Vol. XIV, Issue 21
September 14, 2017
- Annual Election Update—New ALEX Benefits Counselor
- Participant Communications—HQ Reminder Postcard
- October Plan Sponsor Webconferences—Save the Dates
- HealthFlex Summit October 24-25—Registration Closes September 20
- Webinar Recording—Manage Your Screen Time; Manage Your Life
Annual Election Update—New ALEX Benefits Counselor
The new ALEX Benefits Counselor is now available for participants on the HealthFlex/WebMD website, replacing the Coverage Advisor tool used in prior years. ALEX is a user-friendly decision support tool to help participants select plans and reimbursement account contributions based on their expected health care use, family size, budget, defined contribution (for HealthFlex Exchange) and other factors. ALEX can be used now—well before this year’s Annual Election period (November 1–16). ALEX takes approximately 30 minutes to complete in full; the average session is about 10 minutes.
ALEX walks the participant through different plan scenarios to:
- Learn more about each HealthFlex plan available (medical, dental and vision)
- Compare different plans and costs
- Estimate out-of-pocket costs with different plans
- Estimate how much money to set aside into various reimbursement accounts [flexible spending account (FSA) and/or health savings account (HSA)]
Plan sponsors that want to try out ALEX can either access it through their own HealthFlex/WebMD account (if a HealthFlex participant) or obtain the direct URL for your group from the Center for Health. Please contact Kasima Imamovich at kimamovich@wespath.org or 1-800-870-4442, ext. 4309 if you have questions about ALEX or would like your group’s direct URL.
Participants who have questions about accessing or using ALEX can call the Wespath Health Team at 1-800-851-2201.
Participant Communications—HQ Reminder Postcard
This reminder postcard will be mailed to primary participants and covered spouses who have not yet completed the HealthQuotient (HQ) online health assessment. The deadline to take the HQ and avoid a higher 2018 deductible is Saturday, September 30. The HQ can be completed on the HealthFlex/WebMD website, or on a smartphone or tablet via WebMD’s new Wellness At Your Side mobile app.
Plan sponsors also can send this e-blast reminder to participants—available on the extranet under “HealthFlex Tools & Resources.” (Plan administrators can now access the Wespath extranet through the Wespath Portal.)
October Plan Sponsor Webconferences—Save the Dates
Plan to join one of the October HealthFlex plan sponsor webconferences—in advance of the HealthFlex Summit. Calls are scheduled for:
- Thursday, October 5 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Central time; and
- Tuesday, October 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Central time.
Both webconferences will cover the same information. An agenda and call-in details will be sent via HealthFlex Express closer to the webconference dates.
HealthFlex Summit October 24-25—Registration Closes September 20
Registration for the HealthFlex Summit will close on Wednesday, September 20.
For your travel convenience, this year’s HealthFlex Summit is coordinated with the Association of United Methodist Conference Pension and Benefits Officers (AUMCPBO) annual meeting in Long Branch, New Jersey. HealthFlex plan sponsors will meet Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning—prior to the AUMCPBO meeting.
More details were provided in the August 21, 2017 HealthFlex Express.
Webinar Recording—Manage Your Screen Time; Manage Your Life
A recording of the recent “Manage Your Screen Time; Manage Your Life” webinar is now available on the wespath.org website. This recording and other well-being resources—including a “Decreasing Screen Time” toolkit—can be shared with participants and church groups. Information about this webinar series was provided in the August 21, 2017 HealthFlex Express.
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a general agency of The United Methodist Church
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