Southern Oregon University is committed to offering a benefit package that provides employees with options to choose the appropriate coverage to help manage health and wellness. PEBB (Public Employees’ Benefit Board) is the labor-management board that designs, contracts and administers benefits for state of Oregon employees, which SOU is a part of.
ELIGIBILITY
Employees that are benefit eligible work over 90 days at half time or greater. Any other form of eligibility would come from notification from the Benefit Officer, such as qualifying for health benefit coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Irregular instructors or faculty members may qualify for health coverage if working over 8 ELU’s in one term, which is typically equivalent to a half time position.
Employees have 30 days from their date of hire to make benefit elections. If no elections are made after 30 days, that employee would be considered a Decline. Eligible employees that Decline benefits may enroll during our annual Open Enrollment period the month of October, which take effect January 1 of the coming plan year.
Eligible dependents include a spouse or domestic partner (review requirements and documents needed for domestic partnership) and any dependent children (review PEBB’s eligibility information in their Summary Plan Description).
ENROLLING
Newly hired or newly eligible employees may enroll online or complete the Enrollment Form and submit to HR by the end your first 30 days. Benefits always take effect the first of the following month of enrollment. Aside from you initial enrollment, you can adjust your benefit elections year during PEBB’s annual Open Enrollment, which is the whole month of October. Open Enrollment requires all benefit eligible employees to go into the PEBB system to re-save their benefits or make needed changes AND go into their medical providers website to complete the HEM (Health Engagement Model), a required health questionnaire (Opt Outs go to the Providence Choice website). Completing Open Enrollment gives you a $17.50 incentive in your monthly paycheck; not completing Open Enrollment will raise your deductible up to $300 a year and PEBB will assume you are a tobacco user, if you are not, charging you higher rates and fees.
Explore SOU’s benefit package with the resources below:
Benefit Summary
The Benefit Summary is given to all new hires at the Benefit Orientation and is available for prospective hires as well. For detailed benefit information, refer to the Core, Optional and Wellenss tabs.
Core Benefits cover medical, dental, vision and a guaranteed $5k of employee life insurance. Employees pays either 3% or 5% or the total benefit premium cost, depending on what medical election they choose. For 2017, if electing AllCare PEBB, employee will pay 3% of the total premium cost for Core benefits. If electing any of the other medical plans (PEBB Statewide, Providence Choice or Moda Synerty), employee will pay 5% of the total cost for Core benefits.
Optional Benefits include life insurances, disability insurances, accidental death & dismemberment, long term care and flex-spending accounts are available for employees and employees eligible dependents. The employee pays 100% of these premiums.
Wellness Benefits are benefits available at no charge, where information, assistance and resources are provided to employees, encouraging a wholesome and complete lifestyle.
Tips for New Hires:
Core
Core Benefits: Medical, dental, vision & basic life insurance
Southern Oregon University’s benefit eligible employees have access to Medical, Dental and Vision plans (a medical election is required to participate, Opting Out is considered a medical election, declining is not). Automatically included in Core Benefit is $5K of guaranteed issue Basic Life Insurance, where the employee's montly portion is either $0.03 or $0.05, depending on which medical plan elected. Employees only pay 3% or 5% of the total premium cost of their Core benefits, SOU covers the rest.
Medical Plans
Plans available are determined by location and employees pay only 3% or 5% of their total Core Benefits, depending on which medical plan chosen. All of our medical plans follow the PEBB Summary Discription, the administrative ruling document, making the big differences between our plans how you navigate the plan (PEBB Statewide is only plan not requiring referrals) and the network (AllCare PEBB only available in our local counties).
Available to Jackson County residents are the following medical plans:
- PEBB Statewide (employee pays 5% of premiums for Core benefits in 2017)
- Providence Choice (where employee pays 5% of premiums for Core benefits in 2017) [NOTE: employee pays 3% of premium in 2018]
- Moda Synergy (where employee pays 5% of premiums for Core benefits in 2017)
- AllCare PEBB (only plan where employee pays 3% of premiums for Core benefits) [NOTE: AllCare will not be a medical provider in 2018]
Dental Plans Plans available are determined by location. The ODS (Oregon Dental Service) Moda plans (through Delta Dental) require the member to elect a dentist within the network. Willamtte Dental is a clinic location, with one in Medford, Grants Pass and on north up I-5, where members do not elect their dentist, but are rather scheduled with whoever is available at their clinic, drastically reducing the cost of services.Available to Jackson County residents are the following dental plans:
Vision VSP (Vision Service Plan) is the only vision plan available to PEBB members. VSP is a national provider where most of our local eye centers are in network. New as of January 2017, the Vision Plus plan gives those who wear glasses an added benefit with an additional montly cost. Review VSP cover
Optional
Optional Benefits: Disability/life insurances & flexible spending
Accidental Death and Dismemberment
The AD&D plan provides 24-hour coverage for accidental loss of life, limb, hand, foot, hearing, speech, sight or thumb and index finger (of the same hand). You may select a coverage amount from $50,000 to $500,000, in increments of $50,000.
Long Term Care
Members eligible for long term care insurance can enroll for coverage at any time - not just during Open Enrollment. During Open Enrollment, you can begin the enrollment process online through your record in the benefit system; however, you will still need to submit forms to the carrier, UNUM.
Long Term Disability
The benefit covers a percentage of your monthly insured earnings. You determine the percentage when you choose from the four options. For long-term disability, the insured earnings amount is based on your monthly earnings in effect on your last full day of work. When your insured earnings increase (for example, with a pay increase), your premium rate increases. Insured earnings do not include overtime pay, bonuses, or dollars received when you opt out of medical coverage.
Short Term Disability
The benefit covers 60 percent of your insured earnings. For short-term disability, the insured earnings amount is based on your weekly earnings in effect on your last full day of work. When your insured earnings increase (for example, with a pay increase), your premium rate increases. Insured earnings do not include overtime pay, bonuses, or dollars received when you opt out of medical coverage.
Employee Optional Life Insurance
This is term life insurance. Term life insurance means that the insurance benefit is payable only if the insured person dies during period specified by the policy. The beneficiary receives the benefit payment if the insured person dies while covered under the policy. In this case, that is while the person is a PEBB-eligible state employee whose premium payments are current. The Standard pays the benefit upon death from any cause (excluding suicide during the first two years of coverage).
Spouse/Partner Optional Life Insurance
This is term life insurance. Term life insurance means that the insurance benefit is payable only if the insured person dies during a specified period. The beneficiary receives the benefit payment if the insured person dies while covered under the policy. In this case, that is while the employee who purchases the coverage is a PEBB-eligible state employee and premium payments for the coverage are current.
Dependent Life
This is term life insurance. The beneficiary (the enrolled employee) is the recipient if the covered individual dies while covered under the policy.
In this case that is when the employee who purchases the coverage is a PEBB-eligible state employee and premium payments for the coverage are current.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
FSAs allow you to use pre-tax dollars to reimburse yourself for IRS-Qualified expenses. Use a Health Care FSA for IRS-qualified medical and dental expenses not covered in your plan, or use a Dependent Care FSA for IRS-qualified day care expenses that allow you to work. FSAs are annual accounts. If you want an FSA for the coming plan year, you must enroll during Open Enrollment. You can't revoke your participation in an FSA after it goes into effect.
Wellbeing
Wellbeing (n.): The state of being healthy, happy and prosperous
Health Engagement Model (HEM)
The goal of the HEM program is to engage as many people as possible in improving their health. Participating in HEM helps you learn about your health risks and take actions to reduce them. Becoming healthier together can help contain health care costs for all of us over time. Enrollment in HEM for the coming year occurs during Open Enrollment and is MANDADTORY. Participants receive a health incentive in their monthly pay, available in January after completion of Open Enrollment.
Bus Pass Program
Pick up a new bus pass sticker every term at the Service Center so that you can ride the bus for free, a service through RVTD (Rogue Valley Transportation District). Enjoy a trip down town for lunch, ride to and from work without worrying about parking, or even enjoy the bus for easy weekend transportation.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The Southern Oregon University contracts with Cascade Centers, Inc. to provide a comprehensive employee assistance program for eligible employees, their dependents. If you are struggling with work or family issues, free confidential help is available through the EAP.
LifeBalance
Available to PEBB Statewide and Providence Choice members, LifeBalance is an online wellness program designed to help members find well-being by participating in a wide variety of healthy deals and activities that meet your needs. Check out this overivew (PDF) of the program.
Healthy Team Healthy U (HTHU)
Healthy Team Healthy U targets your overall health to maximize results and create healthier minds, healthier bodies, and a healthier workplace. Through this program you gain access to an online support community and vast resources to cultivate a healthier lifestyle.
Tobacco Cessation
Employees enrolled in medical insurance have access to a smoking cessation program to assist with quitting tobacco consumption and lower health care costs.
MoodHelper
MoodHelper provides online resources to assist with the management of depression.
Travel Assistance
All PEBB members are automatically enrolled in Travel Assistance, which offers worldwide medical assistance and medical transport, personal security srevices, and trip/pre-trip assistance.
Virtual Lifestyle Management (VLM) For Providence Choice and PEBB Statewide members only
VLM is an internet-based program designed to help you improve your health and lower your risk of developing diabetes. 16 weekly lessons, 24x7 online tools and a dedicated personal health coach empower you to take small practical steps to reach your health goals.
Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers program assists employees with achieving weight loss goals in a healthy supportive environment. Weight Watchers group are available on campus.
Preventative Services
No Cost Preventative Services: Free services when delivered by a provider in network
Most health plans must cover a set of preventive services — like shots and screening tests — at no cost to you. All Marketplace health plans and many other plans must cover the following list of preventive services without charging you a copayment or coinsurance. This is true even if you haven’t met your yearly deductible. These services are only free when delivered by a doctor or other provider in your plan’s network. For details and more information, visit the Healthcare.Gov site for preventative servieces.
FOR CHILDREN
1. Alcohol and drug use assessments for adolescents
2. Autism screening for children at 18 and 24 months
3. Behavioral assessments for children ages: 0 to 11 months, 1 to 4 years, 5 to 10 years, 11 to 14 years, 15 to 17 years
4. Blood pressure screening for children ages: 0 to 11 months, 1 to 4 years , 5 to 10 years, 11 to 14 years, 15 to 17 years
5. Cervical dysplasia screening for sexually active females
6. Depression screening for adolescents
7. Developmental screening for children under age 3
8. Dyslipidemia screening for children at higher risk of lipid disorders ages: 1 to 4 years, 5 to 10 years, 11 to 14 years, 15 to 17 years
9. Fluoride chemoprevention supplements for children without fluoride in their water source
10. Gonorrhea preventive medication for the eyes of all newborns
11. Hearing screening for all newborns
12. Height, weight and body mass index (BMI) measurements for children ages: 0 to 11 months, 1 to 4 years, 5 to 10 years, 11 to 14 years, 15 to 17 years
13. Hematocrit or hemoglobin screening for all children
14. Hemoglobinopathies or sickle cell screening for newborns
15. Hepatitis B screening for adolescents at high risk, including adolescents from countries with 2% or more Hepatitis B prevalence, and U.S.-born adolescents not vaccinated as infants and with at least one parent born in a region with 8% or more Hepatitis B prevalence: 11 – 17 years.
16. HIV screening for adolescents at higher risk
17. Hypothyroidism screening for newborns
18. Immunization vaccines for children from birth to age 18 — doses, recommended ages, and recommended populations vary:
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
Haemophilus influenza type b
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Human Papillomavirus
Inactivated Poliovirus
Influenza (flu shot)
Measles
Meningococcal
Pneumococcal
Rotavirus
Varicella (Chickenpox)
19. Iron Supplements for children ages 6 to 12 months at risk for anemia
20. Lead screening for children at risk of exposure
21. Medical history for all children throughout development ages: 0 to 11 months, 1 to 4 years , 5 to 10 years , 11 to 14 years , 15 to 17 years
22. Obesity screening and counseling
23. Oral health risk assessment for young children ages: 0 to 11 months, 1 to 4 years, 5 to 10 years
24. Phenylketonuria (PKU) screening for newborns
25. Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention counseling and screening for adolescents at higher risk
26. Tuberculin testing for children at higher risk of tuberculosis ages: 0 to 11 months, 1 to 4 years, 5 to 10 years, 11 to 14 years, 15 to 17 years
27. Vision screening for all children
