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 | State of Maine Bureau of Human Resources  Employee Health & Benefits *Newsletter - Summer 2009 |
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State Employee Health Commission Co-Chairs: Brett Hoskins Alicia Kellogg Members: John Bloomendaal Lauren Carrier Becky Greene Carol Harris Tom Hayden Richard Hodgdon Kandi Jenkins Scott Kilcollins Jan LaChapelle John Leavitt Michael Mitchell Steve Moore Cheryl Moreau Ed Mouradian Carl Parker Kimberly Proffitt Will Towers Freeman Wood Executive Director: (Ex-Officio) Frank Johnson Staff: Tanya Plante Editor/Layout: Patrick E. Paradis Contributors: Bill McPeck Guida Libby Jane Paxton Earle Pease Heather Sargent/Plante |
As part of the budget bill for FY2010 changes were made on how much the State will contribute toward the individual health insurance premium. These changes go into effect October 1, 2009. How much the State pays toward your individual premium will depend upon your annual base salary. There are three income tiers as follows:
There are additional changes that are effective July 1, 2010. These changes include health credits that will allow you to earn additional State premium payments. More detailed information will be provided later this year. These changes apply to active employees of the executive, judicial and legislative branches. If you are enrolled in the State employee health plan but do not work for the executive, judicial or legislative branches, please check with your human resource personnel to see if these changes apply to your organization. Most of this increase is due to a greater use of medical services and a small group of high-cost claims. There were eight cases that exceeded $350,000 and these eight cases alone accounted for $4.6 million. The budget for the next fiscal year projected an increase of 6%. As you know, the Legislature is confronted with a significant budget gap for FY2010. With these overall budget problems looming, the State Employee Health commission was forced to examine ways to reduce plan costs. It was necessary that the estimated plan expenses for the upcoming year not exceed the amount budgeted. To meet that objective, the Commission recently approved a series of benefit changes that will be effective July 1, 2009. The State Employee Health Commission was very disappointed by this announcement but the Commission promises the plan’s Medicare retirees that a replacement plan will be in place by January 1, 2010. No major changes in benefits are planned. The Commission has started the bid process to select the insurer to replace Advantra Freedom. At least six national and regional plans have expressed an interest in providing coverage for the State employee health plans Medicare retirees. It is expected that a decision will be made by mid-September. In the meantime Advantra Freedom will continue to provide your health insurance coverage and Coventry’s customer service staff is available to help you. |
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How to Reach Us WORKERS’ COMPENSATION 207-287-6655 1-800-422-4503 EMPLOYEE BENEFITS 207-287-6780 1-800-422-4503 WELLNESS CENTERS Wellness CenterAugusta: 207-287-9059 Bangor: 207-941-4774 Hours: Monday - Thursday 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Friday 6:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (September - May) LIFESTYLE FITNESS CENTERS Lifestyle Fitness CenterPortland: 207-797-5700Hours: Sunday 6:00 a.m. - Friday 10:00 p.m. 24 hour access Saturday 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Scarborough: 207-883-2979 Hours: Monday - Friday 4:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Saturday - Sunday 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. |
Why do people skip breakfast? If it is an attempt to save calories, it is misplaced. If it is because the mornings are so busy, it is important to find ways to make breakfast fast, but possible. According to Elisabetta Politi, nutrition manager for the Duke Diet & Fitness Center at Duke University Medical School, “Eating early in the day keeps us from ‘starvation eating’ later on. But it also jump-starts your metabolism. When you don’t eat breakfast, you’re actually fasting for 15 to 20 hours, so you’re not producing the enzymes needed to metabolize fat to lose weight.” This contention is backed up by studies. For example, most (78%) of the people in The National Weight Control Registry who have maintained a weight loss of 30 or more pounds for a minimum of one year, eat breakfast every day; 90% of them have breakfast at least five days a week. Another research group analyzed government data on 4,200 adults. They found that regular breakfast eaters were more likely to exercise regularly. And women who ate breakfast regularly tended to eat fewer calories overall during the day. Okay, so eating breakfast is a good idea, but how do you fit it in without breaking the calorie bank? Protein takes care of hunger better than anything else. How about eggs? Below are several recipes from Hungry Girl that use fat-free but protein-rich liquid egg substitute such as Egg Beaters®. They cook in a mug – no pan or spatula to wash and the container is portable! More protection is now available for fixed-interest investments: the General (Declared Rate) Account (The Hartford), the ING Fixed Account (ING), and the VALIC Fixed Interest Account (formerly AIG Retirement, now VALIC) in the Deferred Compensation Plan. The Maine Legislature has passed and the Governor has signed “An Act To Clarify Guaranteed Fund Protection for Deferred Compensation Accounts,” P.L. Chap. 118. Your investment in these fixed-interest options is insured by Maine Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Assoc. up to $250,000 (previously $100,000) per financial services organization (FSO) in the event the sponsoring FSO becomes bankrupt. If you reach this limit in one fixed-interest investment, you may continue to invest in that fixed-interest fund, invest in other options available from the same FSO, or direct future contributions to a fixed-interest option or another option offered by a different FSO. (Note: You may change your FSO once a year.) If you have any questions or need more information, contact your FSO representative as shown on the plan’s website: |
Did you know that there are national organizations of doctors and other health care professionals who meet to develop treatment guidelines for many diseases? These doctors and health care professionals, who are experts in these fields, review the clinical information available today to determine what are the best treatment practices for these diseases and then they publish these guidelines so that your doctor can use them to treat your condition. Some examples of conditions with nationally published guidelines include diabetes, asthma, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. |
Active state employees may be eligible for free gym membership. To find out if there is a gym or fitness center in your area, call 287-6440. (Retirees have free access to the Wellness Centers in Bangor and Augusta.) The Department of Administrative & Financial Services (DAFS) has listed the following state government closure (shut-down) days for the remainder of 2009:
Anthem Vision “Open Enrollment” for active employees and retirees will be held in October. More information will be mailed to you at the end of September. Over the Counter (OTC) Learn more about OTC labels in the fall issue of Healthy Times. |
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Check the State web-site for additions to the Forever Fitness Club Network. If you have any questions about Forever Fitness Clubs, please call toll-free 1-877-244-2452 for more information. http://www.maine.gov/beh |
The State employee health plan recently updated the preferred hospital list based upon the Maine Health Management Coalition hospital ratings. Hospitals that are awarded blue ribbons for Patient Safety and the Select Clinical Quality categories are considered preferred hospitals for the point-of-service plan. A new measurement has been introduced to the Maine Health Management Coalition website. Mortality and readmissions information is now available. Several Maine hospitals scored better than the national benchmark in either mortality or readmissions. Because of the way national performance is determined it is a significant achievement to perform better than the national benchmark. In an effort to recognize those Maine hospitals the State Employee Health Commission is awarding extra credit as a preferred hospital. The preferred hospitals as of August 1, 2009 are:
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