December Newsletter
Employee Benefits and Well-being
December 11, 2017
Monthly Newsletter
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Paying Yourself: Income Options in Retirement
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FINAL NOTICE OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITY. Do you know how you’ll pay yourself in retirement? There are many factors to take into consideration, including tax implications, that have the potential to affect your income during retirement. This TIAA presentation will help you understand the basic rules governing the most common retirement accounts, gain perspective on when to withdraw different assets, and help you discover the income choices TIAA has to offer. Sessions will be held in the State College Room, in Maucker Union, Monday, December 11th at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Tuesday, December 12th at 12:00 p.m. Please register in advance for this presentation.
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Health, Stress, and Hypertension
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The American Heart Association recently released new guidelines changing the definition of hypertension (high blood pressure) from 140/90 to 130/80. With this new classification, nearly half of the U.S. population, and likely over half of the UNI employee population, are experiencing high blood pressure. Having high blood pressure puts an individual at an increased risk for stroke and heart disease. Two of the leading causes of early death in the world. This presentation will be led by Sheri Purdy, MS, a health education expert from Covenant. She will provide education on high blood pressure, causes, and life style changes you can make to reduce your risk. This presentation will take place on Thursday, January 4, 2018, in Gilchrist 009 from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. Please register in advance.
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Justin Dams, with Veridian Credit Union, will present on preparing and planning for retirement. Retirement planning should start years before you are ready to retire. Don't wait! Start preparing for your future today! Join us in the Scholar Space in the Library on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m, or Wednesday, January 17, 2018 from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. Please register in advance.
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Start the new year off right, and kick that tobacco habit for good! Tobacco use costs thousands of dollars annually, and is steals years from your life. UNI employee well-being wants to assist you in getting those years back, and money back in your pocket. We will provide tools and resources to help support you in quitting, at no cost to you. Stacie Dudden, R.N., and Carol Hellman, B.S.N., will present on these tools and resources to help you quit for good. This presentation will take place on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, in Gilchrist 009 from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. Please register in advance.
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It is that time of year again! Join thousands of Iowans and the UNI community in making positive, healthy changes to your lifestyle by participating in the Live Healthy Iowa (LHI) 10-week Wellness Challenge. For more information on how you and your team can get started, visit our webpage. The challenge starts on January 22nd, and continues through March 30th, so make plans to get you and your team registered!
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| The most important step in preventing flu is to get a flu vaccination each year. UNI Employee Well-being provided 725 flu shots this year to employees, and no longer has any shots remaining. If you would still like to get one you should contact your local Hy-Vee or CVS pharmacies for a fast and cost-effective way to get your flu shot. Additionally, CDC also recommends everyday preventive actions (like staying away from people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes and frequent hand washing) to help slow the spread of germs that cause respiratory (nose, throat, and lungs) illnesses, like the flu. Frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizers with a alcohol concentration of 60% or greater, may be the second best prevention method. If you are ill, stay home until you are feeling well (including being fever free for 24 hours) to avoid spreading the to others. For additional information on signs and symptoms, visit our Seasonal Flu Page. |
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Don't forget comparison shop for healthcare!
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Most of us comparison shop for just about everything. Why not healthcare? Did you know that there are tools available that make it easy to find cost estimates for procedures? Visit Wellmark.com and log into MyWellmark to utilize the Cost Estimator tool through Care Finder. This will show you your out-of-pocket cost for a particular doctor’s visit or service. This tool also allows for ratings and reviews for providers. Remember, it’s good to Know Before You Go.
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Riding the struggle bus for holiday gift ideas?
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Your holiday shopping just got easier! Check out Blue 365 for ideas and score some good deals on the gifts everyone can enjoy. All Wellmark Blue Cross/ Blue Shield members are eligible for Blue 365. In order to use the deals, you need to create an account. Then all you need to do is shop. You can redeem the deal instantly and order. The deals available do change, so if you want the deal don't wait too long to redeem it. You can also sign-up to receive e-mails for deal offers for items you are interested in. It's that easy! Now go finish your shopping list, and use the time you saved for self-care!
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This is a wonderful time of year to give to those in need or volunteer. Giving is also good for your health, happiness and has been proven to increase your longevity. If you aren't able to give financially, you can give of your time by volunteering. You will experience the same health benefits, plus your social well-being will benefit too. If you are looking for volunteer opportunities, check out the Volunteer Center of the Cedar Valley.
If you haven't maxed out your charitable donations yet for 2017, there is still time. Here are some tips from the IRS for end of the year gifts and charity. The two organizations you can still give to on campus are the UNI Foundation, and the UNI United Way. |
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Flex Spending: Year end use it or loose it
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Eligible expenses must be incurred between the plan year of January 1, 2017 through March 15, 2018 or prior to you termination of employment. Any balance remaining in the account at the end of the plan year will be forfeited. For additional information on submitting claims, and using any remaining dollars, check-out our flex spending account website.
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Employee Benefits and Well-being Fair
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The 2017 Employee Benefits and Well-being Fair was a great success. Thank you to all of the UNI volunteers and our sponsors TIAA, Hy-Vee, and Wal-Mart, that made this event possible. A special thanks goes out to all of the vendors. They represented services across campus, the Cedar Valley, and the state, and provided valuable resources and information to our faculty and staff. If you missed the fair this year, be sure to watch for communication next fall, and plan to attend!
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Spotlight: Meal prep made fun!
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UNI employees Yvonne Lampson, Kimberly Schnell, and Chelsi Wickham enjoying the Freezer Meal Prep class hosted by Administrative Dietitian, Lisa Smith and Food Service Supervisor Juli Strasser.
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