February is American Heart Month

Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women? February is American Heart Month, which is a good time to:

• Schedule a visit with your doctor to talk about heart health.
• Check blood pressure and cholesterol levels at the doctor’s office.
• Walk every day for at least 15 minutes.
• Take steps to quit smoking.
• Make time (10-15 minutes) for daily breaks to help manage stress levels.
• Sign up for a CPR class. Find one through the Workshop and Event Registration database
• Have a heart-to-heart with loved ones about the risks for heart disease and how to live more healthfully.

For more information about heart health, visit the websites for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association. 

IRS Form 1095-C issued

All full-time (30 hours/week) employees, regardless of whether they are enrolled in health insurance coverage, should have received an IRS Form 1095-C via postal mail. Because of a relatively short timeframe this year, the form was mailed to all employees including those who signed up to receive it electronically through ACC’s Self-Service portal. For more information about the form, view Affordable Care Act Implications: Questions and Answers.

Know the facts about double insurance coverage

What is double coverage?

“Double coverage” is when someone is enrolled in a benefit as an employee and as a dependent. It can also mean a dependent is covered by more than one employee’s health plan.

Does the Texas employees Group Benefits Program (GBP) allow participants to have double coverage?

Generally, double coverage is not allowed. For example, John is a GBP participant and provides health insurance and dependent term life insurance coverage for his son Eric. Eric gets a job at a state agency and is automatically enrolled in health and basic term life insurance coverage. Eric cannot have health benefit coverage both as a GBP participant and as a dependent. He also cannot have basic term life insurance and dependent term life insurance as a dependent. In this situation, John should contact his benefits coordinator to remove Eric from health and dependent term life insurance coverage.

Are there any exceptions to the double coverage rule?

Yes. Dependent children can have dependent term life insurance and/or voluntary accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage through more than one GBP participant (e.g., two parents). This is the only circumstance double coverage is allowed. Someone cannot have coverage as a GBP member and as a dependent of a GBP member.

Deer Oaks EAP newsletters

Find these articles and more in Deer Oak’s February employee newsletter:

• Online seminar reminder: Ignite a Spark — Expanding your Life through Creativity
• The Creative Process
• Quiet, please
• 64 Calories: Reducing childhood obesity
• Fiber: Are You Getting Enough?
• Going for Groceries without Going Broke

The EAP supervisor newsletter includes:

• Online Seminar Reminder: Ignite a Spark — Expanding your Life through Creativity
• Information about Supervisor Excellence webinar series & Leadership Certificate Program
• Focused Creativity
• Ask Your EAP!

Employee discounts

Featured employee discounts for February include:

• Save 20 percent on flowers, gift baskets, or chocolates for your valentine from 1-800-Flowers.com.
• Save 10 percent on jewelry from Blue Nile.
• Shop for a new laptop or home theater system from Dell.
• Get a discounted auto insurance quote from MetLife Xcelerate.

Access these deals and more through the ACC Advantage Discount Program (beneplace.com/acc) or go to the HR Benefits webpage  and click Employee Discounts.

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.

Tags: employee discounts, Form 1095-C, hr connection