December Benefits News
December 1, 2023
Training and Webinars
TIAA December Webinars
Join TIAA’s live webinars during the month of December. Access can be found on TIAA’s webinar website. These are open to any employee - not just TIAA members and you can register to attend as a guest.
- December 5 @ 11:00 a.m. Alaska | Live with confidence in retirement: 5 steps to creating your retirement income plan
- December 7 @ 8:00 a.m. Alaska | Make the move toward long-term financial security: Your mid career retirement check-in
- December 12 @ 10:00 a.m. Alaska | Write your next chapter: 5 steps to setting your retirement date
- December 13 @ 8:00 a.m. Alaska | Establish your retirement plan: A start-to-finish guide.
HRC Training and Roundtable - December 6, 2023
Human Resources invites all HR Coordinators (HRCs) to the HRC trainings that take place monthly. Due to the December holiday, both the training and HRC Roundtable discussion are merged into one session on December 6 from 2:30-4:00 PM. Each session will be 45 minutes with training first followed by the informative Roundtable where UA HR team members provide updates and answer HRC questions.
HRCs are encouraged to join UA HR as we work to partner to meet calendar year end deadlines. The end of the calendar year means we work together to ensure deadlines are met for the University and our employees. UA HR needs your help to ensure that employees update their mailing address for W-2s, that employee gifts are notated properly, that time sheets are completed during the hard closure, and more. HRCs can register via MyUA. For other training offered by UA HR, please see the training calendar on the website.
FY 24 Wellness Rebate
The FY 24 Wellness Rebate will be paid out to employees on the December 1, 2023 paycheck.
Employees (and their spouses/FIPs) who are enrolled in a UA Choice Medical Plan currently
and completed the Wellness Program by June 30, 2023, will receive the rebate. For
more information, please review the Wellness webpage.
If there are any questions on the rebate, please email us at ua-benefits@alaska.edu or give us a call at (907) 450-8242.
Providence Alaska Group Update
Premera Blue Cross received termination notices for three Providence Alaska groups:
- Providence Medical Group Alaska
- Providence Behavioral Medicine Group
- Providence Imaging Center
Premera is working in good faith to reach a new agreement that provides both quality care and fairly compensates the health system before the contract end date of December 31, 2023. Premera is committed to long-term, realistic, practical solutions that drive down costs and will continue to work with the Providence Alaska groups to meet these commitments.
Premera is obligated to send out notices to affected members 30 days before the termination date, even though they are continuing to work with the Providence Alaska groups on a new agreement. These notices will be sent out by the end of November. We will keep employees up to date as Premera continues to work toward a new agreement over the coming weeks.
Denali Pharmacy in Fairbanks - Remains In-Network
If you use Denali Pharmacy in Fairbanks, please disregard the notice that the in-network coverage would end on 11/27. Paperwork has since been completed and Denali Pharmacy will remain in-network. If you have questions about your in-network pharmacy benefits, please call Premera’s customer service number on the back of your Premera ID card or reach out to TouchCare.
Faculty Time Off Balances
On November 27, faculty members received their FTO balance effective November 27, 2023 via email from “UA-hrCommunications@alaska.edu”.
UA HR encourages faculty members to work with their supervisor to utilize this benefit for their well-being. FTO does not accrue from one academic year to the next if not used. You can view your leave balance at any time by logging in to UAOnline and selecting 'Employee Services' and then 'Time Off Current Balances and History'. Please refer to the Faculty Time Off FAQs for more information.
Speak with a member of the benefits team directly!
Employees have many ways to get in touch with the benefits team.
- NEW PHONE LINE! The benefits team now has a direct line (907) 450-8242. This line rings to our frontline benefits specialists who can help you with all things benefits!
- If you’re interested in setting up some time with one of our specialists, feel free to schedule some time during our benefits open office hours!
As always, we are available to answer questions at ua-benefits@alaska.edu.