Open enrollment is May 16-31, and all benefit-eligible Ballad Health team members must re-enroll in order to have benefits for the coming fiscal year. FY19 runs from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019. No benefits will roll over from last year with your legacy system, so team members must participate in open enrollment or they will lose their benefits starting July 1.
The Ballad Health benefits plan is a combination of elements from both Wellmont and Mountain States, building on the existing strengths of both systems. We value our team members and we want to provide a package that makes good health and quality medical care as accessible as possible. Please take time to review all the choices you have as a Ballad Health team member!
Eligibility note: You are eligible to participate in the Ballad Health benefit plans if you work at least 30 hours per week or more and are classified in a benefit-eligible position. If you are impacted by this eligibility change, you will be notified separately.
RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR YOU
Throughout this document are blue links that will direct you to more specific details regarding that subject.
Benefits Guides are available online by clicking here. Colorful printed versions may be picked up in any Human Resources office beginning Wednesday, May 16.
Webinars are scheduled during open enrollment so team members can learn more about our benefits. See the schedule at right. A recorded version will be available on the Ballad Health intranet site as soon as possible that can be accessed at your convenience.
See the updated schedule at right for the webinars, and click here to access the schedule with updated links to join each session.
We have prepared a Q&A that should answer many of your questions. It’s available here as a separate Ballad Health News article here.
Available for all Ballad Health team members, we have HR4U! Your HR call center with increased hours during open enrollment. Call between 7 a.m.-6 p.m. to speak with someone or email for after-hours questions.
Call HR4U at 423-431-HR4U (4748) or email HR4U at HR4U@balladhealth.org.
HOW TO ENROLL FOR BENEFITS
Don’t worry, it’s a fairly easy process. You can select your benefits by going online and following the same process you’ve used in the past with your legacy system. This can be done from an in-network computer or from out-of-network. Former Wellmont team members will use Employee Self-Service, while former Mountain States team members will use HR & Payroll Service Center.
Step-by-step enrollment instructions are available on the benefits pages for each legacy system. You can also find the instructions in the the benefits guide.
MEDICAL COVERAGE
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) is our medical insurance third-party administrator. There are two high-deductible health plans to choose from. For both plans, team members save more when using either Ballad Health preferred providers or BCBST Blue Network S providers, as compared to non-network providers. Preventive care is covered at 100% for both plans if using the preferred or BCBST providers mentioned above.
Ballad Health Choice plan
- Includes a voluntary wellness program that results in lower premiums. This fits with Ballad Health’s mission of population health improvement. Premiums are determined by whether or not the team member and any covered spouse uses tobacco, and whether or not they participate in the wellness program.
- All team members will pay the lowest premium 7/1/18 until the end of the screening period. Watch for schedule of screenings to be held throughout the system during June and July. After the screening period, premiums will be adjusted based on wellness program participation and tobacco usage.
- This plan will receive a company health savings account (HSA) contribution of $600 annually for individuals and $1,200 for families.
- Deductible is $1,500 for individuals, $3,000 for families.
Ballad Health Bronze plan
- Offers a low flat rate for premiums per paycheck for an individual plan ($41.59), but premiums are substantially higher for team member/children plans and family coverage.
- Does not receive any employer contribution to the HSA.
- Has higher deductibles and out of pocket limits. Meets requirements of the Affordable Care Act.
Wellness program
The goal of this voluntary program is to help team members decrease their health risks so they can live healthier lives. Participation in the wellness program lowers your insurance premiums. The program involves completing an online personal health survey, participating in health coaching, having lab work completed, and screening for clinical data such as height, weight, heart rate and blood pressure.
Assessments will be completed between June 4-July 31. More information on the dates, times and locations will be communicated after the open enrollment period ends.
SPOUSAL COVERAGE
If your spouse is eligible for his or her employer’s medical coverage, they cannot be covered on the Ballad Health medical plan. Spouses employed by Ballad Health may be covered. Other dependents are still eligible for coverage.
PHARMACY
Ballad Health’s pharmacy benefit manager is OptumRx. This is a managed drug program which can pass savings on to its members. Enrollment in a medical plan includes prescription drug coverage. Members will receive a separate prescription card from OptumRx.
You can find a preventive drug list here.
Here’s the 2018 formulary list of covered drugs.
Ballad Health owns several retail pharmacies. By filling your prescriptions in these pharmacies you can receive lower co-insurance than using non-owned pharmacies. These pharmacies are conveniently located in or near our hospital facilities and also provide delivery service, mail order and online ordering for your convenience.
MAJOR MEDICAL LEAVE
The Major Medical Leave bank (MML) consists of hours to use for absence due to serious personal illness or accidents. Hours accrue on worked hours up to 80 hours per pay period, the same rate regardless of years of service. MML can be used after the 24th hour of absence due to illness or immediately when hospitalized or for surgery requiring general anesthesia. The maximum that can be accrued in your bank is 960 hours.
PAID TIME OFF
The Paid Time Off bank (PTO) consists of hours to use for vacation, holidays, personal, and incidental sick days. Hours accrue on worked hours up to 80 per pay period and accrual rates are based on years of service. Team members can cash in hours one time per fiscal year, up to 40 hours of vested time. 100 hours may be carried over from the end of the last pay period in September. The scale down to 100 hours for legacy Wellmont will be from 2019-2022. Additional details on this will be communicated to those affected.
RETIREMENT PLANS
As previously announced, our retirement plan administrator is Lincoln Financial Group. Eligible team members, age 18 and above, can begin contributions to their retirement plan through Lincoln Financial from their hire date. Contributions can be made on a pre-tax or ROTH after-tax basis up to the IRS annual limits. Catch-up contributions are also available for team members age 50 and over.
Team members become eligible for a 6% employer matching contribution after one (1) year and 1,000 hours worked. Contributions begin on the next entry period, either Jan. 1, April 1, July 1 or Oct. 1. All employer contributions are calculated each pay period and submitted to Lincoln annually.
Be looking for a letter in your home mailbox about your Lincoln Financial retirement plan. Informational sessions will be held at Ballad Health facilities in the coming weeks. For more information, visit www.lfg.com.
REMINDERS
If you still have questions or concerns, call HR4U at 423-431-HR4U (4748) or email HR4U at HR4U@balladhealth.org.
OPEN ENROLLMENT MAY 16 – 31
ALL BENEFIT ELIGIBLE TEAM MEMBERS MUST COMPLETE ENROLLMENT
