Penn Faculty Benefits News: October 3, 2019

Penn Launches New Benefits Services

Penn launched two new benefits services in July – the University of Pennsylvania Benefits Solution Center at Health Advocate and the Retirement@Work enrollment system.

The new call center gives you a one-stop connection to your health, well-being, and benefits support. Retirement@Work offers a streamlined platform to manage your retirement savings plans.

Here are details about these upgraded services.

Benefits Solution Center at Health Advocate

Penn partners with Health Advocate to provide faculty and staff, their spouses and dependents, free and easy-to-use resources to resolve a wide range of healthcare-related issues.

Penn has teamed up again with the service provider to operate the new University of Pennsylvania Benefits Solution Center at Health Advocate. Effective July 1, 2019, Health Advocate replaced ADP as Penn’s benefits administrator, connecting faculty and staff to confidential support through a single toll-free number.

Now you can get answers to your questions about health plans, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts by calling 866-799-2329, Monday-Friday, 8am-10pm.

Health Advocate representatives can explain your coverage, connect you to the right benefit, assist with your enrollment, help you make changes in Penn’s new Workday portal, and answer all of your medical and dental insurance questions.

For more information about Health Advocate, check out the Get Started Guide or visit Health Advocate’s website.

Retirement@Work Enrollment System

Whether you’re already saving for retirement, thinking about getting started, or need to make changes to your current elections, Retirement@Work, Penn’s new retirement savings plans enrollment system, is the place to go. Penn announced the launch of Retirement@ Work on July 8.

If you haven’t explored this new platform, log in with your PennKey and password. The system gives you an overall picture of your contribution elections at TIAA or Vanguard.

With the new system, eligible faculty and staff no longer need to input the Matching and Supplemental Plans contributions separately. Retirement@Work lets you enter the total percentage of your gross pay per pay period that you want to invest for retirement, then the system will automatically allocate the first 5% to the Matching Plan and the rest to the Supplemental Plan. If you want your total employee contribution allocated differently, you have the option to change that allocation.

If you want to choose your investment funds or designate beneficiaries, simply click on the TIAA or Vanguard links throughout the Retirement@Work site.

For more information about the Retirement@Work enrollment system, check out the Retirement@Work User Guide. Visit the Saving for Retirement webpage for details about Penn’s Retirement Savings Plans.

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A New Year for Be in the Know Wellness

Be in the Know, Penn’s faculty and staff wellness campaign, is back for its eighth year. Last year’s campaign was another record-breaker thanks to more than 6,200 Penn faculty and staff members who completed a biometric screening. The 2019-2020 campaign year offers fresh opportunities to improve your well-being while earning extra cash. Benefits-eligible faculty and staff members can earn up to $300* in incentives for Be in the Know health and wellness activities between September 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.

Penn makes it simple with 3 Steps to Success – a biometric screening, StayWell’s online health assessment, and a variety of Bonus Actions. These Be in the Know activities allow you to earn points and cash while supporting your mind, body, and financial well-being.

Get started today by registering for a free on-campus biometric screening.

What’s New for 2019-2020?

This year’s Bonus Action options include the updated “Refer-a-Friend” Bonus and a new 30 Day Wellness Challenge. Penn has also added bone density screenings to the list of Preventative Health Options for Bonus Action points.

Unlike the 2018-2019 campaign, the current Be in the Know campaign year ends June 30, 2020. All activities must be completed by that date. Documentation, such as a Proof of Bonus Actions form, is due by July 31, 2020.

3 Steps to Success

STEP 1: Your Free Biometric Screening

Quick, convenient screenings are available at various Penn locations October 8 through November 26.

At the biometric screening, a health educator will measure key components of your overall health, including blood pressure, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and blood sugar (glucose) levels. You also have the option to fast before your screening to learn low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride levels.

STEP 2: StayWell’s Online Health Assessment

After your biometric screening, be sure to complete the online health assessment, available October 7 at Penn’s wellness portal, penn.staywell.com. Your current biometric screening values are needed to complete the online health assessment.

2 Core Actions for Your First 100 Points and $100
The biometric screening and online health assessment are the two Core Actions required to earn your first 100 points and $100.

STEP 3: Earn More with Bonus Actions

Get even more rewards by completing Bonus Actions worth up to 200 additional points for a total of $300 this year. There are dozens of qualifying Bonus Action activities in four categories: preventative health, wellness activity, physical activity, and online programs. Bonus Action points can be just the nudge you need to take care of yourself with important annual health screenings, nutrition counseling, exercise, and online challenges. Major activities such as the Penn Comprehensive Smoking Treatment Program are worth as much as 60 Bonus Action points.

On-Campus Flu Vaccine Clinics Earn 10 Points

Getting your flu vaccine is a Preventative Health Bonus Action worth 10 points. If you get your vaccine at a Human Resources/AREUFIT or Student Health Services clinic, your participation is automatically reported to StayWell.

Student Health Services walk-in clinics will be held Wednesday, October 16 and Thursday, October 17 10am – 6:30pm, and Friday, October 18, 10am – 4pm in Houston Hall’s Bodek Lounge.

You can register for Human Resources flu vaccine clinics Tuesday, November 12 and Monday, November 18, 9am – 2pm in Houston Hall’s Bodek Lounge and Friday, November 22, 9am – 2pm at the New Bolton Center. These Human Resources flu clinics are in the same location and time as Be in the Know biometric screenings, so you can receive both services in one convenient place. Please register in advance at www.hr.upenn.edu.

Earn 250 Bonus Action points or more (350 total campaign points) to reach the Be in the Know VIP level. On top of the maximum cash incentive, Be in the Know VIPs receive a special gift.

You can earn Bonus Action points for qualifying activities completed at any time during the campaign year, September 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020. However, cash incentives for Bonus Actions will not be awarded until you complete the first two Core Actions.

Your Be in the Know Incentives

Just like last year, you can choose to receive all of your incentives in your paycheck or as a Penn Recreation credit.

Whether you want treat yourself, challenge yourself, or maintain well-being, Be in the Know and Penn are here to help.

Check the Be in the Know webpage at www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow for complete program details.

*All cash incentives are less applicable payroll taxes. Incentives will be issued in November 2019, and monthly from January to August 2020, in paychecks or as Penn Recreation credits. Payment times depend on when you complete the Core Actions and qualifying Bonus Actions.

Your privacy is strictly protected. Penn receives only aggregated data for the participating population. Penn will never know your individual screening results, health assessment answers or personal health goals.

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Penn Extends Tuition Benefits to Dependents with Special Needs

For decades, Penn’s tuition benefits have helped students reach their higher education goals at a variety of accredited colleges and universities, including Penn. Now, the University is making this benefit even more inclusive.

Since August 1, 2019, Penn’s new Tuition Benefits for Dependent Children Attending Special Programs policy has allowed faculty and staff to use their dependent tuition benefits toward post-secondary education programs for adult dependents with cognitive or intellectual limitations.

Many students with learning disabilities and special needs excel in associate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs, especially when they have access to resources such as Penn’s Office of Student Disabilities Services. However, for high school graduates with moderate to severe cognitive or intellectual disabilities, degree-granting programs may not offer the right combination of education, life skills training and support.

Fortunately, there are a growing number of accredited post-secondary programs designed to make the college experience accessible to these individuals. Students in this special needs community can enroll in these programs to earn course credits or audit classes in inclusive campus learning environments. Just like their peers, these students will have the opportunity explore their interests, discover new ones, build career skills, further develop their independence, and make new friends.

Penn’s Direct Grants for Special Programs tuition benefit will assist faculty and staff in covering tuition costs for these programs. This benefit can be used at Penn-approved, accredited schools for enrollment in inclusive post-secondary special programs specifically designed for students with intellectual disabilities.

This expansion of our tuition benefits reflects the University’s ongoing commitment to inclusive education and public service, as well as support for Penn faculty, staff, and their families.

For more details, please visit the Tuition Benefits pages.