The following employees completed a half day workshop titled SMU & YOU. In this session they learned about the University’s culture, values and traditions.
Front Row: Coral Balcazar, Erica Velasquez, Ashley Meredith, Brittany Vogel
Back Row: Laura Clerc, Toni Buttner, Michelle Metzger, Jeffrey Grim, Steven Johnson, Janet Dickman, Kyle Conder
Review and Update Your Elections BEFORE 11:59 pm on Monday, October 31!
If you do not review and update your current elections for medical, dental, and vision coverage, your 2011 coverage will roll over to 2012. This process occurs automatically unless you make changes within Access.SMU. Please note that there are exceptions to this automatic roll over process – see below for details.
To update your elections (medical, dental, vision) and/or to enroll in a FSA or a
HSA for 2012, follow these steps:
Exceptions to the Roll Over Process:
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA):
FSA (health and/or dependent care) and HSA accounts do not automatically roll over to the next year like the medical, dental, and vision elections.
You must re-enroll in the FSA or HSA account each year and indicate the annual dollar
amount to be withdrawn from your pay on a pre-tax basis.
Review updates to the 2012 Health Plan:
2012Key Benefit Changes
2012Benefits Guide
Don’t miss the October 31 Deadline – Enroll Today!
Questions? Email us at BenefitsU@smu.edu
SMU Human Resources has scheduled rooms for over 2,000 one-on-one meetings in various locations on the main campus, Expressway Tower, and the Plano campus. Diversified representatives will be at SMU October 17 through November 17 to meet with you to discuss your current 403(b) investments, the funds that will be available in the new investment lineup, and what you need to do during the transition period.
Please be sure to register, and feel free to bring your spouse, partner or a friend. For your convenience, phone-in one-on-one meetings are also available.
Here are a few registration tips:
• To schedule a phone-in one-on-one meeting, click on the Meeting Locations drop-down box and click Phone One-on-Ones.
• To move back and forth between the October and November registration calendars, click on the + and – buttons to the right of the calendar date.
• If you register for a meeting and need to reschedule, go back into the registration page and enter the requested information. Click on the My Appointments tab and click Cancel (to the left of the scheduled meeting). Then click on the Make Appointments tab and register for another meeting.
Register for an appointment now
If you have any problems registering, contact Diversified at retirementcounselors@divinvest.com or 800-275-8714.
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Challenge Runs October 17 – November 14, 2011
In this challenge, you can walk, bike, lift weights…whatever exercise suits you best! You will earn 1 point for every 10 minutes of activity at a level considered moderate or better for you. 
You can earn 10 or 15 body credits depending on the number of points you accumulate. Beginner exercisers need to accumulate 40 points and experienced exercisers need 60 points.
Moderate physical activity includes activities such as brisk walking, walking the golf course, gardening, slow cycling, dancing, doubles tennis, or hard work around the house. Any activity that makes you work as hard as brisk walking and lasts at least 10 minutes is counted.(Example: 10 minutes of gardening equals 1 point, 30 minutes of walking equals 3 points)
Vigorous physical activity includes activities like jogging, running, fast cycling, aerobics classes, swimming laps, singles tennis, and racquetball. Any activity that makes you work as hard as jogging and lasts at least 10 minutes is counted. These activities increase your heart rate, make you sweat and make you feel out of breath. (Example: 20 minutes of jogging equals 2 points)
Visit our Wellpower website for more details about the challenge!
Questions? Email us at wellpower@smu.edu
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It’s time to start reviewing the benefits plan changes for 2012, assess your coverage needs and decide which plans are right for you in 2012. Open Enrollment for 2012 benefits elections will begin on Friday, October 14 and close on Monday, October 31 at midnight.
Join us at the HR Fair on October 25 from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. to visit with SMU’s Benefit Vendors in order to ask questions and receive the information you’ll need in order to make best decisions for your 2012 elections.
For your convenience, the following options are available to review 2012 changes to the SMU Health & Wellness Plans:
Deductible Options for 2012
As previously announced, the $500 deductible Medical option will no longer be available in 2012. If you are currently enrolled in this option you are required to change your Medical election for 2012, during the October Open Enrollment period. If you don’t change your election you will be defaulted to the $1,000 deductible option.
Factors to Consider When Making Your Decisions
Be sure to review the 2012 premium rates and the coverage information in the Benefits Guide so you can determine which Medical option is best for you. It is important that you carefully consider several factors – anticipated medical needs, and the deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, and premiums rates (i.e., the amount that will be deducted from your paycheck) for the various options.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Saving Accounts (HSA)
If you are not currently enrolled in a Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (available with the $1,000 and $2,000 deductible Medical options) or a Health Savings Account (available with the $2,500 deductible option), you should consider doing so for 2012. These accounts enable you to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses with pre-tax payroll deductions.
Even if you were enrolled in one of these accounts in 2011, you MUST RE-ENROLL for the account for 2012.
To make your 2012 Benefit elections, visit:
Access.SMU>Self Service>Benefits>Benefits Enrollment.
SMU Department of Human Resources
benefitsu@smu.edu
214-768-3311
As indicated in President Turner’s letter to Faculty and Staff on October 4, 2011, SMU has listened to employee input and has amended the fund line-up for the transition to a single record keeper for the SMU Retirement Plan.
Read President Turner’s letter
Diversified, SMU’s single record keeper administrator, has updated their list of Frequently Asked Questions to reflect the changes.
Read the updated Frequently Asked Questions
Faculty and Staff may now sign up for a personal session with a Diversified representative to review the transition process and how to best manage their individual account(s) during the process.
Sign up for a One-on-One meeting
For more information, visit the Diversified website for SMU employees.
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What’s the difference between sadness and depression?
Sometimes people think of depression as a more extreme form of sadness. However, there is an unmistakable difference between someone going through a time of sadness versus living with depression. To be sad is to be human. It is a natural emotion that we all experience from time to time. Depression, on the other hand, is an illness that includes much more severe symptoms than sadness.
The depressed often find that their dark feelings do not have an explanation. Remarks by friends and family to “get over it” is just like telling someone suffering from a disease such as diabetes to “get over it.” When we’re sad, it usually passes within a day or two. With depression, the symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. A sad person feels down but usually continues his or her day-to-day activities; the depressed often feel hopeless and overwhelmed.
Depression is characterized by five symptoms:
1) Depressed mood for most of the day, nearly every day
2) Reduced interest in daily activities for most of the day, nearly every day
3) Weight changes (usually on the extreme side, such as a change of more than 5% of body weight in a given month) or decreased appetite
4) Insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping too much)
5) Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt nearly every day
Your Employee Assistance Program, provided by Magellan Health, has resources and experience to help you with more information. Visit www.magellanhealth.com or call 1-877-704-5696 for more information, referrals and support.
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Flu season is gearing up, so do your part to fight the spread of the flu virus at SMU by getting your flu vaccination this fall. The SMU Health Center will offer Flu Vaccination Clinics several times this month.
Vaccinations are FREE for benefit-eligible employees, retirees and retiree spouses.
Please bring your SMU ID and wear short sleeves if possible.
To shorten your wait at the flu clinics, please take these steps:
New FDA approved, needle-free, “ouchless” vaccinations are available. For more information, go to www.nomoreneedle.com. Regular flu shots are available as well.
Clinic Schedule:
Wednesday, October 5
1-4pm
Expressway Tower Room 208
Tuesday, October 25
10:30-1:30pm
HR Fair–HT Ballroom East
Wednesday, October 26
4-6pm
Plano Campus–Building 3
For additional information and updates, visit the Health Center Flu webpage.
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Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports is sponsoring a new Running and Walking Club exclusively for faculty and staff members. The club will meet in the Dedman Center lobby on Mondays and Wednesdays at noon beginning on October 3. All levels of runners and walkers are welcome to join! Certified trainers will lead the group and provide a training plan for those who want to prepare to run a 5k or other types of races.
Sessions may include short runs, intervals, and long runs depending on the ability and goals of the members. In addition, the group may meet to learn about how to prevent injuries and learn how to select the proper footwear for different types of exercise.
Group members are encouraged to sign up for the Mayor’s Race at Fair Park on Saturday, December 3, 2011. Also featured is a Kid’s 1 Mile Run. Experienced runners may choose to sign up for the White Rock Lake Half-Marathon or Marathon on Sunday, December 4.
Participants may log 1 Wellpower Body credit for attending any club session and an additional 3 Body credits for completing any running/walking event.
Email Gina Garcia at ggarcia@smu.edu or Kelly Richards at krichards@smu.edu for additional information.
The Methodist Mobile Mammography Unit will be on main campus near the flagpole on November 14, 2011.
To qualify for a mammogram, you should be 40 or older, with no breast implants, and have no current breast problems.
SMU Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas Coverage
The SMU Health and Wellness Plan pays for in-network preventive mammography at 100% for eligible staff and faculty members. The cost is not applied toward your SMU BCBSTX medical plan deductible. Women who are age 40 or older are encouraged to get annual preventive mammograms. If the mobile unit isn’t convenient, then we hope you will contact your own health care provider and schedule a mammography soon.
If you are under the age of 40 with a family history of breast cancer or other known risk factors, please consult your physician regarding preventive mammography. Your doctor may order a preventive screening mammogram earlier than age 40 based on those risk factors, and BCBSTX will cover it at 100%. You may contact a benefits specialist at benefits@smu.edu with questions about using your preventive care benefits in this or any other special circumstance.
Visit Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas’ preventive care guidelines for more information about suggested preventive screenings.
Covered by a different insurance plan?
Claims will be filed for those covered by SMU’s Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas health plan. Methodist will file with several major insurance plans. Please call to confirm if your plan covers their services. If any amount is owed after claims are filed, you will be billed at a later date.
For those without insurance, you may pay $266.70 with cash, a check, Visa or MasterCard.
To schedule an appointment, call: 214-947-0026.
Please bring your insurance card as well as your physician’s name and address with you to your exam.
Not time for your exam? Don’t worry! We have another mobile unit scheduled to visit in Spring 2012.
Wellpower Credits
After completing your exam, you may enter 1 Body credit in Wellpower.
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