2018 Benefits Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 2018 Benefits Frequently Asked Questions General Q. I understand that I may choose to cover my dependent child(ren) does my child need to be a full- time student if over age 18? A. No. Health benefits and life insurance allow you to cover your dependent children, step children or domestic partner children up to age 26. If documentation is provided, a disabled child can be covered beyond age 26. Please note, to qualify as an eligible HSA dependent, the IRS requires that you claim your dependent on your tax return. If you have questions about your dependent s eligibility for reimbursement from your HSA, please consult with your personal tax advisor. Q. My spouse and I are both employed by Athene. Are there any special considerations we should be aware of when making our benefit elections? A. Yes. Each of you may enroll in an Athene-sponsored health plan independently or as a family unit, as long you do not maintain dual coverage on yourself or any family member. For example, it is acceptable for you to enroll in employee only coverage while your spouse covers the remaining family members (employee + children). Our life insurance plans restrict you from having life insurance coverage as a dependent, if you are an employee. You may elect voluntary coverage for yourself as an employee in addition to the basic benefits provided by the company. Q. Is my newborn child automatically added to my family health (medical, dental, vision) coverage? A. No. You are responsible for enrolling any new dependent(s) to your plan(s) within 31 days from your family status change (e.g., birth or adoption). Likewise, you are responsible for removing dependents from coverage within 31 days from a family status change event (e.g., divorce). When adding a new dependent, please add his/her Social Security number as soon as possible, as this is now an IRS reporting requirement. Q. How frequently will I see benefit deductions on my pay? A. Athene processes pay and benefit deductions semi-monthly (24 pay periods annually). Medical Plans Q. Is coverage under an Athene health plan subject to pre-existing condition limitations? A. No. Pre-existing provisions have been removed from our health plans. Q. If I enroll in family coverage under the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), what amount do I have to satisfy before the Plan begins paying for medical services? A. The HDHP carries two deductible levels $1,500 for employee only coverage and $3,000 for family coverage (employee plus one or more dependents). Unlike a traditional PPO Plan, if you enroll in family coverage under the HDHP you must meet the full family deductible of $3,000 before the plan s coinsurance begins (the exception to this is preventive coverage which is paid at 100%). The family deductible can be met by just one member, or by two or more. Q. If I enroll my dependent in an Athene medical plan, and I also have other coverage for my dependent on my spouse s plan, how will the claims be paid? A. UMR will ask whether your dependents have other insurance coverage, when processing the first claim of the plan year. If your enrolled dependent(s) is covered under another medical plan, validation is necessary to ensure proper coordination of benefits. Please see the Medical Summary Plan Description - Coordination of Benefits Section for more detail. UMR will determine the order of benefit payment, Athene s coverage or the second carrier involved, once you provide them with the other carrier information. You can Page 1

2 voluntarily update UMR with other coverage information at or by calling them at the number on your medical ID card. HSA Eligibility with HDHP Coverage Q. I am electing to cover my domestic partner under the HDHP. Can I contribute up to the family limit in my Health Savings Account (HSA)? A. Yes. You may not, however, receive reimbursement from your HSA for medical expenses your domestic partner incurs unless he or she qualifies as your tax dependent. If you have questions about your dependent s eligibility for reimbursement from your HSA, please consult with your personal tax advisor. Q. My spouse is enrolled in a Medical Flexible Spending Account (FSA) with his/her employer. Can I enroll in the Athene HSA? A. Generally, if your spouse is enrolled in a Medical FSA under which you are covered to receive reimbursement, you will not be eligible to contribute to a HSA. Please consult with your tax advisor if you are unsure. Q. I plan to enroll in the HDHP with employee and spouse coverage. My spouse is retired and covered by Medicare. Can I have a HSA and contribute to the family limit? A. Yes. Your HSA contribution level (single or family) is determined by the level of your HDHP coverage. If you become eligible for Medicare, please consult with your tax advisor. Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Q. How does a debit card work for FSA? A. A debit card is simply an easy method of payment at the point of service. UMR will require receipts for services charged to the debit card if they are unable to retrieve validation from your medical claim account. IRS regulations require that UMR substantiate FSA debits and ensure services are qualified expenses. Failure to provide substantiation of services can result in suspension of your debt card. The amount not substantiated can also be added to your taxable income. Prescription Benefits with Medical Coverage Q. Is there a separate prescription ID card that I should present at my pharmacy? A. No. Your medical ID card includes your pharmacy coverage. Please present your medical ID card when filling prescriptions. Under the $600 deductible plan you will have a coinsurance to pay for your prescription drugs. Under the HDHP, your prescription drugs are considered for payment under the medical plan and therefore apply to the HDHP deductible. Q. Is there a penalty for using brand-name drugs when a generic is available? A. Yes. The Athene prescription drug plan has a Mandatory Generic provision. This requires a generic drug be used if available unless determined medically inappropriate; you or your physician must appeal before a waiver of the requirement will be granted. In addition, the plan has added a Step Therapy Program. This program requires plan participants to complete a three-step process before certain drugs can be used. When you take your prescription to the pharmacy, the OptumRX system will automatically screen the medication. If prior pharmacy claims indicate you have tried the Step 1 medication in recent past, the Step 2 medication may be processed. If not, the pharmacist will contact your doctor for further explanation. If you have questions about the program, please call OptumRx at: Q. How does mail-order prescription service work? A. The Athene prescription drug plan offers an optional Mail Order Select Program. If you are on a maintenance medication, filling the prescription through mail order can save you money and offer Page 2

3 Dental convenience. You will have up to two fills at your retail pharmacy to take the following action: You can Either opt out of the mail service program or opt in. If you don t take action, you may pay 100% of the cost of your medication until you make a decision. Once in the mail order program, you are free to opt out at any time. Mail Order can easily be set up on-line at For questions, you or your physician can contact OptumRx Customer Service, Mail Order Pharmacy at Q. Are there waiting periods for pre-existing conditions under the dental plan? A. No. However, expenses for braces that have already been placed prior to your effective date of coverage are not eligible for orthodontia benefits. Q. Our dental plan refers to an Enhanced Plan. What does this mean? A. The Enhanced Plan provision allows participants with serious health conditions, such as cancer, to possibly qualify for a third dental cleaning each year. If you think you might be eligible, please contact Delta Dental at and they will initiate the process with your dentist. Vision Q. Will I receive a vision ID card? A. Vision coverage, if elected, will be designated on your medical ID card from UMR. If you enroll in only vision coverage, UMR will issue the card to designate vision coverage. It is not necessary to have an ID card to receive vision benefits from a VSP provider. A claim form is not required when submitting vision receipts to VSP for payment. Visit for instructions on filing a claim if you plan to see a non- network provider. Life Insurance Q. When can I purchase additional voluntary life insurance for myself, spouse/domestic partner or dependent child(ren? A. When you first become eligible for Athene benefits as a new employee you may enroll in voluntary life insurance up to the guarantee issue amounts (without providing evidence of insurability), and additional coverage with proof of good health. In addition, during annual open enrollment periods, you may elect one additional increment, not to exceed plan maximums without providing proof of good health. If you have not elected voluntary life insurance before, open enrollment allows you to elect the minimum. Domestic Partners are also eligible for life insurance coverage and a signed affidavit is required by The Hartford. Please contact HRServiceCenter@athene.com to obtain the form. Q. Are there restrictions on the amount of coverage I can carry for my spouse or domestic partner? A. Yes. You re required to have coverage for yourself equal to or greater than what you elect for your dependent. Maximum coverage levels apply. Transportation Accounts Q. What is a Transportation Management Account (TMA)? A. The TMA is a reimbursement account that works much like a FSA. You can set aside money on a pre-tax basis to reimburse yourself for qualified mass transit costs. Detailed information can be found in the Transportation Benefit Policy or by contacting UMR. Q. What are qualified mass transit costs? A. Qualified mass transit expenses include your costs associated with commuter programs, such as bus passes, train passes, and vanpooling. Page 3

4 Q. How much can be contributed to a TMA? A. The amount you can set aside on a monthly basis is limited by the IRS. The current monthly maximum is provided each year by the IRS. 401k/Roth Q. Is there a company match on the contributions I make to my 401(k) account? A. Yes, the company will match 100% of the first 5% you defer into the Plan as either a pre-tax or after-tax Roth contribution, or combination thereof (subject to IRS limitations). Q. What is a Roth 401(k) feature? A. The Roth feature allows all or a portion of your contributions to be made on an after-tax basis, making qualified distributions non-taxable if you meet the holding requirements. Your total contributions to your 401(k) account cannot exceed 90% of your earnings during the year, subject to annual IRS contribution limits. Q. Can I change my mind about deferring later in the year? A. Yes, you may change your future deferral elections at any time, including whether to contribute funds to a pretax or Roth 401(k) by logging onto your account at Long-Term Disability (LTD) Q. Is LTD a benefit I must elect? A. LTD is a core benefit provided to you by the company. During enrollment as a new employee or annually during open enrollment, you may elect to pay taxes on the LTD premium now, which exempts future disability income, if applicable, from income tax withholding. You may elect not to pay taxes on the LTD premium now, which will subject any future disability income, if applicable, to income taxes. Personal Time Off (PTO) Q. When do I receive my PTO for the new year? A. Your entire annual PTO balance will be available on January 1. However, PTO hours will accrue on a semimonthly pay period basis behind the scenes for payout should you leave the company. Your accrual is based on your years of service. You may carry-forward up to 80 hours of PTO into the new plan year, unless state regulations mandate otherwise (e.g., California). Employees who terminate employment will receive a distribution of unused PTO that accrued in the year of termination. PTO carried-forward from the prior year will be forfeited upon termination. Newly hired employees who terminate before accruing the 40 hours of advanced PTO will receive a distribution of unused time up to the amount actually accrued as of the termination date. Q. What if I need to be out of the office and don t have enough PTO to cover the absence? Can I borrow PTO? A. Employees and leaders will be in charge of self-managing usage of their PTO to prevent potential overages. We do not allow negative balances. If you don t have PTO available for a necessary absence, please discuss with your manager. Your absence may qualify for Family Medical Leave of Absence (FMLA). If you have questions about FMLA, please contact: STDLTD@athene.com. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) For information about the Athene Employee Stock Purchase Plan: Page 4

5 Questions? Please contact Athene Human Resources: The Company reserves the right to modify, amend, suspend, or terminate any plan at any time for any reason. If there is a conflict between the information contained here and the actual plan documents or policies, the plan documents or policies will always govern. Details, changes, and definition of terms used in this document can be obtained by reviewing current plan descriptions and/ or policies. 10/2017 Page 5