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General Services Department/Risk Management Division

Newsletter www.mybenefitsnm.com

Inside this issue:

Page 1:

FSA’s

Page 2:

Stay Well Wellness Program

Stay Well Health Center

Recipe

Page 3:

EAP

Brown Bag Webinar

Page 4:

SWWP Biometric Screenings

Employee Benefits Bureau

Risk Management Division

General Services Department

Questions/Comments? carmella.jasso@state.nm.us

Your Flexible Spending Accounts At The End Of The Year

Now with the close of 2016, it's time to finish up with the 2016 Flexible Spending Accounts. The Employee Benefits Bureau would like to remind our members of some important end-of-year grace period points pertaining to FSA elections:

Any FSA claims submitted for Child Care or Transportation MUST HAVE BEEN INCURRED in 2016.

Medical claims incurred on or before March 15, 2017 may be submitted to be paid with 2016 funds. Deadline to submit medical/child care claims to be paid with 2016 funds is 12:00 midnight, March 31, 2017.

If there is a remaining balance in a Health Care FSA after all claims have been paid, those remaining funds may be used to purchase eligible items, such as: Acne Treatments; Allergy Medicine; Antacids; Bandages; Chiropractic Care; Cold Medicine; Condoms; Contact Lenses & Cleaners; Copays, Co-Insurance & Deductibles; Dental Care; Diabetic Supplies; Eyeglasses; Hearing aids; Laser Eye Surgery; Orthodontia; Pain Relievers; Pregnancy Tests; Prescription Drugs; Smoking Cessation Programs; Sunscreen; Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and medicines (except insulin) are only eligible for reimbursement when prescribed by a physician. (You will need to submit a claim with the receipt for the OTC medicine along with the prescription from your doctor that includes the diagnosis and course of treatment to receive reimbursement.). Members may also use these remaining funds for mileage incurred going to and from medical and dental appointments. For mileage incurred in 2016, it is reimbursable at 19 cents/mile; for 2017 it will be 17 cents/mile. The first line of this bullet almost makes it sound like participants can file claims for these types of expenses after the deadline to exhaust their 2016 balance., For a complete list of eligible expenses see IRS Publication 502: Medical and Dental Expenses, or go to www.nmflex.com.

Remember, any unused funds at the end of the plan year are forfeited, also called the use-it-or-lose-it rule. Health Care/Dependent Care FSA - any money left in your account after the end of the filing period is subject to forfeiture. Transportation FSA - Transit accounts are the only FSA benefit to roll over any remaining balance to the next calendar year, avoiding forfeit of unused funds. Therefore, any money left in your transit account after December 31st is added to the 2017 available funds. It will then be available for you to use for expenses incurred in the next plan year.

Supporting Documentation Requests - In order to verify that charges put on your card are eligible, you will receive a letter or email from Compusys/Erisa asking for supporting documentation. Requests are generated for out-of-pocket expenses pertaining to: • Dental • Vision • Diagnostic/lab work • Co-Insurance • Deductibles • Office visits that are not standard co-pays • The provider/merchant is paid automatically, even if you are requested to send in supporting documentation for a debit card charge. • After you receive the initial request you have 45 days to submit the documentation to CompuSys/Erisa via mail, fax or email.

For any additional questions, please contact CompuSys/Erisa at 1-800-933-7472. All emails should be sent to:

nmflex@cserisa.com. Their business hours are from 6:30 am to 4:00 pm.

RECENT FSA ISSUE

SHARE and the GSD Benefits team are aware of the issue with Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) that occurred for the pay period ending 12/30/2016. This was caused by the specific instance of how our pay period overlapped with the calendar year end. The DoIT support team has corrected all issues, refunds have been issued, payments have been adjusted where needed (if payment was not taken, the monthly amount has been adjusted to absorb the missed payment), and the system is now processing these FSA amounts correctly.

Again, DoIT apologizes for any inconvenience and very much appreciates everyone’s patience. Please be diligent in checking your pay advice to insure ALL deduction are correct.

www.mybenefitsnm.com

Want to start a new exercise plan but don’t know where to begin?

Wish to eat a healthier diet, but need help with what to eat or amount?

Want to know how to add stress reduction practices into your daily routine?

Need to schedule your Biometric Screening or

work with a fitness coach?

Want a place to log your steps, food, weight training or cardio?

Need information on another SoNM health

benefit?

Connect your cell phone and fitness devices right

to the SWW Portal!

Schedule an EAP appointment or access a

webinar

The Portal is your one stop for Wellness!

Bone Broth…

is a broth made from boiled, marrow-rich bones (beef, chicken, lamb, fish, etc.), to create a delicious and nutritious soup base. Experts claim bone broth can (among other things):

Help treat Leaky Gut Syndrome • Boost immune system

Boost Detoxification • Aid Metabolism

Help Improve joint health • Help to improve food

Supply collagen for skin intolerance/allergies

Being that it is nutrient-dense, easy to digest, and rich in flavor, it has quickly become a main staple in our kitchen!. It’s the base for our soups and stews, as well as a replacement to a morning cup of coffee when the body may need a health boost. Do your research, check with your nutritionist and see if bone broth can benefit you and your family.

Beef Bone Broth Recipe:

Grass-fed beef bones (enough to cover the bottom of slow-cooker) Filtered water (completely fill crock) 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

Optional: add vegetables and herbs to increase nutritional value

Cook bones on low for 48 hours, adding water as needed. Remove bones and strain broth. Refrigerate in glass jars or freeze for future use.

Through research I have found bone broth to be rich in minerals that support the immune system, contain healing compounds like collagen and glutamine (to name a few), support healthy skin, help detoxify cells and improve brain function. Although bone broth is admittedly time intensive, it seems the health benefits are well worth the extra effort. Enjoy!

What does the Stay Well Wellness Program offer you? As a State medical plan member you can:

Identify Health Risks, providing personalized recommendations for improving health risks, customized workshops, meal plans, and exercise options to help meet wellness goals

Personal Health Assessment, for a clear picture of current health

Informational Wellness Workshops specific to individual wellness goals

Logs to help keep track (Weight, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Food/ Calorie/ Nutrition/ Cardio/ Strength Training/ Meal Planner/ Walking)

One-Stop-Shop for ALL Employee Benefit information

Daily Tips customized for each individual member

A whole library of information

Access to Mobile Application

Free to Blue Cross Blue Shield/Presbyterian members/spouses/DPs

Why wait? Sign on today at: mybenefitsnm.com and get started on a GREAT 2017!

www.mybenefitsnm.com

Employee Assistance Program

Free Confidential Short-Term

Counseling

Up to SIX visits per issue for you and any household member at no cost!

• Marital Conflict • Drug/Alcohol

Abuse

• Family Challenges

• Anxiety

• Workplace Issue

• Grief and Loss

• Conflict Resolution

• Gambling

• Depression

• Relationship Issues

• Child/Elder Care

• Other Concerns

A Variety of Training Courses Webinars (Real-time schedule- see attached)

Webinars (also recorded for playback later)

To find full descriptions and web links for previewing each webinar, go to our

library at www.mybenefitsnm.com, Click on “The Solutions Group New Mexico Training Webinars” (dark green band)

Image: Fotolia

Have you visited our EAP Webinar Archive Library???

Here is just a few of what you will find:

Improving Personal Productivity

Money Matters

Emotional Intelligence

Good Management

Skills

Dealing with Difficult People

For more information on EAP Webinars go to: EAPWebinars to see the full library.

Call us, we’re here to help. 855-231-7737

www.mybenefitsnm.com

The first step is having a clear understanding of

your current health status.

A Biometric Screening can give you valuable

insight into your health risks - remember, you

can’t change what you don’t know.

Many risks are silent and will not cause any

symptoms, the only way to know if you’re at risk is to get tested!

Log on and sign up for your Biometric Screening today!

Please see the Biometric Screenings below scheduled Tuesday through Thursday for the month of February:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

30

31 1 2 3

6 7 Santa Fe- DFA

8 Santa Fe- DFA

9 Santa Fe- DFA

10 ABQ- DA/Dist. 2

13

14 Santa Fe- DOT Central Office

15 Santa Fe- DOT Central Office

16 Santa Fe- DOT Central Office

17 Alamogrodo - School for the Blind

20 21 ABQ - DWS

22 ABQ - DWS

23 24 SF - HSD

27 28 ABQ - DOH Scientific Lab

1 ABQ - NM School for the Blind

2 SF - DMA

3

4 5 SF - GSD

6 SF - GSD

7 SF - GSD

8 ABQ- DDS (Disability Determination)

Have you scheduled your annual Biometric Screening?

They will be offered throughout the year, statewide.

Sign on to the Stay Well Wellness Portal, sign in

and schedule yours today!

Here are the screenings already scheduled for

February.

To see ALL scheduled screenings, sign on to the

Stay Well Wellness Portal and click on the Biometric

Screening image at the top of the page.

Upcoming Screenings

4

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