Review your 2015 Benefits: Look closely at the confirmation statement mailed to you in early December or visit My BMC Compensation and Benefits and follow this path: Go to Your Benefits Resources > Health and Insurance  > Health and Insurance Summary > Your New Coverage. If you need to make a change, call Your Benefits Resources before December 31, 2014, at 1-877-262-4869.

ID Cards: You will receive medical ID card(s) before the end of December if you enrolled in a BMC medical plan for the first time or you changed plans from 2014 to 2015. Dental and vision ID cards are not required, so you won’t receive one in the mail. Just have your doctor contact MetLife at 1-800-942-0854 or VSP at 1-800-877-7195 when you get care.

If you don’t receive your card or need extra cards,call BCBSTX Customer Care at 1-800-521-2227 or go online to bcbstx.com. If you enrolled in the Kaiser HMO medical plan, call 1-800-464-4000 or go online to kp.org.

Dependent Verification: If you added a new dependent to your benefits during annual enrollment, you will receive a verification request notice and package at your home address. Follow the instructions in the package and respond by the deadline. If you do not complete and return the requested documents, your dependents will be ineligible for coverage and dropped from BMC benefits.

Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Carryover: Good news. You don’t have to rush to spend any unused money in your Healthcare FSA or Limited Use FSA by December 31. Changes to FSA rules mean you can carry over up to $500 of your unused contributions to 2015. Be sure to check your balance on the Your Spending Account (YSA) website on or after January 1, 2015. Please note: The carryover rule doesn’t apply to the Dependent Care FSA.

If your plans for the new year include a renewed commitment to healthy living, the BMC wellness program can help. BMC will launch a new wellness program under the name BWell ― your well-being matters ― in partnership with ADURO, Inc. BWell is BMC’s new benefits brand to look for as we communicate health and wellness programs.

The new wellness program will offer unique wellness incentive challenge opportunities throughout the year. The program will feature easy-to-use online tools and achievement milestones that will inspire you to keep reaching for the next level of health.

BMC will also continue to reward you for healthy behaviors. When you participate in challenges and complete tasks, you and your spouse (if covered under your BMC medical plan) will qualify to earn hundreds of dollars in discounts on your 2016 medical premiums.

Watch your email at work for more information as we get closer to the launch date.

Preventive care can really make a difference to your health and your wallet. And visiting the doctor regularly for preventive care is an important part of staying healthy

What is preventive care?

Preventive services include health care like screenings, check-ups, and counseling that are used to prevent illnesses, disease, and other health problems.

How can preventive care help?

• Preventing an illness is much easier and less expensive than managing or curing one after it has begun.
• Health screenings like blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol tests identify the early warning signs of certain health risks. Use the test results to work with your doctor to make a plan for improvement. Free health screenings will be offered at many BMC U.S. work sites early in 2015.
• Your teeth and eyes tell important stories about your health, too. Dental and vision preventive exams are just as important as an annual physical.

All BMC health benefits, including medical, dental and vision, provide preventive screenings and services for you and your covered dependents each year — most at no cost to you. This makes preventive care the best bargain in benefits! So why not schedule that routine physical exam today, and talk to your doctor about the preventive care that’s right for you?

Resources

Read the Adult Wellness Guidelines from BCBSTX 

If you participate in the BMC Fitness Reimbursement program, make your 2014 claim by March 31, 2015 through the Your Spending Account (YSA) website:

• If you belong to a BMC onsite gym (Houston and Austin):
  – Submit a copy of your final 2014 pay stub to YSA.
• If you belong to an offsite fitness center:
  – Submit your 2014 receipts for membership dues or exercise classes to YSA.

To request reimbursement, log on to My BMC Compensation & Benefits and click through this path: Visit My Spending Accounts > Other Accounts > Request Fitness Reimbursement. Find detailed instructions in this step-by-step guide.

The BMC Fitness Reimbursement Program allows you to receive a one-time annual reimbursement of up to $225 per year for fitness related activities, including gym memberships and exercise classes.

BMC offers tuition assistance to help you continue your education, strengthen your skills and build a stronger career. If you are registering for winter college courses and want to use your tuition reimbursement benefit, you must complete the pre-approval process on the Your Spending Account (YSA) website. Your manager and director must also sign a pre-approval that you submit to YSA. Take a few minutes to review the Tuition Reimbursement application and pre-approval process.

If you have questions about Tuition Reimbursement, call YSA at 1-877-262-4849, (select option 2 – Your Spending Account).

The end of the year is a good time to evaluate whether you’re on track to achieve your retirement savings goals. The Fidelity Retirement Quick Check calculator can help. If you’re behind, you might consider increasing your contribution rate for your 401(k) or for your Health Savings Account. Go to www.bmcsavingstools.com to calculate how to maximize your deferral and BMC match for 2015.

Experience shows that budgeting is a lot simpler than people think. It’s really only 20 percent head knowledge and 80 percent behavior. Staying on a budget is a lot more about what you do than what you know, says personal-finance expert Rachel Cruze. Read more about how to overcome resistance to living on a household budget and creating a financial plan.

Source: experiencelife.com