Empowering Employees with Benefit Resources

Understand Your Benefits Package: 

• We strongly recommend that you read through the 2024 Benefit Guide and review our benefits website. 
• Open Enrollment is occurring from Friday November 3 through Friday, November 17th 2023. This is the time to select your benefits beginning January 1, 2024. Submit your 2024 elections through Oracle during our Open Enrollment period. 
• If you have questions about our benefits, we hope you will reach out to Your Benefits Team at Green Mountain Higher Education Consortium (GMHEC) at 802.443.5485 or benefits@gmhec.org. 

Accessing Your Benefits: 

As you go through your daily life, consider the ways that you may use your benefits and get the most out of this valuable resource. Some tips we have to help:

• Register with vendors, download the apps now! Our vendors have many great tools and resources that become easier to use when you have your accounts created and apps downloaded before you experience the moment you NEED to access them. Here are a few ways you can use the websites and apps our carriers provide: 
  • Important Note: if you are electing a benefit for the first time now, you will be able to register with the vendor on or after 1/1/24. 
  • Delta Dental: Find providers, view balances, view coverage info, register for HOW®. 
    • This is a new vendor for all of us, register on 1/1/24 or after. For now you may visit their site early to learn more and find participating dentists.
  • HealthEquity: View HSA balance information, submit claims, upload documentation, manage investments. 
  • InvestEAP: Use as a resource for yourself and your household when life’s challenges arise. Our password is: midd
  • MyCigna: Access your Medical  Insurance Card, Cigna Telehealth Connection - MD Live, track your claims, get answers to FAQs. 
    • Mental Health Supports: Cigna members can use TalkSpace, iPrevail, and Happify as tools in our behavioral health toolkits. 
  • Navia: View flexible spending balance information, submit claims, add your Navia debit card to Mobile Pay. 
  • Unum: If you travel 100+ miles from home, download the Assist America Mobile App for all kinds of support in the event of an emergency. 
  • TIAA: Access calculators and tools that may help your retirement plan, view your balances and manage your investments. Download the app. 
  • VSP: Calculate possible vision care savings, find in-network providers, view special offers. 
  • Well-Being: GMHEC has a plethora of resources available to employees. 
    • Don’t forget about the amazing calendar, our password is: GMHECWell-Being

Sign up for the newsletter “What’s on tap for well-being?” , send Rebecca an email asking her to “sign up for the newsletter”. 
 

• Consider staying In-Network! 
  In addition to being less paperwork and feeling like there are fewer hoops to jump through, other reasons to stay in network are:
• Reduced expenses: in many cases, when we go in-network there are savings for you and for the college. 
• Simplified billing: when we go in-network the providers typically are set up to bill with our insurers and therefore the bills tend to be coded correctly and applied to our out-of-pocket maximums. 
• Quality standards: our vendors have standards that must be met in order to become an in-network provider, and that often means better care for you. 
  
   
• Contemplate and make the best choice for you! 
  • Contact our vendors: as you have specific situations or scenarios come up, we often recommend you call the insurance company directly. They can talk through options in great detail, share cost information, and more. 
  • Do what’s best for you: we understand that there are many individual situations and needs. When you need care, it’s always better to get it in the way that works best for your own needs and with the team that you trust. Our tips above are intended to help guide and support - not be steadfast rules.  
  • When you have questions: reach out to Your Benefits Team so that we can help point you in the right direction. We can be reached at 802.443.5485 or benefits@gmhec.org.