HR News – October 2006
- System HR web site gets new look
- SEBAC reviews past year, discusses plans for current year
- Systemwide job searching just got easier
- Check provider status before going to appointment
- What you need to know about employment after TRS retirement
- It's not too late to get your flu shot
- Any Questions?
- Not all candy is created equal
- Weight training—not just for heavyweights
- The link between periodontitis and heart disease
System HR website gets new look
System Human Resources is kicking off the new fiscal year by giving its website a facelift. The new look was created by the System Communications Office, and it is being implemented on all System Offices web sites.
If you click through the site, you'll notice that information also is organized differently than before. One key change is that all insurance programs are now grouped under "Benefit Programs."
Because reorganizing the site resulted in web address changes for many pages and documents, you may want to check any links or bookmarks you have to the site and, if necessary, update them.
If you have questions or comments about the website, contact System Human Resources at shro@tamu.edu.
SEBAC reviews past year, discusses plans for current year
A recap of Annual Enrollment and a review of the self-insured plans’ year-end financials were the highlights of last month’s System Employee Benefits Advisory Committee (SEBAC) meeting.
Committee members also heard a report on the upcoming Long-Term Care plan changes, revisited the issue of offering identity theft and consumer-driven health plan programs and elected officers.
Ellen Gerescher, employee benefits manager, reported that during the July Annual Enrollment period, all but one A&M System member required most or all employees to enroll electronically—a trend that is allowing human resources staff to spend more time assisting employees and less time processing paperwork. Eighty-four percent of the 13,061 plan changes were made using the online enrollment system.
Although many premium and carrier changes occurred this year, Gerescher said most of the insurance plans experienced only slight enrollment changes from last year. An exception is vision coverage, which had a significant enrollment increase.
Gerescher also reported that during the 2005-2006 plan year, the A&M System’s self-insured A&M Care health plans experienced a $1.9 million loss. Gerescher noted that the loss and increasing health care costs are the key reasons for the increased A&M Care premiums for the current plan year.
The A&M System’s self-insured dental plan, A&M Dental, broke even during the same period.
Gerescher reminded the committee that John Hancock will be the Long-Term Care (LTC) carrier as of Jan. 1, 2007. To prepare for the transition, the A&M System will offer an LTC enrollment period for employees, retirees and eligible family members beginning Nov. 6 and continuing until the winter break.
SEBAC members continued from last year their discussion on offering an identity theft program. These programs provide guidance for avoiding identity theft and services to facilitate faster resolution if identity theft occurs.
Gerescher noted that employees have access to identity theft coverage through the Answer Financial program. She also said that the A&M System is scheduled to solicit bids this year on the services provided by Answer Financial.
Previous Systemwide articles on identity theft include “Why check your credit report?” and “Avoiding identity theft,” both from the March 2006 issue, and “SEBAC to look into legal/identity theft plans…” from the October 2005 issue.
SEBAC members also continued from last year their discussion on two types of consumer-directed health plans: health reimbursement accounts and health savings accounts. Both types of accounts are designed to help employees save for future health-related expenses.
The System Human Resources Office and SEBAC are working to determine which type of plan would be the most valuable to A&M System employees and how legislation during the next Texas legislative session might affect such plans.
Greg Richmond, human resources officer for the Texas Transportation Institute, was re-elected SEBAC chair and Nancy Granovsky, professor and extension family economics specialist for Texas Cooperative Extension, was re-elected vice chair.
For more information about benefit-related issues, visit the System Human Resources web site or contact your Human Resources office or your SEBAC representative.
Systemwide job searching just got easier
If you have ever searched online for an A&M System job, you probably found that you had to go to a different site for almost every System member’s job listings and you could not conduct searches across the different sites. Well, that approach is history!
Now, you can go to one website, Systemwide Job Search, and search for A&M System jobs. Your search can be broad and include all job postings for all System members in all geographic areas or limited based on the following categories:
- City or location
- Geographic areas
- University or agency
- Job category (clerical and office support, service and maintenance, etc.)
You also can search by entering text such as position title, job number or department. If you’d rather not set specific search criteria, you can just click on “Search,” and you’ll get a listing of all available positions in all locations.
So whether you’re just curious about what other opportunities might be available in your local area or are moving to another city and would like to continue your A&M System career in that new location, you can quickly determine job availability based on the search categories you desire.
The Systemwide Job Search site was created based on web research conducted in 2005 to identify improvements needed on the A&M System website. The research compared the System’s site with peer higher education institutions across the country and included site visitor survey results.
Site development was the joint effort of System Communications, System Human Resources, System Business Computing Services’ Enterprise Software Initiatives and all System member Human Resources offices.
Check provider status before going to appointment
Confirming that your health, dental or vision provider is in your plan’s network before you go to your next appointment is a good practice.
Even if you’re an established patient, you should check your provider’s status since providers can leave networks during the plan year. Discovering after your appointment that the provider is not in your plan’s network may mean you will owe more than just a network copayment.
To check your provider’s status, you can contact the provider and ask if he or she is still in your plan’s network or go to the plan’s web site and review the provider list. Toll-free telephone numbers and web addresses are on the back of most plan ID cards and on the System Human Resources web site. For your convenience, the information is also listed below.
BlueCross Blue Shield of Texas (A&M Care Plans) FirstCare Humana Health Plans Mercy Health Plan Scott & White Health Plan |
Graduate Student Health Plan Delta Dental (A&M Dental PPO) DeltaCare USA (Dental HMO) Spectera (Vision) |
If you know of a vision care provider who is not currently on the network list, you can nominate that individual by completing the vision nomination form. You can contact Delta Dental to nominate a dentist. Most health plans do not take nominations for providers.
If you cannot find the information you need, contact your System member’s Human Resources office for assistance.
What you need to know about employment after TRS retirement
Thinking about working after retirement? If so, you need to be aware of some rules that apply if you are in the Teacher Retirement System and plan to work for a Texas public education institution.
If you’re a TRS retiree or a TRS-eligible employee considering retirement and would like to work for the A&M System or any Texas public education institution as a working retiree, you’ll need to meet the following requirements. These requirements apply to all service, disability, normal-age, and early-age TRS retirees who retired on or after January 1, 2001. TRS retirees who retired before January 1, 2001, are permitted to return to work without employment restrictions or reduction in TRS benefits.
For employment-after-retirement purposes, the definition of a “school year” is a 12-month period beginning Sept. 1 and ending Aug. 31 of the next calendar year.
Required break in service
TRS requires that you wait a full calendar month from your retirement date or end of your contract period, whichever is later, before returning to work in any position for any Texas public education institution. This includes volunteering to perform services that are normally provided by an employee.
For example, if your retirement date is May 31, you may not return to work until July 1. If your retirement date is May 31 but your contract requires you to work until June 15, you may not return to work until August 1.
If you return to work or volunteer service before the end of your required break in service, your retirement will be revoked and you’ll be required to repay TRS for all your benefits and reapply for retirement.
One-half time exception
If you return to work after the required break in service but during the same school year in which you retired, the percent effort you can work during the remainder of the current school year is limited to 50 percent or less. The percent effort is measured in clock hours and must not exceed more than half the number of full-time working hours in the month or 92 clock hours, whichever is less.
Since the number of working days each month varies, the maximum hours you can work each month will vary as well. You will forfeit your annuity for any month in which you work more than 50 percent effort.
Six-month exception
If you return to work after the required break in service and in a school year other than the one in which you retired, you may use the one-half time exception or the six-month exception for returning to work.
The six-month exception allows you to work up to 100 percent effort in any position for as long as six months during the school year. You cannot use the six-month exception in the same school year that your retirement occurred. You will forfeit your TRS annuity for any month after the sixth month that you work.
Additional exceptions
Additional exceptions also apply to TRS retirees and include:
- Acute Shortage Area Exception (classroom teachers),
- Principal or Assistant Principal Exception, and
- Faculty of Professional Nursing Program Exception.
For more information about these exceptions, refer to the TRS handbook or contact TRS.
Employment through a “third-party entity”
For purposes of employment after retirement, a third-party entity is an entity retained by a Texas public education institution to provide personnel to the institution to perform duties or provide services that employees of the institution would otherwise perform or provide. Employment by a third-party entity is considered employment by a Texas public education institution and subject to the employment-after-retirement requirements unless you:
- were first employed by the third party entity on or before May 24, 2003, or
- do not perform duties or provide services on behalf of or for the benefit of a Texas public education institution.
Employment as an independent contractor
If you are a TRS member who is employed with a Texas public education institution as an independent contractor, you are not subject to the TRS laws and rules regarding employment after retirement. Therefore, if you are an independent contractor, your employment is not reported to TRS and your monthly annuity is not affected.
If you want to return to work as an independent contractor, you should carefully consider whether the work arrangement meets all legal tests for this status. The characterization of your relationship with the Texas public education institution as an independent contractor may be affected by laws such as those governing federal income tax and Social Security as well as TRS laws.
TRS recommends that you seek legal advice from your attorney as necessary to determine if you are an independent contractor. If your employment arrangement does not meet the legal tests for an independent contractor, you are regarded as an employee of the Texas public education institution rather than an independent contractor.
Negotiation for return to employment
Your employment does not terminate for TRS purposes if, at the time of retirement, you have a contract, agreement or promise for future employment with a Texas public education institution. Arranging for future employment before retirement is permissible only when the following two conditions are met:
- you are eligible to take normal-age retirement, and
- the post-retirement employment qualifies under one of the exceptions to loss of monthly benefits.
Specifically, if you meet the requirements for normal-age retirement, you may have a contract for employment during the school year in which you retire only if the employment is half-time or as a bus driver. If an agreement is for employment after the school year in which retirement occurs, a normal-age retiree may also have an agreement for full-time employment that does not exceed six months.
Employment after retirement that does not meet TRS exceptions can cause you to forfeit your monthly annuity, have your retirement revoked, and be required to repay benefits to TRS. Being educated about TRS rules for employment after retirement before accepting any position as a retiree can save you time and money in the future.
This article is part of an ongoing series of articles regarding retirement. The information provided is from Employment After Retirement (Excerpts from December 2005 TRS Benefits Handbook). For more information, go to the TRS web site or contact your System member Human Resources office.
It’s not too late to get your flu shot
If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, you still can. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases reports that influenza (flu) vaccine is readily available this year.
Most family and internal medicine physicians have supplies of vaccine. When you go to your A&M System health plan provider for your flu shot, you should pay only your normal office visit copayment. The Scott & White Clinic in College Station is offering flu shots for one month beginning Oct. 17. Scott & White members can receive the shot at no cost. Many grocery stores also offer flu shots.
So plenty of shots are available, but maybe you’re still not sure if you really need to be protected from the flu. If that’s the case, consider this…
A survey recently released by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases found that only 48 percent of the 1,014 adults surveyed plan to get vaccinated against the flu. Why so few? Forty-six percent thought the flu vaccination could cause the flu and 43% don't think the flu is serious enough to be vaccinated against.
But facts tell a different story. The flu vaccine is made from dead flu virus, hence it cannot cause the flu, and the nose spray vaccination now available is made from such a weakened virus that it is rare that someone would contract the disease. In addition, the flu is responsible for 36,000 deaths annually in America and for 200,000 hospitalizations.
If you’re still undecided if the flu shot is right for you, ask your health care provider. Remember, the shot may mean the difference between staying healthy or being miserably sick.
I’m pregnant and my human resources office has designated my prenatal visits as Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. I want to save all of my FMLA leave for when the baby is born. How can I do that?
It’s understandable that you’d want to save your FMLA leave for when the baby is born. However, the FMLA requires employers to give employees up to 12 weeks total of FMLA leave each year for birth or adoption of a child or due to the serious health condition of the employee or a family member. The Department of Labor FMLA regulations define prenatal visits as a serious health condition, as explained in A&M System Regulation 31.03.05, Family and Medical Leave, sections 2.7.1(2)(b) and 4.1.1. Basically, according to federal law, any time before and after your baby’s birth when you are not able to work for medical reasons, including for prenatal care, as well as time for bonding after the birth, qualify for FMLA designation. The law makes the employer responsible for designating qualifying time as part of an employee’s FMLA entitlement. Employees cannot choose to have some qualifying time not count as FMLA.
Not all candy is created equal
What your child brings home in the Halloween trick-or-treat bag can be more frightening than any goblin, especially the chewy, gooey candy that can stick to little teeth as well as little fingers.
Not all candy is created equal when it comes to cavities. Some types of treats are more tooth friendly than others. So when little super heroes and princesses roam neighborhoods, the kind of candy they receive may affect their future oral health.
Candy with caramel, taffy or other sticky qualities can adhere to molars. Lollipops, jawbreakers or candies that stay in the mouth a long time also have a higher risk of causing tooth decay, according to Stanton Cobb, assistant professor of restorative sciences at the Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry.
When shopping for candy, Dr. Cobb recommends choosing the kind most likely to stay in the mouth a short time. One suggestion: small pieces of chocolate, such as chocolate bars and kisses.
Besides sugary treats, look for alternatives such as sugar-free gum and candy or novelty items. Some dental school folks give away toothbrushes to their Halloween visitors.
“Children are still more likely to eat candy, so parents should be vigilant about making sure they brush afterwards,” said Dr. Cobb.
So this Halloween, make sure the only scary teeth in your household are part of a costume. 
This information is provided as a service by the Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry. For more information, contact your dentist.
Weight training—not just for heavyweights
Men and women of all ages and body types lift weights. Maybe you’ve thought about trying weight training but weren’t sure how to get started or even what benefits might be gained from that type of exercise.
Dr. Sukho Lee, director of the Wellness and Research Center and assistant professor of the Fitness and Sports program at Texas A&M International University, answers some common questions about weight training. Before beginning this type of exercise program, though, check with your doctor to be sure you’re physically able to participate.
What is weight training?
Weight training involves lifting dumbbells or barbells of varying weights. Some weight training is done while standing, some while sitting and, as is the case with bench pressing, some while lying on a bench. The amount of weight an individual should start with depends on the individual. Beginners, or those who have not recently lifted weights regularly, should start with less weight and gradually increase the weight over time. While lifting, muscles resist, which is why weight lifting is sometimes referred to as a resistance exercise.
What are the benefits of weight training?
The resistance that occurs when you lift weight strengthens muscles and bones. Over time, weight lifting can increase your strength and endurance as well as decrease body fat and improve overall health.
How should I prepare so I won’t get hurt?
Weight lifting is not as dangerous as you might think. Lifting weights properly and increasing the amount of weight you lift gradually will decrease the chance of injury. Before you begin lifting weights:
- Stretch and do other low-impact exercises to warm up.
- Plan your exercise routine so you use multiple muscles and joints before focusing on just a few muscles and joints. For example, you should consider bench pressing (lifting weights while lying on a bench) before doing arm curls and do squats before trying leg extensions.
- Arrange to have another person stand in front of your head and watch you as you lift the barbell if you plan to bench press. That person, referred to as a “spotter,” can help you should you be unable to complete the exercise or have some other difficulty.
- Understand that you need to keep the back of your head, your shoulders and your lower back in contact with the bench and both feet in contact with either the bench or the floor while bench pressing.
- Wear gloves and/or a waist belt if you want added protection and support.
How much weight should I lift?
Select a weight you think you can lift eight to 12 times.
What is a good weight lifting routine for a beginner?
After you’ve followed the preparation guidelines listed above, including warming up:
- Slowly lift the weight you have selected eight to 12 times (first set of repetitions), breathing out as you lift the weight and breathing in when you lower the weight.
- Rest for about a minute.
- Lift the weight another eight to 12 times (second set of repetitions), again slowly and with the same breathing pattern as before.
- Rest again for about a minute.
- If you feel you can, lift the weight for another eight to 12 times (third set of repetitions) as before.
How often should I repeat this routine?
Repeat this routine two to three times per week. More often is not recommended since your muscles will need a chance to recover between sessions.
How will I know when to increase the weight I’m lifting?
If you can lift the current weight two extra times (for example, 14 times instead of 12) per set of repetitions for two consecutive workouts, then you are ready to try increasing the weight. Remember to increase the weight gradually.
I’ve heard that I should hold my breath when I lift weights. Is that true?
Holding your breath when you exert your maximal strength is called the Valsalva maneuver. Basically, holding your breath closes your airway and allows for proper vertebral alignment and support. You can hold your breath during weight lifting, but not for more than two seconds at a time.
This information is provided as a service by Texas A&M International University. If you have questions or would like more information, talk to your physician or an exercise professional.
The link between periodontitis and heart disease
Sometimes dental disease can have a negative impact on overall health. Terry Rees, professor of periodontics and director of the Stomatology Center at Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, shares the following information on the link between periodontitis and heart disease.
What is periodontitis and its symptoms?
Periodontal disease appears in a variety of different stages. The earliest stage is gingivitis, which is inflammation just at the surface of the gum tissue. Gingivitis is seldom painful and causes relatively minor symptoms such as red, swollen, bleeding gums and mild pus formation. If left untreated, the condition can advance to periodontitis, an infection that extends to the supporting bone. Patients with periodontitis develop deep pockets between the gums and teeth. Bacteria invade these pockets and from there can infect and destroy the underlying connective tissue and bone, loosening the teeth.
Gingivitis does not necessarily develop into periodontitis. You can have gingivitis all your adult life and not have periodontitis, but everyone who has periodontitis will have had gingivitis at some point.
What is the link between periodontitis and heart disease?
There is a growing amount of information indicating that infections in any part of the body can contribute to heart disease. In the late 1980s, researchers found that more people who had periodontal disease had a higher incidence of heart disease than people of the same age and gender who did not have periodontal disease. Researchers also looked at patients with heart disease and found that a higher percentage of them had periodontal disease. We know that if you have heart disease, you are more likely to have periodontal disease and vice versa, but we can’t say definitively that periodontal disease can cause heart disease. We know there is a relationship. It’s about the equivalent of smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure, the things that are considered to be major risk factors for heart disease.
How can people prevent periodontitis?
Prevention is certainly the best way to deal with periodontal disease, and excellent oral hygiene is probably the cornerstone of prevention. We tell patients who have periodontal disease that about 90 percent of success or lack of success is up to them and about 10 percent is up to the dental professional. Brushing and flossing are absolutely important, and it is important to see a dentist periodically. The old standard is twice a year, but someone who is susceptible to periodontal disease probably needs to see a dentist every few months for deep cleaning or scaling and root planing. Avoid risk factors that have been associated with periodontal disease, the most important of which is smoking. Other risk factors include obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure. None of those things causes periodontal disease, but they will cause an exaggerated response.
This information is provided as a service by the Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry. If you have questions, contact your doctor, dentist or periodontist.
