January 2022 Human Resources Updates

January 14, 2022 

Dear Faculty and Staff, 

Human Resources is pleased to provide updates and announce upcoming programs and services for our Loyola University Chicago community. 

Please review the information below to learn more about the latest on Trinity Health/Aetna contract negotiations; the Loyola medical plan covering the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests; how to participate in the upcoming Go Move Challenge; and a reminder to review your first paycheck in January. 

Aetna Contract Negotiations Completed with Trinity/LUMC
Loyola Medicine and Aetna have reached a new multi-year national agreement, which means the Loyola Medicine hospitals, facilities, and providers will remain in Aetna’s network. The new agreement is effective January 1, and since an agreement was reached before the contract’s termination date, there has been no interruption to access or coverage to the University’s medical plan coverage with Aetna for any medical care at LUMC. You and your family should continue to see Loyola Medicine doctors and seek care as needed at LUMC facilities as you normally would. 

Loyola’s Medical Plan to Cover At-Home COVID-19 Tests
On January 10, the U.S. Department of Labor released guidance to implement President Joe Biden's order that, starting Saturday, January 15, health plans must cover or reimburse costs for over-the-counter (OTC) at-home rapid COVID-19 tests without requiring health plan participants to pay any of the cost. 

Once this information becomes available, we will communicate with Loyola medical plan participants about where (stores, pharmacies, and online retailers) you can go to purchase OTC at-home COVID-19 tests for free. Until this information is available, we encourage all medical plan participants to keep their receipts for any OTC at-home COVID-19 tests purchased so you can submit a claim for reimbursement. 

New Behavioral Health Support Resource Coming Soon
In response to the need for additional behavioral resources expressed by some faculty and staff and members of the Benefits Advisory Committee, a new supplemental behavioral health resource, First Stop Health, will be introduced in February 2022. This new benefit supplements existing behavioral health resources provided by the University through our medical insurance plan with Aetna and our Employee Assistance Provider (EAP). This new resource will be available at no additional cost to you, will be separate from our medical plan, and will enable access to an expanded network of providers through virtual engagement. Please stay tuned, as we will share additional information about First Stop Health in the coming weeks. 

FSA/DCFSA/Transit Reimbursement Portal and New Wex Visa Cards
On January 1, benefitexpress, a WEX Company, transitioned to the WEX Health reimbursement portal. Reimbursement plan participants have 24/7 access to view information and manage both 2021 and 2022 reimbursement accounts as they always have at LoyolaExpress.com. Additionally, new Visa branded WEX debit cards were mailed on January 4. A WEX reimbursement portal FAQ document is available online. 

February 2022: Participate in the Go Move Challenge
The 10th annual Go Move Challenge is set to begin Tuesday, February 1. During the challenge, participating Jesuit institutions will compete to determine which University is the most active. At the heart of this friendly competition is an opportunity to connect with your colleagues, bond with other AJCU schools, and start the year off right by moving in February, one of the coldest months of the year. Every minute of intentional, physical movement counts! Register here and start tracking your minutes in February. 

Review Your First Paycheck in January
Remember to review your first paycheck in January to ensure that deductions have been correctly applied for your elected benefits in the new calendar year, especially if you made changes to your benefits during Open Enrollment or if you were newly hired. You can view your paycheck in Employee Self-Service. Questions? Please contact Human Resources via benefits@LUC.edu. 

Form 1095-C
The IRS requires employers to provide employees with Form 1095-C, which may accompany W-2s for tax purposes. The 2021 statement will be distributed to employees no later than Monday, January 31 for those who were covered under a Loyola health insurance plan in 2021. You can log into Employee Self-Service to view and print a copy of your 1095-C electronically. 

Thank you for your thoughtful review of this information. If you have questions, please contact Human Resources at benefits@LUC.edu or 312-915-6175. 

Sincerely, 

Human Resources