Announcements

The 2025 Annual Benefits Open Enrollment period will run from Friday, November 1 through Saturday, November 30, 2024. During this time you may review and change your benefit elections. Any changes made to your benefit elections will be effective January 1, 2025. Watch for an email announcement on November 1 as well as an informational mailing that will be sent to your home address later this month. We will be utilizing UNI Works to make all changes, please plan accordingly so you can navigate the new system.

Effective July 1, 2024, due to a recent audit, all employees having a qualified life event and making any changes to their family health and/or dental coverage must verify all dependent relationships by providing corresponding legal documentation.

Examples of documentation:

• Spouse - marriage certificate, common law spouse affidavit
• Domestic Partner - notarized domestic partner affidavit
• Child - birth certificate which includes parents names, court order, or guardianship paperwork

Since this impacts all life events, including open enrollment, we are notifying employees now so documentation can be easily provided when required. At the time of your life event, you can securely upload to UNI Works or bring into the Human Resource Services office at Gilchrist 025. All documentation needs to be viewed by HRS staff, but no documentation will be retained after it’s reviewed (i.e., if provided electronically, it will be purged). Do not send any personal documents through email as this is not secure.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

UNI’s dental plan provides all members two teeth cleanings per year which are 100% covered. Our dental plan offers Enhanced Benefits, a free benefit which provides additional covered teeth cleanings for those who have certain health conditions. Review the Enhanced Dental Benefits handout for more information and to see if you qualify.

Many of the benefits offered by the University have their own unique platform in which a member can log into to assist in managing their benefits. The platforms may contain specific data pertaining to the members account, or additional benefits and tips to utilizing the plan. Examples would be MyWellmark for your health plan, Delta Dental for your dental plan, ASIFlex for your flex spending account, or IPERS and TIAA for retirement. If you want more information regarding a specific benefit, and how to log in, please take a look at Human Resource Services How to Access Your Online Benefits Accounts webpage.

Principal Financial, and our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provide legal discounts to our employees. Employees, their dependents, and beneficiaries have access to tools provided by ARAG® to create important and necessary documents such as a Will, Living Will, Healthcare Power of Attorney and many other legal documents for free. EAP provides discounts off of legal services and legal documentation preparation. To learn more, visit our Legal Services and Discounts webpage.

All employees enrolled in either the UNI Blue HMO, or UNI PPO health insurance plans are receiving new ID cards. It’s important to put it in your wallet and destroy any old ID cards with an effective date before January 1, 2024. If you use an old card, your benefits may not apply correctly and the payment of your claims could be delayed or possibly denied. Always show your doctor’s office or pharmacy the most up-to-date card. To ensure you are using the most recent card, look for the print date shown in the lower left corner on the front of your card.

As of November 20, U.S. households can order four additional rapid COVID-19 test kits. This is in addition to what was offered in September. We ask that when possible, you use the free options for test kits as the kits are not charged to our self-insured health plans (which impacts employee premiums). Please visit COVID.gov for more information on ordering, as well as how to tell if your COVID-19 tests' expiration dates have been extended.

UnityPoint and MercyOne hospitals and clinics have online systems that allow patients to contact their care teams virtually. Through these platforms you are also able to request prescription refills, access test results, and read provider notes. Doctor on Demand, UNI’s option for a virtual office visit, allows 24/7 care for common symptoms. Utilizing these services lowers the risk of exposure and illness during the cold and flu season.

The 2024 Annual Benefits Open Enrollment period is going on now and will run through November 30, 2023. During this time you may learn what is new for 2024, as well as review and change your benefit elections. Any changes made to your benefit elections will be effective January 1, 2024. No action is needed if you do not wish to make changes to health, dental, vision, or VTL. However, employees wishing to contribute to a Flex Spending Account (FSA) must enroll or re-enroll each year. For information about Open Enrollment, as well as a complete list of steps to take for a positive and successful Open Enrollment period, see the Open Enrollment webpage.