Benefits Summary

2012

BRIEF SUMMARY OF BENEFITS FOR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES

Health Insurance, Rx, and Vision

We offer four choices for medical insurance. All plans include prescription drug and vision benefits.

Highmark Blue Shield EPO Blue

The EPO option requires you to use physicians and healthcare facilities within the Highmark Blue Shield network. Out-of-network coverage is not available with this plan except for emergency situations. The office visit co-pay is $20; ER co-pay is $50 (this co-pay will be waived if the patient is admitted). Please see the summary of benefits for additional plan information.

• EPO Blue Summary
• Highmark Website

Highmark Blue Shield PPO Blue

The PPO option allows participants to select any physician for care. If the member chooses to stay in-network, the office visit co-pay is $20; ER co-pay is $50 (this co-pay will be waived if the patient is admitted). If the member chooses to go outside the network for care, there is still coverage available at 80 percent of the provider’s reasonable charge after satisfying the deductible ($200 for individual/$400 for family aggregate). Please see the summary of benefits for additional plan information.

• PPO Blue Summary
• Highmark Website

Highmark Blue Shield PPO Blue with Low ($500/$1000) In-Network Deductible

The PPO option allows participants to select any physician for care. If the member chooses to stay in-network, the annual deductible is $500 for individual and $1,000 for two or more family members and the office visit co-pay is $20; ER co-pay is $50 (this co-pay will be waived if the patient is admitted). If the member chooses to go outside the network for care, there is still coverage available at 80 percent of the provider's reasonable charge after satisfying the out-of-network deductible of $1,000 for an individual and $2,000 for two or more family members. Preventive care is not subject to co-pays or the annual deductible if you receive services from a provider who is in the PPO network. Please see the summary of benefits for additional plan information.

PPO Blue with Low ($500/$1000) In-Network Deductible Summary 
Highmark Website 
 

Highmark Blue Shield PPO Qualified High Deductible Health Plan (QHDHP) Summary

The PPO QHDHP plan works very differently than a regular deductible plan. The annual deductible is $1,500 if you enroll in employee-only coverage and $3,000 if you enroll in two-party or family coverage, even if only one family member incurs the expense. In addition, the annual deductible is applied to both medical AND prescription drugs. Also, there are no co-pays with a QHDHP—once the deductible is met, in-network services are covered at 100 percent and out-of-network services are covered at 80 percent. Preventive care is not subject to the annual deductible if you received services from a provider who is in the PPO network. Please see the summary of benefits for additional plan information.

A QHDHP is designed for use with a Health Savings Account (HSA) and should not be combined with any funding arrangement other than a HSA. You are not required to enroll in a HSA; however, if you wish to do so, you can set up a HSA with any banking institution if you are enrolled in a QHDHP. Highmark's banking partner is Bank of America that you can use and the university has a workplace banking program with the First National Bank, which also offers a HSA. First National Bank will waive the set-up fee for Susquehanna University employees. Participation in a medical flexible spending account is prohibited if you are enrolled in a QHDHP.

PPO Qualified High Deductible Health Plan (QHDHP) Summary 
Highmark Website 

Medco Prescription Drug Program

Prescription drugs are offered through Medco for all of our health plans; the premium is incorporated into the health plan rates. The co-pay for the pharmacy option, 30-day supply is: $10 for generic, $20 for brand formulary and $35 for brand non-formulary. The co-pay for the mail order, 90-day supply is: $25 for generic, $50 for brand formulary and $85 for brand non-formulary. Members in the PPO QHDHP will pay the full cost of their prescriptions until the deductible has been met. Once the deductible is met, there is no cost for prescriptions.

Please remember if you are on a maintenance drug, you should utilize the mail order option vs. purchasing it at the drug store. Purchasing a 90-day supply through mail order will cost $25-$85, while the same drug at the pharmacy will cost $30-$105. This is especially important if you are taking more than one maintenance drug.

Clear Advantage Vision Benefits

The vision plan uses the Davis Vision provider network and is included as part of your health insurance.  Eye exams are covered in full once every 12 months at participating providers. Summary information is available in the Human Resources office.  Online directory of network providers can be found by logging on to Highmark's website at www.highmarkblueshield.com and click on Find a Network Vision Provider.

Vision Summary

To determine the monthly contributions employees make for health, prescription, and vision coverage, effective Jan 1, 2012, multiply that premium amount by the percentage that applies to your salary level. 

Medical premiums are deducted on a pre-tax basis.

Monthly premiums for the 2012 plan year are as follows:

Percentage of premium employee pays based on salary:

United Concordia Dental

This is a voluntary benefit; the employee pays 100 percent of the premium. Participating providers are obligated to accept United Concordia’s maximum allowances as payment less deductible or coinsurance. The plan covers 100 percent of diagnostic and preventative services. Basic and major services are covered at 50 percent after the deductible is met. The maximum annual coverage is $1,000/person.  Please see the summary of benefits for additional plan information. Dental premiums may be deducted on a pre-tax basis. Monthly premiums for the 2011-2012 plan year are as follows:

Dental Summary

United Concordia Website

SU Couples

Couples that are both employed with benefits-eligible status at Susquehanna University will have the choice of 1) "employee-only" coverage in which case the individual’s salary will be considered to determine the percentage paid toward premium; or 2) "two-party or family" coverage in which case the salaries will be averaged to determine the percentage paid toward the premium.

Flexible Spending Account Program

Allows employee and family out-of-pocket expenses for dependent day care, dental care, vision care, medical expenses, co-pays and deductibles to be set-aside on a pre-tax basis. Tax savings are applicable to federal withholding and Social Security taxes. Tax savings on all expenses other than dependent day care are subject to state income taxes. Enrollment in the health plan is not required to participate. You are not permitted to enroll in a Medical Flexible Spending plan if you are enrolled in a QHDHP.

TIAA–CREF Retirement Program

A voluntary program to which the employee contributes 5 percent or more of salary and the university contributes 10 percent of salary; the employee contribution can be tax-sheltered. Employees who choose not to contribute to TIAA–CREF will have an amount equal to 2 percent of their salary contributed by the university on their behalf. New employees may begin participation in this program by either transferring existing TIAA–CREF contracts to Susquehanna University or by completing one continuous year of full-time service. Continuous paid service at any teaching institution will count toward the waiting period.  Verification must be received before contributions may begin.

All employees, regardless of benefits eligibility, are eligible to enroll in the supplemental retirement plan with no waiting period.  There is no university contribution to the supplemental plan.

Student employees are excluded from participating in any of the university's retirement plans. 

Educational Privileges

A full-time employee and spouse or domestic partner may take Susquehanna University credit classes at no charge and take graduate level classes at Bucknell University on a tuition exchange basis. Eligible dependents may take credit classes at Susquehanna University tuition free or apply for a tuition exchange scholarship with colleges and universities that participate in the college exchange program. Service requirements must be met for all educational benefits. Please consult with the Financial Aid Office for details.

Life Insurance

Provides a death benefit to the named beneficiary. Employees will be covered in an amount equal to one and one-half times their gross pay (rounded up to the next thousand) with a minimum coverage of $30,000. Accidental death and dismemberment coverage provides a benefit to the employee if living, otherwise to the named beneficiary. The values are the same. No cost for employees.

Long-Term Disability

Provides an income benefit in the event of total or partial disability after a 90-day waiting period. The value is 60 percent of income; 15 percent of the pre-disability income is contributed to an existing retirement program; a death benefit equal to a six-month payout is available to the designated beneficiary. No cost for employees.

Employee Assistance Program

Eligible employees and family members residing in the same household may receive unlimited telephone counseling and up to three personal counseling sessions per year. No cost for employees.

Health Advocate

Employees and their families can contact Health Advocate for help in finding doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers; scheduling specialized treatments, tests and appointments with providers including specialists; sorting out claims questions, billing and payment arrangements; navigating within an insurance company to help obtain approval for needed services and verifying coverage for providers. They will assist with eldercare issues; answer questions about test results, treatment recommendations and medications; assist in transferring medical records, x-rays and lab results; locate and research all current treatments for a medical condition; answer questions and provide information and resources about medical terms, tests, medication and treatments; and help locate and make arrangements for members with special needs (i.e., rehabilitation, private duty nursing, home-care equipment etc.).

Health Advocate also has a wellness program that includes an online Health Risk Assessment. To contact Health Advocate or access the online Health Risk Assessment, simply call toll free at 1-866-695-8622 or login at https://members.healthadvocate.com/.

Service 1st Federal Credit Union

As an employee of Susquehanna University, you and your immediate family members are eligible for membership with Service 1st Federal Credit Union. Credit union membership provides you access to a lifetime of convenient and affordable financial services. Service 1st quarterly newsletter provides information on special offers, current credit union news and educational articles that help you manage common financial concerns.

Additional Voluntary Benefits

Include additional life insurance with dependent coverage available; accidental death and dismemberment; cancer insurance; short-term disability insurance; and auto and homeowners insurance.

Holidays-Vacation-Sick Leave

Holidays - The university observes ten paid holidays throughout the year. They include Labor Day, which is a floating holiday and may be used between July 1 and Dec. 31.

Vacation - Salaried and hourly employees accrue paid vacation on a per pay basis. Hourly accruals are based on years of service.

Sick Leave - Salaried and hourly employees accrue ten sick days per year. The sick days are  accrued on a per pay basis.

Other Benefits

Other benefits include free attendance to athletic and cultural events, free parking, discounts on bookstore purchases, free use of university facilities such as the gymnasium, pool, and library, and inexpensive meals at the dining hall.

This is only a summary and not intended to fully describe each benefit. Part-time employees who are eligible for benefits should consult with the HR office for details on part-time benefits.