF 25,000. YOU SET YOUR DEDUCTIBLE. BUT THE EIGHT, THE, [00:35:01] THE RATES ULTIMATELY WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE AGE OF YOUR PET, THE BREED AND WHERE YOU LIVE. SO GO ONLINE TO THE, TO THE WEBSITE AND YOU CAN PRICE THINGS OUT AND YOU DETERMINE WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU. WITH THIS PARTICULAR PLAN, YOU CAN USE ANY REGISTERED VETERINARIAN. SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF NETWORK RESTRICTIONS AND IT'S A REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM, MEANING YOU GO, YOU GET SERVICES DONE, YOU SUBMIT A CLAIM AND THEY WILL REIMBURSE YOU BACK FOR THIS DEPENDING ON HOW YOUR PLAN IS STRUCTURED. NOW, IMPORTANT TO NOTE, NO, UH, THIS PLAN DOES NOT COVER PREEXISTING CONDITIONS. UM, SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. IF YOU HAVE AN OLDER PET, I PROBABLY ADVISE YOU, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE PETS WITH PREEXISTING CONDITIONS, THIS MAY NOT BE THE BEST THING. BUT IF YOU HAVE BRAND NEW PUPPY AND YOU HAVEN'T REALLY GOTTEN ANYTHING DONE, UM, OR A YOUNGER PET, THIS IS PROBABLY A REALLY GOOD PROGRAM FOR YOU. NOW IF YOUR BUDGET IS A LITTLE MORE RESTRICTIVE AND YOU JUST WANT A MORE BASIC PLAN, THE SECOND PLAN IS CALLED THE TOTAL PET PLAN AND IT IS A DISCOUNT PROGRAM. IT OFFERS DISCOUNTS ON VARIOUS PET SERVICES AND PET MATERIALS. UM, YOU DO HAVE TO USE A NETWORK AS FAR AS THE VETERINARIANS ARE CONCERNED. SO YOU MAY WANT TO CHECK OUT THE NETWORK AND DETERMINE IS YOUR VETERINARIAN EVEN COVERED IN THAT? IF YOU REALLY LIKE YOUR VETERINARIAN ALREADY AND YOU DON'T WANT TO CHANGE THE DISCOUNT PROGRAM, PROBABLY WOULDN'T COVER VERY MUCH. IT IS RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE. BUT IF YOU'RE PRETTY, YOU KNOW, OPEN TO USING THE NETWORK OF VETERINARIANS, IT IS A GOOD PROGRAM. IT DOES PROVIDE ROUGHLY 25% DISCOUNT OFF OF VETERINARIAN SERVICES AS WELL AS PET PRODUCTS. SO YOU DO HAVE CHOICES, UH, KEEP THAT IN MIND. AGAIN, THE FIRST ONE IS GONNA PROBABLY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE ON THE MONTHLY PREMIUMS. THE SECOND ONE'S PRETTY REASONABLE, UM, BUT IT COVERS LESS. OKAY, COUPLE JUST HIGH LEVEL THINGS THAT WE WANNA REMIND YOU ABOUT DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT. IF YOU NEED HELP WITH CERTAIN THINGS LIKE PLAN INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS, PLEASE CONTACT HUMAN RESOURCES. UM, YOU GUYS HAVE CARRIER APPS. WE TALKED ABOUT DELTA DENTAL, VSP, MUTUAL OF OMAHA, UM, AND THE PET BENEFITS. THEY ALL HAVE VARIOUS WEBSITES AND APPS THAT HAVE A LOT OF REALLY GOOD RESOURCES AND TOOLS ABOVE AND BEYOND THE THINGS THAT I TALKED ABOUT TODAY. SO ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE THOSE. UM, ALSO YOU HAVE THE BENEFITS GUIDE, SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THAT. THAT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER GREAT RESOURCE THAT HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION IN IT AS WELL. AND THEN ALSO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE MAKING CHANGES, THE CITY HAS AN ENROLLMENT PLATFORM THROUGH BENEX EXCEL AND MANY OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY USED THIS BEFORE. IF YOU'VE EVER MADE CHANGES TO YOUR BENEFITS, THERE ARE INSTRUCTIONS HERE ON THE SCREEN THAT YOU WILL FOLLOW. UM, GENERALLY INVOLVES RESETTING YOUR PASSWORDS AND THOSE THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, THEY DO HAVE CALL SUPPORT, UM, HELP THROUGH THE BCC CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER. IF YOU REALLY GET STUCK, YOU DO HAVE A GREAT HR TEAM THAT IS WILLING TO COME ALONGSIDE YOU AND HELP. BUT WE WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO, IF YOU ARE MAKING PLAN CHANGES OR IF YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR THE FSA, YOU REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU USE THE ONLINE PLATFORM TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES. A COUPLE OTHER JUST KEY THINGS ABOUT OPEN ENROLLMENT, AGAIN, IT ENDS ON OCTOBER 10TH. UM, MAKE SURE YOU REVIEW YOUR BENEFITS SUMMARIES AND MATERIALS. DETERMINE WHETHER YOU WANNA MAKE ANY CHANGES. IF YOU'RE HAPPY WITH THE BENEFITS THAT YOU ALREADY ARE ON, YOU DON'T REALLY NEED TO MAKE ANY CHANGES OTHER THAN THE FSA. UM, YOU MAY WANNA COMPARE SOME OF THE STUFF THAT YOU HAVE WITH YOUR SPOUSE AND DETERMINE WHETHER YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO KEEP THAT OR, YOU KNOW, MAKE ANY CHANGES TO ANY OF YOUR DEPENDENTS. UM, CONSIDER THOSE VOLUNTARY BENEFITS. IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR ANY OF THOSE RIGHT NOW AND YOU WANT TO CONSIDER THAT OPEN ENROLLMENT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. UM, MAKE SURE YOUR BENEFIT DIS UH, DESTINATIONS, THAT'S PARTICULARLY WITH THINGS LIKE YOUR LIFE INSURANCE, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE UP TO DATE. IF YOU'VE GOTTEN DIVORCED OR MARRIED AND YOU HAVEN'T NOTIFIED HR ABOUT THAT, PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT STUFF'S UP TO DATE. IF YOU'RE MAKING ANY CHANGES TO YOUR DEPENDENTS, YOU'LL WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THEIR DATE OF BIRTH AND SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER HANDY AS FAR AS MAKING CHANGES. OKAY, I THINK THAT'S ALL WE GOT FOR THIS SESSION. UM, BUT I WILL, UH, PAUSE HERE AND SEE IF ANYBODY HAS ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ASSIST WITH . GOOD QUESTION. WHAT BENEFITS CAN BE OFFERED? UH, WHAT BENEFITS CAN YOU SIGN UP DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT? IN TERMS OF THE VOLUNTARY, GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE VOLUNTARY BENEFITS CAN ONLY BE SELECTED THROUGH OPEN ENROLLMENT, THE PET INSURANCE, BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF FLUID BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE GET PETS DURING THE YEAR, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBLE. UM, [00:40:01] AND THEN ONE OTHER ONE IS THE DEPENDENT CARE FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT. PEOPLE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO SIGN UP THROUGH THAT, THROUGH THE MID-YEAR ELECTION DUE TO HAVING A QUALIFYING EVENT LIKE YOU HAD A BIRTH OF A CHILD. THAT'S ACCEPTABLE. BUT IN GENERAL, IN TERMS OF SIGNING UP FOR THE VOLUNTARY BENEFITS, OPEN ENROLLMENT'S, KIND OF YOUR KEY OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT? GOOD QUESTION. YES. SO WHEN YOU LOG INTO THE BCC WEBSITE, THE UM, THERE'S AN EMAIL THAT WENT OUT AND WE'LL CONTINUALLY SEND OUT EMAILS AND REMINDERS ON HOW TO LOG IN THERE. AND SO ONCE YOU LOG IN THERE, IT SHOWS YOU WHAT YOUR CURRENT BENEFITS ARE AND TAKES YOU STEP BY STEP AND SHOWS YOU WHAT YOU WOULD PAY IF YOU SWITCHED AND MOVED AS WELL. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IF NOT, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. UM, THIS PRESENTATION WILL GO ON EMPLOYEE ACCESS AND WE'LL EMAIL IT OUT AS WELL AS THE POWERPOINT. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.