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Human Resources
Tips
New ID Cards
ERS began mailing out new
HealthSelect cards on June 20, 2005. The only change you will notice on the
ID card will be a new subscriber number (the employee ID without the last 2
digits). The alpha prefix ZGB will remain the same. This new ID number is
unique to ERS, so it helps protect members from identity theft. Please keep
your old card until you get your new one. You can also access the BlueCross
BlueShield website as well to view claim information, look up primary care
physicians, print out temporary ID cards and get benefit information. http://www.bcbstx.com/hs/index.htm
IT Technology
As with everyone else, ERS
is making all information available to you electronically via the
Internet. There is a lot of helpful information available on the ERS
Website.
www.ers.state.tx.us When you first enter the ERS website, be sure and
click on "Higher Education Employees" You can
check out all of the information at the various links or log on to
ERS OnLine. If you need a password, just follow the instructions on the ERS
OnLine sign-in page.
Employees Should Update Email
Addresses
Employees
who have new email addresses, should update them in ERS OnLine as soon as
possible. Having your email address up-to-date ensures that you will receive
important information from ERS during the coming months. When requesting
your password for ERS OnLine, if your email address is in the system, the
new password will be emailed to you. Otherwise, the new password will be
mailed to you. To protect your security, you cannot get a new password over
the phone.
Beneficiary Social Security
Numbers Required
If you have not reviewed
your "Beneficiary Summary" on ERS OnLine and provided your beneficiaries'
Social Security numbers for your ERS death benefit disbursements, please do
so today. If ERS does not have this information, in the event of your death,
payment of benefits to your beneficiary may be delayed or payment could be
made to your estate instead of the named beneficiary. Follow the
instructions on the ERS OnLine link. Click on your "Beneficiary Summary,"
which includes beneficiaries you have designated for your optional term life
insurance and Basic Term Life policy. Check each one to make sure it is
current and includes the beneficiary's Social Security number.
Changing Your Beneficiaries
You may request to change
your life insurance beneficiaries at any time in ERS OnLine. If you do not
have Internet access, you can call ERS to request this change. Whenever you
request a beneficiary change, ERS will send you a confirmation notice
verifying the change. You must sign and return the form to ERS. For your
protection, the beneficiary change will not be valid until this form is
signed by you, witnessed, and returned to ERS. If you do not change a
beneficiary, but add a Social Security number, ERS will send you a
confirmation letter, but the confirmation letter will not require a
signature or return to ERS.
Summer Enrollment is July 25
- August 19, 2005
ERS will mail Personal
Enrollment Statements (PES) to your home address listed in ERS OnLine
beginning July 8, 2005. Don't miss important Summer Enrollment
information. Check your address in ERS OnLine to make sure it's correct by
June 30, 2005. Many eligible changes can be made through ERS OnLine. More
information will be forthcoming on Summer Enrollment.
Use TexFlex funds by November
15 - New Extended Date
You now have an extra 2 1/2
months to incur expenses on your Plan Year 2005 Health Care Reimbursement
Account (HCRA) and/or Dependent Care Reimbursement Account (DCRA). This is
due to a recent ruling by the IRS. This date has been extended from the
original August 31, 2005 deadline. If you are concerned with the possibility
of "use it or lose it", please be sure and refer to the list of eligible
expenses at
www.ers.state.tx.us/TexFlex Here you can review the list of the most
common reimbursable items like day care and prescription drug and office
visit copays as well as other over-the -counter medicines and first-aid
related items. Employees enrolled in the HCRA can request reimbursement for
eligible expenses for themselves and their dependents*,
even if those dependents are not covered under your Texas Employees Group
Benefits Program health insurance. (*
as defined by the IRS, Pub. 502)
Check Flex Card Status At Any
Time
TexFlex members can check
the status of their TexFlex account at any time. To access, go to the ERS
website, click on "TexFlex," scroll down and click on "VisitPayFlex
website." Then, click on My Account and "debit card status." You will see
either "active" or "inactive."
P.A.S.S.
People Advantage Self
Service (P.A.S.S.) is available to all UHV employees. The link can be
found on the UHV Human Resources web page @
http://www.uhv.edu/hr/links.htm. All employees are encouraged to log
into P.A.S.S. and discover the benefits of a secure environment to view
their own insurance benefits, paychecks/pay history, sick and vacation
accruals and also change their home address, telephone information, direct
deposit, marital status and name if applicable. Employees also have the capability to request a reprint of their
W2 for past years up to 2001. There are also related links to ERS and Tex
Flex.
TRS Benefits & Retirement
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