The following is provided by the Human Resources Office.

Last chance to purchase TRS unreported service

The deadline is approaching for Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) members to verify unreported or uncredited service or compensation that occurred before September 1, 2011.

The Texas Legislature has established a five-year deadline for verifying unreported service. Service not reported on an employee’s annual statement and not verified by the deadline cannot be purchased or used to determine benefits eligibility or amount.

By August 31, employees must verify:

• Unreported service performed before September 1, 2011,
• Unreported compensation paid before September 1, 2011, or
• Any service reported to TRS but not credited on an annual statement before the 2011-12 academic year.

Employees who wish to verify service occurring before September 1, 2011, should submit a TRS Form 22I to ACC’s Payroll Office immediately so staff can confirm the service and complete the form. Employees must then submit the completed form to TRS and request credit for the unreported service.

Before completing the verification process, employees are encouraged to use the TRS calculator on the MyTRS website to calculate the estimated cost of purchasing the service. Purchasing service credit can be costly, so obtaining this estimate can help employees decide whether it is worthwhile to proceed with the service verification.

Contact TRS at 800-223-8778 for assistance or if you have questions about your account.

Verify summer enrollment changes

Employees who have made changes to their benefits during the summer enrollment period will receive confirmation from Employees Retirement System via mail or email. Employees should review the confirmation statement to verify changes before the new plan year begins September 1. For problems, contact ERS directly at 877-275-4377.

Biweekly paychecks in September

Employees who are paid biweekly will have three paychecks in September.  The September 2 paycheck will not have insurance premiums or TSA/457 contributions withheld. Paychecks on September 16 and September 30 will include these deductions. TRS retirement contributions will be withheld from all three paychecks.

H-E-B and Kroger pharmacies are in-network for immunizations

H-E-B and Kroger pharmacies are now UnitedHealthcare network providers for flu shots and preventive immunizations for pneumonia, meningitis, HPV, and shingles. Preventive immunizations are fully covered at in-network pharmacies or providers. Plan members must show their insurance ID card when receiving an immunization. Other in-network pharmacies are CVS, Walgreens, Kmart, Albertsons, Walmart, and Sam’s Club. For questions about immunization coverage, call HealthSelect Customer Service at 866-336-9371 (TTY 711).

Adults need vaccinations too!

August is National Immunization Awareness Month and a good time to remind people that vaccines aren’t just for children. Employees are encouraged to have vaccination needs assessed by their healthcare provider. Certain vaccines are recommended based on age, occupation, and chronic health conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, or heart disease. Common immunizations for adults are an annual flu shot, a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis or whooping cough) vaccine, and a TD (tetanus and diphtheria) booster every 10 years. The Centers for Disease Control also recommends adults age 60 and older receive a shingles vaccine. For more information visit the CDC’s webpage on Vaccines and Immunizations (cdc.gov/vaccines/index.html).

Deer Oaks EAP newsletters

Check out August employee and supervisor newsletters from Deer Oaks, ACC’s employee assistance program provider.

Employee Newsletter

• Sandwich Generation: Caregivers in the Middle
• Online Seminar: Changing Relationships: You and Your Aging Parent or Relative
• Mow Safely
• Snippets: 20 Steps; Happy Faces; An EAP Reminder
• Clinician’s Corner
• How to Teach Children about Money

Supervisor Newsletter

• Harness the Power of Stress
• Ask Your EAP!

Back-to-school discounts for August

Find savings and end-of-summer deals through ACC’s Advantage Discount Program

• Gear up for back-to-school with deals from HP, Samsung, Lenovo, and Dell.
• Activate a new wireless account with Sprint and get a $200 reward card.

Access these deals and more at http://www.beneplace.com/acc.

ACC celebrates recent retirees

ACC celebrates the following retirees. Retirees are recognized at Board of Trustees meetings for their years of service to the college.

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