UA staff and faculty will receive $50 for entering their biometric numbers through April 30, 2009 in the Get the Point (GTP) Tracking System.

"It’s important for you to keep track of your health, and there’s an easy way to get started: Know Your Numbers. That's blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and BMI (body mass index).

By knowing your numbers, you can gauge your risk for serious health problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke.

Maintaining good health doesn't have to be complicated. Eat well, be physically active, avoid unhealthy habits like smoking and excessive drinking— and know your numbers."

���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Mike Humphrey
���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Director of Benefits
���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� University of Alaska


Know Your Numbers at one of the WIN for Alaska biometric events. Sign up for your appointment at www.uahealthinaction.com� You can also use your biometric numbers from your IHP sessions or most recent doctor visit. You must enter weight, height, blood pressure, waist measurement and total cholesterol in Get the Point by April 30, 2009 to qualify for the $50.

Your incentive is not tied to your results, only your participation. This information will be kept confidential. Only non-identifiable information and total qualified participant numbers will be shared with the university. This $50 is compliments of the UA Joint Health Care Committee.

But Wait, There’s More...
UA staff and faculty who also reach Tier I (180 points after two consecutive months of activity) in the GTP Incentive Campaign will get another $50! If you’re not registered in GTP, do it today! http://gtp.winforalaska.com Checks will be issued in one payment and mailed to your university work address in June.

Benefits are one of the main reasons people choose an employer.� The University of Alaska has a variety of valuable benefits available to employees. This year like last, the university will be sending to your home an interactive CD with open enrollment information on it.� It is simple to use and is available for your reference throughout the year.� All the information about open enrollment will also posted on the benefits website www.alaska.edu/benefits/ and copies will be available from the regional human resources offices.

Open enrollment dates are April 15 – May 15, 2009.�� If you do not make any changes to your benefit elections, your benefits will automatically continue to the next plan year, except for flexible spending accounts.� You must make an annual election if you want to participate in the flexible spending account programs.� The choices you make during open enrollment will be effective July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

The University benefit plans emphasize wellness and encourage employees to take an active role in managing their health.� Our benefits package is designed to meet your individual needs and preferences, as well as provide you with choice, flexibility, and easy access to your benefits.��
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The U.S. Department of Education requires the University of Alaska to report information on the ethnicity and race of its employees on an annual basis.� All institutions that receive any federal dollars, must report statistics on race and ethnicity according to the categories established in the 2000 census.� The University of Alaska additionally asks those of Alaska Native ancestry to identify themselves in more detail.� We do this in order to complete statistical reporting for state grants, as well as for funding from native corporations in the state that help their students afford a college education.

Due to these changes in federal data collection and reporting requirements, employers began using new reporting categories effective January 1, 2009. These new requirements modify some of the ethnicity and race categories used in the past for federal reporting. The prior system, designated by the federal government, allowed only one option by which to categorize yourself. One of the benefits of this new schema is that it allows people to choose an ethnicity as defined by the U.S. government and then to choose one or many races.� A person can choose as many races as they want from the list, as there are many people who fall into more than one category.

To ensure that current employee data is reported accurately, we are asking all current employees to review the ethnicity and race information presently on file. This information came from forms you completed at the time of hire. You can review this information online by going to http://uaonline.alaska.edu� and also make any updates, if necessary. For detailed information and instructions, please refer to the following URL:� http://www.alaska.edu/hr/docs/eeo_instructions.pdf

***Please note that the information you provide will be used only for federal reporting purposes.