Benefits Newsletter Example

Teladoc Health Fees Temporarily Waived PAGE 5

Why Distribution Acknowledgements Matter

SECURE 2.0 Changes Long-term, Part-time Eligibility Rules

PAGE 9

PAGE 10

BENEFITSBulletin SPRING 2023

Help Employees With Their Mind & Body Well-being PAGE 4

NRECA EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

In This Issue SPRING 2023

GROUP BENEFITS 4

Encourage Mind & Body Well-being This Quarter

5

Teladoc Health Fees Temporarily Waived

RETIREMENT BENEFITS 6

Recent PIRC Webinar Explores the Costs of Caring for Loved Ones

COURSES & CONFERENCES 7

Sign Up Now for the 2023 Interact Conference

COMPLIANCE CONNECTION 9

Why Distribution Acknowledgements Matter

10 SECURE 2.0 Spotlight: Upcoming Changes to Long-term, Part-time Eligibility Rules 12 Important Compliance Dates

14 BENEFIT PLANS, PROGRAMS AND S ­ ERVICES GUIDE

For questions about NRECA ­benefits or topics in this issue, contact your field ­representative or the Member Contact ­Center at 866.673.2299 or ­contactcenter@nreca.coop, ­unless otherwise noted in the ­articles.

MANAGING EDITOR: Scott Mathias CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: John Nullmeyer, Nate Odgaard and Chris Schwartzrock Benefits Bulletin is a newsletter published as an NRECA member ­service for ­benefits a ­ dministrators. In the case of a ­discrepancy, the plan ­documents govern.

To subscribe to Benefits Bulletin, call or email Scott Mathias at 703.907.6094 or s­ cott.mathias@nreca.coop. ©2003–2023 NRECA. All rights reserved.

PHOTO CREDITS: COVER © ISTOCK/M-IMAGEPHOTOGRAPHY. PAGE 3 © NRECA. PAGE 6 © ISTOCK/DRAZEN ZIGIC. PAGE 8 © ISTOCK/NAZARKRU. PAGE 9 © ISTOCK/VISUAL GENERATION. PAGE 10 ICONS © ISTOCK/CNYTHZL. PAGE 12 © ISTOCK/RUDZHAN NAGIEV. PAGES 14–15 ICONS © ALEX B ­ ELOMLINSKY.

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BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

Plan Perspective

A

BY PETER BAXTER

s you have previously heard from me and others, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (CAA 2023) is an extensive piece of recently enacted legislation that

has many potential impacts for electric cooperatives, as well as NRECA and the employee benefit plans it sponsors. Quite a few of the provisions in the CAA 2023 affect our retirement benefit plans. Most of those retirement plan-related provisions, collectively referred to as the SECURE 2.0 provisions, are designed to enhance the ability of individuals to save for their future. We’re continuing to thoroughly evaluate the potential impacts of those SECURE 2.0 provisions along with the rest of the relevant CAA 2023 provisions to determine which are applicable to the NRECA-sponsored employee benefit plans and, where options exist, are in the best interest of our members. To help shape our next steps and priorities, we’ve been soliciting member feedback as well as seeking further guidance from federal agencies to clarify and direct implementation.

In addition to the SECURE 2.0 provisions, which I covered extensively in my last column, another aspect of the CAA 2023 of specific interest to our members is the temporary extension of the fee waiver for telemedicine services.

While I also mentioned this waiver briefly in that column, I would like to provide a bit more detail and highlight the value of telemedicine service provided by Teladoc Health.

The CAA 2023 allows highdeductible health plans that are compatible with a health savings account to waive the cost of telehealth consultations on a pre-deductible basis through 2024. As a result, NRECA is temporarily waiving Teladoc Health consultation fees and cost share— for both medical and mental health sessions—through December 31, 2024 (see page 5). This waiver

applies to all types of NRECA medical plans.

The waiver went into effect March 1, 2023, but to better assist and support our members I authorized its application retroactive to January 1, 2023. As such, participants in the NRECA Medical Plan who made payments for a Teladoc Health consultation between January 1 and March 1, 2023, have been reimbursed for those payments. In addition to the refund, Cooperative Benefit Administrators, Inc. will adjust the claims for those individuals to reflect a $0 patient responsibility and sent an updated explanation of benefits statement noting the claim has been reprocessed.

We’re hoping this temporary waiver will encourage even more use of this convenient and valuable resource, especially as it relates

to mental and behavioral health needs. In 2022, over 10,000 Teladoc Health general medical consultations were conducted with NRECA Medical Plan participants.

These phone or video sessions provided valuable health care when and where participants needed it, saving them and the plan an average of $465 per appointment, or almost $5 million total. Fifty percent of NRECA participants surveyed after using the telemedicine service said they would have used urgent care if the Teladoc Health option hadn’t been available, while 9% said they would have sought no medical care at all. Of those surveyed, 89% felt the service they received was excellent or good.

Last year, we added mental health consultations to the Teladoc offering for NRECA Medical Plan participants. We saw mental health consultations increase over time in 2022, with over 700 consultations by the end of the year. Mental health care often involves multiple sessions; as such, the average number of mental health consultations was actually around four per participant.

These remote mental health care services through Teladoc Health saved participants and the plan almost $70,000 in 2022. Ninetyfour percent of NRECA Medical Plan participants surveyed after using the service felt their care was excellent or good. Even more important, 39% of respondents said they would not have sought care if these mental health services had not been available.

To help address the increased mental and behavioral health care continued on page 13 BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

3

GROUP BENEFITS

Encourage Mind & Body Well-being This Quarter n BY NATE ODGAARD

T

his quarter, use the following resources at your

INFOGRAPHICS

cooperative and work them into your own well-being program to support mind and body well-being.

3 WAYS TO SHIFT YOUR MINDSET TO LOSE WEIGHT Stay positive throughout the highs and lows of your weight loss efforts. Your mindset is a powerful force!

1 2 3

Visit the BA Guide’s FutureMe page, where you can print these infographics (pictured) to share with your employees:

DEFEND YOURSELF. If you splurge on food or miss the gym, remind yourself that you’re making plenty of great choices.

Guilt and shame are just fuel for more “emotional eating.”

DON’T PREDICT MISFORTUNE.

When we tell ourselves we’ll never lose weight, these thoughts can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Predict success instead.

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL. Achieving and maintaining a

healthy weight takes intentional action every day—know the results will follow.

Explore how FutureMe coaching can provide you assistance through the weight management program at no additional cost. Call 888.321.1521, or visit cooperative.com > My Benefit > My Insurance > FutureMe. GRPFY23009

MEN’S NUTRITION TIPS TO PREVENT ILLNESS

WOMEN’S NUTRITION NEEDS FOR LIFE CHANGES

Although men and women need the same nutrients to thrive, Although men and women generally need the same nutrients to thrive, there are three health conditions men should pay particular attention to there are three health conditions men should pay particular attention to that can be affected by their diet. that can be affected by their diet.

Women go through several life changes that affect their nutritional needs.

The following are ways women can address those needs during different stages:

2

PROSTATE CANCER, the second-most common cancerCANCER, among men.

Age and a PROSTATE the second-most among men.

Age and a dietdairy diet common heaviercancer in red meat and high-fat heavier in red meat and high-fat dairy raises raises this risk.

MENSTRUATION

can cause you to become low in iron.

Be sure you meet the recommended daily allowance for iron during your reproductive years.

this risk.

3

COLON CANCER. Don’t overdo charbroiled COLON Don’t overdo(e.g., charbroiled red meat or CANCER. nitrite-cured meats red meat or nitrite-cured meats (e.g., bacon, bacon, pepperoni) but DO eat plenty of pepperoni) but DO eat plenty of antioxidant-rich antioxidant-rich red and pink fruits and red and pink fruits and vegetables (e.g., tomatoes, pink grapefruit). vegetables (e.g., tomatoes, pink grapefruit).

Talk nutrition with a WebMD health FutureMe coaching can help with your nutritionFutureMe—at needs—at no additional cost. coach through no cost: Call 888.321.1521.

Call 888.321.1521.

Source: ©2022, WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved Source: ©2022, WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved PUB CODE XXXX

4

GRPFY23010

BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

l Women’s Changing Nutrition Needs

DURING PREGNANCY,

focus on gaining the right amount of weight, and getting enough carbs for energy and enough protein for the baby’s growth. And get plenty of nutrients such as folate, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium and vitamin D.

MENOPAUSE

requires an increase in daily calcium intake to help slow bone loss.

Also, a woman’s risk of heart disease increases, so be sure to focus on the dietary steps that help keep your heart healthy.

FutureMe coaching can help with your nutrition needs—at no additional cost.

Call 888.321.1521.

For pregnant mothers and family planning, call NRECA’s First Steps Maternity Program at 800.526.7322 or go to cooperative.com > My Benefits > My Insurance > First Steps Maternity Program.

Source: ©2022, WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved

GRPFY23011

Mark your calendar for this May 17 webinar. It will explore ways your employees can become more resilient through a positive outlook and choices.

Register on the FutureMe page in the BA Guide.

Source: ©2021, WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved

1

l Men’s Nutrition Tips to Prevent Illness

“RESILIENCE” WEBINAR

NEED HELP MEETING YOUR GOALS?

HEART DISEASE, which affects men more thanHEART women.DISEASE, Keep a healthy weight which affects men and more women.

Keep a healthy diet, diet,than closely tracking your weight bloodand pressure closely tracking your blood pressure and and cholesterol cholesterol numbers. numbers.

l 3 Ways to Shift Your Mindset to Lose Weight

FutureMe PROGRAM RESOURCES These FutureMe resources are available to help NRECA Medical Plan participants: l Coaching: A WebMD health coach can help individuals with their well-being needs, such as weight management, tobacco cessation and more. l Health topics: Participants can find articles, videos and tips on dozens of health topics under Resources on the FutureMe portal.

GROUP BENEFITS

Teladoc Health Fees Temporarily Waived n BY NATE ODGAARD

OTHER NRECA PROGRAMS l Teladoc Health: This service provides timely, expert care by phone or video for medical or mental health needs. Fees are being waved temporarily (details at right).

T

he Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 allows high-deductible health plans that are compatible with a health savings account to cover telehealth visits on

a pre-deductible basis through 2024. As a result, NRECA is temporarily waiving Teladoc Health consultation fees and cost share—for both medical

l Life Strategy Counseling: Available to employees—and their dependents 18 and older— this program offers short-term counseling and a wealth of resources online.

and mental health sessions—

If you have any questions for the FutureMe team, send them to futureme@nreca.coop. BB

This waiver is retroactive to January 1, 2023. Participants who made payments for a Teladoc Health consultation between January 1 and March 1, 2023, should have been reimbursed. Cooperative Benefit Administrators, Inc. (CBA) adjusted their claims to reflect a $0 patient responsibility and sent an updated explanation of benefits statement to each participant noting the claim has been reprocessed.

FIND OUT MORE

FutureMe BA Guide Page cooperative.com > My Benefits > BA Guide > Health & Well-being > FutureMe FutureMe Participant Page cooperative.com > My Benefits > My Insurance > FutureMe

through December 31, 2024.

The waiver applies to NRECA Medical Plan participants covered under all plan types.

Note: Participants who sought reimbursement for a Teladoc Health consultation through a tax-advantaged account should return reimbursed fees to the account to avoid tax implications.

If you or your participants have questions, contact the Member Contact Center at 866.673.2299 or contactcenter@nreca.coop.

Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 7 am to 7 pm Central time. BB

BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

5

RETIREMENT BENEFITS

Recent PIRC Webinar Explores the Costs of Caring for Loved Ones n BY JUDY MITCHELL

N

o matter the circumstances, taking on the care and financial support of aging parents or other relatives requires more than a quick look ahead. The Personal Investment & Retirement Consulting (PIRC) team addressed this topic in a recent webinar, “Will the

Unexpected Costs of Caring for a Loved One Affect Your Retirement Savings?”

The webinar reviews the challenges of maneuvering through the course of care for someone else, possibly at your expense. It highlights important statistics and figures, including health care and long-term care costs. It also addresses the need to protect your own financial security.

6

BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

This webinar was broadcast in March as a “lunch and learn” session for employees to view together. It was also recorded and posted on the Employee Benefits website so you and your employees can download and view the webinar at your convenience. BB

FIND OUT MORE

PIRC Webinars cooperative.com > My Benefits > My Retirement > Personal Investment & Retirement Consulting > Latest Webinars

COURSES & CONFERENCES

Sign Up Now for the 2023 Interact Conference n BY JOHN NULLMEYER

R

egistration is open for the 2023 Interact Conference—check your

calendars, choose your location and get registered today!

Join cooperative benefits and HR professionals from around the country in either Omaha (July 18-19) or Tampa (August 8-9). No matter which city you choose—you’ll hear about new topics and receive timely updates, thanks to our can’t-miss lineup of dynamic keynote speakers.

You’ll also get to customize your learning experience with a wide range of benefits and HR breakout sessions.

As always, we’re providing opportunities for networking and interacting, including our annual pre-conference community service event benefitting an organization in each of our host cities! Be sure to check out the descriptions for each city online and select the “community service event” when registering if you’re interested in being a part of this experience.

CAN’T MAKE IT IN-PERSON? JOIN US ONLINE If you’re unable to travel, take advantage of Interact Online. We will livestream all three general sessions from the Omaha location

on July 18 and 19. View the Interact Conference’s Omaha page and select the online registration option. BB FIND OUT MORE

2023 Interact Conference-Omaha Location & Interact Online cooperative.com > Conferences & Education > Conferences & Meetings > 2023 Interact Conference > July 17-19, 2023 | Omaha, NE 2023 Interact Conference-Tampa Location cooperative.com > Conferences & Education > Conferences & Meetings > 2023 Interact Conference > August 7-9, 2023 | Tampa, FL

Tampa BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

7

NEW & CLICKABLE BA GUIDE

cooperative.com > My Benefits > BA Guide The BA Guide on the Employee Benefits website is your online resource for administering NRECA benefit plans and programs. It provides information and resources to help benefits administrators do their jobs as well as materials you can share with participants. Here are a few things that have recently been updated or added to the guide—be sure to “click” them out!

Eligibility Help and Resources

E

nrolling eligible employees and their covered dependents into benefit plans at the right time and ensuring only eligible individuals take part in your plans is an important and ongoing task for benefits administrators. Much of your compliance efforts revolve around determining, tracking and verifying plan eligibility. Applying eligibility provisions correctly keeps your plans in compliance and prevents costly mistakes while averting time-consuming corrections.

The Rules & Eligibility section helps you understand and deal with eligibility issues.

Whether you’re trying to understand how to count hours of service, classify workers or determine eligibility for directors and attorneys, there are resources and information to help you. Maybe you want to know how to avoid eligibility issues when rehiring employees and retirees at your cooperative.

You can find information on that and many other eligibility matters in this section too. cooperative.com > My Benefits > BA Guide > Compliance & Eligibility > Rules & Eligibility

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BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

Get your c ­ ompliance news and information here. We hope you find this section useful, as we work together to ensure that co-op benefit plans remain in compliance with federal law and plan terms. Keep in mind that NRECA ­cannot provide legal or tax advice to co-ops. The information ­presented here is our ­interpretation of the law and regulations. Co-ops should seek the advice of their legal counsel and tax advisor.

COMPLIANCE CONNECTION Why Distribution Acknowledgments Are Important n BY CHRIS SCHWARTZROCK

J

uly 29 is the approaching deadline for all cooperatives

to distribute summary plan description (SPD) documents for the Retirement Security Plan and 401(k) Pension Plan, which were restated in 2022.

We encourage you to complete distribution acknowledgments after distributing required notices such as SPDs. Acknowledgments are important and it may help to think of acknowledgment not as having a specific deadline, but as the final step in the distribution process. That’s because acknowledgments create an important written record that you gave the documents to the proper recipients, as required by both the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and for group benefits, the Affordable Care Act. Keeping a record of who received the documents and the distribution method (electronic, paper, etc.) serves as future reference that you gave the documents to each employee, beneficiary, retiree, director, COBRA participant or surviving dependent who

was required to receive it. This record can come in handy when a participant or beneficiary has questions and isn’t sure whether or when they received the documents.

So that you remember to process them, unacknowledged documents remain at the top of the Group Plan Documents and Retirement Plan Documents pages on the Employee Benefits website until you finish them. Co-ops with pending acknowledgments receive periodic Message Center reminders and may receive a call or an email reminder if pending acknowledgments remain after the distribution deadlines have passed.

Completing your acknowledgments as part of the distribution process means less work sorting through and gathering information for multiple acknowledgments later.

If you need assistance downloading, distributing or acknowledging SPDs and SMMs, or any other plan document delivered during the year, contact the benefits compliance team at 866.673.2299, option 7, group.compliance@nreca.coop (for group benefit document questions) or pension.compliance@nreca.coop (for retirement document questions). BB

FIND OUT MORE

Distributing Plan Documents cooperative.com > My Benefits > BA Guide > Compliance & Eligibility > Distributing Plan Documents Group Plan Documents cooperative.com > My Benefits > Co-op Insurance > Group Plan Documents Retirement Plan Documents cooperative.com > My Benefits > Co-op Retirement > Retirement Plan Documents BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

9

COMPLIANCE CONNECTION

SECURE 2.0 SPOTLIGHT:

Upcoming Changes to Long-term, Part-time Eligibility Rules

401(k)

SECURE 2.0

Prepare now to offer 401(k) Pension Plan participation in 2024 and thereafter.

Pension Plan n BY CHRIS SCHWARTZROCK

I

n 2019, the SECURE Act (SECURE 1.0) set up an alternate path to 401(k) Pension Plan participation for part-time employees. Starting with hours worked in 2021, an employee

500 HOURS

who works 500 or more hours for three consecutive years (and is age 21, if the plan requires), becomes eligible to make elective

In 2021, cooperatives and NRECA began preparing to comply with this new rule. That year, co-ops needed to ensure that they were tracking hours of service for all employees—including flexible staff categories such as part-time, temporary, seasonal and leased—if they were not already doing so.

Then, in 2022, SECURE 2.0 was enacted. It did not eliminate the alternate eligibility method for part-time employees, but starting

in 2025, shortened the service requirement from three consecutive years to two. Co-ops should continue to track hours so that they can be ready to offer participation when required in 2024, and then in 2025 and beyond under the shortened rule. NRECA is awaiting guidance from the applicable agencies on how to administer the new rule. We will pass that information along to co-ops as soon as it becomes available.

500 HOURS

401(k)

Pension Plan

10

BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

SECURE 2.0

deferrals in 2024.

WHAT IS THE NEW RULE? When enacting SECURE 1.0, Congress recognized that many part-time workers never met the 1,000-hour rule and so could not save for retirement through their employer’s defined contribution plan. SECURE 1.0 attempted to close this coverage gap by letting employees participate in plans like the NRECA 401(k) Pension Plan once they work 500 or more but fewer than 1,000 hours in three consecutive computation periods (the first year of employment and subsequent calendar years).

Employer base and matching contributions are not required, and service before 2021 is not counted toward the three-year rule.

Starting in 2025 under SECURE 2.0, employees who work 500 or more but fewer than 1,000 hours in two consecutive computation periods may participate in the 401(k) Plan. Service before 2023 is disregarded. Workers can become eligible sooner if they work 1,000 hours or more in one computation period. Employer base and matching contributions are not required for employees who become eligible under the long-term, part-time method.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOUR CO-OP? The three consecutive year requirement set up by SECURE 1.0 applies to 2024 plan entries. In 2025, the service requirement is reduced to two consecutive years. This means that a part-time employee who works 500 or more but fewer than 1,000 hours in: l 2021, 2022 and 2023 becomes eligible in 2024 under SECURE 1.0 l 2023 and 2024 becomes eligible in 2025 under SECURE 2.0 Further regulatory guidance is needed so that co-ops and NRECA can apply the new rule by the applicable effective date(s). By tracking hours, co-ops can be ready to offer participation in 2024 to the first group of eligible employees. Watch these pages and NRECA Employee Benefits Weekly in the coming months for details about how to implement SECURE 2.0 changes.

In the meantime, remember the following points: l Review your 401(k) Plan’s eligibility requirements and excluded classes, found in Sections 1.B and 3 of your adoption agreement. If your plan has a months-of-service requirement, continue to enroll

full-time employees when they meet the months-of-service requirement. l You should already be tracking hours so that you know when a part-time employee has worked 1,000 hours and becomes eligible to participate in the 401(k) Plan. l For part-time employees, you must check for eligibility under both the 1,000-hour method and the long-term, part-time methods. As you do, keep in mind the effective dates of 2024 and 2025 as well as the years of service that must be disregarded. l Don’t count hours worked before 2021 for purposes of long-term, part-time eligibility.

The earliest any long-term, part-time employee would become eligible is in 2024 (if not sooner under the existing 1,000-hour rule). For example, an employee could work 500 or more (but less than 1,000) hours during 2021, 2022 and 2023, in which case he or she would be eligible to make deferrals in 2024. l Starting in 2025, only two consecutive years of part-time service are required. Don’t count service before 2023.

This means that the earliest any employee would become eligible to participate with two years of long-term, part-time

service in 2025, if not eligible sooner under the SECURE 1.0 part-time rule or the 1,000-hour rule. For example, an employee could work 500 or more (but less than 1,000) hours during 2023 and 2024, in which case that employee would be eligible to make deferrals in 2025. l Co-ops don’t have to make employer contributions for long-term, part-time employees.

NRECA is awaiting regulatory guidance to help interpret many aspects of the new statute. Once this guidance is received, we will be able to provide more specific steps that your co-op should take to administer eligibility correctly under the new rule. Until that guidance is issued, the information in this article is NRECA’s good faith effort at a reasonable interpretation of the statute.

In the meantime, if you have questions about eligibility under the new rule, contact the retirement compliance team at 866.673.2299, option 7, or pension.compliance@nreca.coop.

BB

FIND OUT MORE

Counting Hours of Service cooperative.com > My Benefits > BA Guide > Compliance & Eligibility > Rules & Eligibility > Counting Hours of Service

BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

11

COMPLIANCE CONNECTION

Important Compliance Dates Upcoming deadlines and task reminders Group Benefits Deadlines April 30

Watch for the quarterly medical plan summary of material modifications showing prescription drug coverage changes.

May 31

Distribute the quarterly summary of material modifications document to NRECA Medical Plan participants.

Retirement Benefits Deadlines

12

Now through July

Download restatement summary plan descriptions (for the retirement plan restatement, which was effective July 1, 2022) for your cooperative’s Retirement Security (RS) Plan and 401(k) Pension Plan, as applicable. Distribute the SPDs to plan participants no later than July 29, 2023.

April (last half of the month)

NRECA sends the 2022 RS Plan Annual Funding Notice to RS Plan participants.

May 15 (nontaxable co-ops)

Send 2022 401(k) Plan true-up contributions to NRECA for anyone who didn’t receive a full employer match.

BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

Plan Perspective

needs of adolescents, we further expanded the scope of Teladoc mental health care consultations to covered dependents ages 13 to 17. As of January 1, 2023, NRECA Medical Plan participants can schedule Teladoc mental health consultations by phone and video sessions to help dependents in this age group with school stress, family challenges, bullying, depression and other mental health challenges they may be dealing with.

Between the extended fee waiver and the expanded mental health services, we hope even more NRECA Medical Plan participants overcome any reluctance they may have to try these valuable and effective Teladoc services when they and their families need them.

Your employees participating in the NRECA Medical Plan can find more information on these services on the Employee Benefits website by going to cooperative.com > My Benefits > My Insurance > Teladoc.

There are also resources online to help you promote and educate your participants on Teladoc services. Go to cooperative.com > My Benefits > BA Guide > Medical & Prescription Drug > Teladoc.

NRECA Medical Plan participants can also find useful resources to help them with mental health challenges and many other wellbeing issues through FutureMe, our enhanced holistic well-being program that was launched on

continued from page 3

January 1, 2023. There has been significant co-op and participant engagement since the FutureMe program’s inception. Through February, nearly 3,000 participants have visited the FutureMe portal and 2,500 have already completed the FutureMe survey, a good place to begin one’s well-being journey.

Participants are also taking advantage of FutureMe coaching, which connects them with WebMD health coaches to help them meet their well-being goals. Participants are participating in all the coaching programs including: l Positively Me, a 12-month weight management program l Quit, a tobacco cessation program l Lifestyle coaching for healthy behavior change l Chronic condition management, which provides support for managing specific chronic conditions FutureMe coaching is available to all participants in the NRECA Medical Plan at no additional cost.

Over 200 co-ops are participating in Make Your Move, the first of our three FutureMe challenges for 2023, which kicked off in March. During this five-week event, participants are challenged to log 600 minutes of activity, or about 30 minutes of activity four days per week. All challenge participants have been entered into a raffle drawing for

10 gift cards of $100 each. Slash the Sugar and the Invitational Team Steps Challenge will occur later this year.

For more on FutureMe, NRECA Medical Plan participants can visit cooperative.com > My Benefits > My Insurance > FutureMe. Resources to help benefits administrators promote and educate participants on FutureMe are available online at cooperative.com > My Benefits > BA Guide > Health & Well-being > FutureMe. These pages are also great places for participants and benefits administrators to visit for information and resources highlighting the quarterly wellbeing themes. For this quarter, BAs will find infographics related to this quarter’s “Mind & Body” theme as well as a registration link and information for the May 17 “Resilience” webinar.

I encourage you to find opportunities to promote the use of both Teladoc Health services and FutureMe among your eligible employees and their dependents.

These programs, along with the many other features of the NRECA Medical Plan, such as Life Strategy Counseling and the First Steps Maternity Program, are specifically designed to meet the needs of co-op employees and their families.

This is just one more reason you should consider joining the NRECA Medical Plan family if your co-op isn’t already participating. BB

BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

13

Benefit Plans, Programs and Services Guide

N

14

RECA offers many group and retirement benefits plans, programs and services to meet ­cooperatives’ needs. For more information, talk with your field representative or c ­ ontact the Member Contact ­Center at 866.673.2299 or contactcenter@nreca.coop.

PLANS

401(K) PENSION PLAN—Co-ops can offer employees pre- and post-tax ­savings opportunities, in addition to Roth contributions, with many investment options ­including ready-made ­portfolios based on employees’ estimated retirement dates. Co-ops can elect a self-­ directed brokerage account option.

BUSINESS TRAVEL ACCIDENT—Co-ops can ­insure employees, directors and one ­retained attorney during travel on co-op business.

DENTAL—Plans cover 100% of ­preventive and diagnostic care while covering basic, major and orthodontic services at ­different levels. A dental PPO provides ­additional discounts in many areas.

DISABILITY—These plans help protect the income of employees who are injured and unable to work. For long-term plans, co-ops choose the benefit level, waiting period and end date. Short-term plans allow co-ops to elect the maximum ­weekly benefit and ­benefit period.

LIFE—Co-ops elect basic life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage. Basic life and AD&D insurance comes with many other benefits, such as will prep, estate resolution, grief counseling and travel assistance. ­Supplemental life, spouse life, child life and ­supplemental AD&D are available to employees who have basic life coverage and can be paid by the employee and/or the co-op. NRECA also offers retired life, director’s life and AD&D, and ­director’s supplemental AD&D. MEDICAL—NRECA offers non-highdeductible and high-deductible plans.

Co-ops can customize d ­ eductibles, coinsurances, copays and out-of-pocket maximums. Preventive care is covered at 100% and is not ­subject to the annual deductible. Primary network discounts are provided through UnitedHealthcare.

BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

Tiered ­prescription drug benefit options allow co-ops to choose coverage levels with generic drugs costing the least.

High-­deductible health plans have a preventive drug option.

CVS Caremark™ is our prescription benefit manager. Contact them at 888.796.7322 or visit caremark.com.

The hearing aid benefit, which provides a $10,000 lifetime maximum for wearable hearing aids and maintenance is a standard feature of all medical plans.

NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION—Directors fees and highly compensated employee s­ alaries, bonuses and other compensation can be deferred and i­nvested with ­certain tax benefits. Co-ops are the plan ­administrators for these plans.

RETIREMENT SECURITY (RS) PLAN— NRECA manages this defined benefit pension at a very reasonable cost compared to the market. Co-ops can build a plan that b ­ alances benefit goals and plan cost by setting the terms for employee ­participation and benefit level.

VISION—Vision plans cover eligible eye exams, lenses and frames. Some plans have provider networks and offer ­discounts on laser vision correction, while others allow participants to see any provider.

PROGRAMS

BLOOD GLUCOSE MONITOR ­PROGRAM—Free blood glucose ­monitors are offered to medical plan participants diagnosed with pre-diabetic conditions or diabetes.

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE—This program ­offers medical plan participants access to high-quality, specialized medical care at state-of-the art medical facilities as well as personalized nurse support and case management for

organ transplants, bariatric (weight loss) surgery, cancer t­ reatment and joint and spine surgery.

FUTUREME—NRECA’s enhanced well-being program enables co-ops to publications services create a tailored well-being program with the option of a customized rewards program, as it empowers participants to direct their own well-being journey.

The FutureMe portal leads to a wealth of resources provided by WebMD. FUTUREME COACHING—Professional health coaches provided by WebMD help participants set personal health goals, adopt new habits, manage chronic conditions and more. Participants have free, confidential a ­ ccess to a health coach seven days a week. 888.321.1521 HARP—The Health Care Audit Reward Program (HARP) encourages participants to review their health care bills. If a participant reports an error of $100 or more, he or she may r­ eceive 10% of the amount of the error, up to a maximum reimbursement of $5,000.

LIFE STRATEGY COUNSELING—This ­confidential counseling program helps participants in the medical plan manage personal and e ­ motional issues (e.g., ­depression, anxiety and substance abuse). Trained counselors are available by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ­provide information, resources and r­ eferrals. 888.225.4289 NRECA’S FIRST STEPS MATERNITY PROGRAM—All ­expectant mothers, whether experienced or first-time, are encouraged to call this program during their first trimester. A r­ egistered publications ­maternity nurse provides s­ upport and educational m ­ aterials during p ­ regnancy, labor and delivery. S ­ creening for high-risk p ­ regnancies and s­ pecialized case ­management for p ­ regnancy ­complications are offered. Preconception counseling also is available. 800.526.7322 RETIREE INSURANCE SOLUTIONS— This program offers Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement,

Medicare Part D and dental and vision plans for post-65 retirees, their spouses and surviving spouses, as well as ­Medicare-disabled individuals through Via Benefits. 855.832.0978 or ­ my.viabenefits.com/nreca SHARE—The Simplified Hospital ­Admission REview Program provides preauthorization of health services, case management for complex cases and ­discharge planning to ensure appropriate care. Participants must contact SHARE before certain medical services—such as high-end radiology scans, extended care facility stays and home health care services—or within 2 ­business days of an emergency hospital admission, to avoid a benefit ­reduction.

800.526.7322 TAX-ADVANTAGED ACCOUNTS— These accounts help participants offset out-of-pocket health care costs, and in some cases, dependent care costs.

They ­include employer-owned health ­reimbursement arrangements (HRA), including a retiree HRA, and 125 Plans with flexible spending account options and more. Co-ops may offer ­employeeowned health savings ­accounts through financial ­institutions, such as HealthEquity. healthequity.com/nreca TELADOC HEALTH—Phone, online and video consultations with boardcertified doctors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week as a convenient alternative to urgent care or emergency room visits for common ailments. Mental health consultations are also available by phone and video appointments with licensed mental health care providers. Certain limitations may apply. 800.835.2362; teladochealth.com/nreca

SERVICES

COBRA ADMINISTRATION BY UMR— Co-ops in the NRECA Medical Plan can elect to have UMR handle certain COBRA ­administrative tasks such as billing, collecting premiums, compliance and support for qualified beneficiaries.

CONFERENCES—NRECA hosts Interact ­annually at two ­locations across the country for b ­ enefits a ­ dministrators and HR professionals. An annual Basic Benefits Training Course trains new ­benefits administrators and refreshes ­current ones on how to a ­ dminister NRECA benefits. There are no core ­conference registration fees.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS WEBSITE— Using this secure website, ­benefits administrators can process annual ­enrollments and employee ­benefits changes due to life or ­employment events, submit ­retirement and salary information, request ­projections, view and model insurance plans, see invoices and ­payments and find forms and other resources to manage NRECA benefits.

Participants also can find resources to help them get the most from their benefits, including medical claims information and checking prescription drug prices. The FUTUREME PORTAL is an interactive, online well-being portal with easy-to-use tools powered by WebMD. Retirement plan participants can view statements, manage their 401(k) Plan investments and view other account information and educational materials. They can also use PLANNING CALCULATORS to calculate savings for retirement, college and more. cooperative.com > My Benefits FIELD STAFF—Your field representative and/or regional director is your local ­consultant on NRECA’s benefit plans.

He or she can help you implement and keep up to date on employee benefits programs.

MEMBER CONTACT CENTER—If you have a question or need to speak with ­someone at NRECA, contact the ­Member ­Contact Center. It’s open ­Monday through Friday from 7 am to 7 pm CT. 866.673.2299 or ­ contactcenter@nreca.coop.

PERSONAL INVESTMENT & RETIREMENT ­CONSULTING (PIRC) publications TEAM—PIRC planners provide RS Plan and 401(k) Plan participants with ­retirement planning and i­nvestment education. Services include t­ elephone

­ onsultation and ­customized, c ­confidential r­ etirement and asset ­allocation plans. Onsite r­ etirement planning, investment and money management workshops and one-onone consultations also are a ­ vailable.

866.673.2299, option 6, or pirc@nreca.coop POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS ­VALUATION—The Financial Accounting Standards Board requires that postretirement b ­ enefits other than pensions (such as medical, dental, vision and life i­nsurance) be reflected on a c ­ ompany’s financial records as earned d ­ uring e ­ mployment rather than when the b ­ enefit is paid in retirement. NRECA can perform an ­annual measurement of a co-op’s future e ­ xpenses and a ­ ccumulated liability a ­ ssociated with postretirement benefit payments. There is a fee for this optional service.

PUBLICATIONS

Benefits administrators receive two publications BENEFITS BULLETIN, services newsletters. a monthly newsletter, and NRECA EMPLOYEE BENEFITS WEEKLY, a weekly email newsletter, provide them and other co-op decision-makers with the ­latest information on NRECA ­benefits.

programs

Medical plan participants receive ­ENERGIZE, a quarterly newsletter on well-being and prevention and group ­benefits plans and program topics.

As part of their 401(k) statement, plan participants receive FINANCIAL POWER, a quarterly n ­ ewsletter that addresses fi ­ nancial strategies and preparation for retirement. Content is ­targeted to three career stages and to ­retirees.

RS Plan participants receive FINANCIAL POWER RS with their services programs annual statement. It highlights the unique advantages of a defined benefit pension plan and helps participants ­develop their retirement strategy.

BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

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PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

WASHINGTON, D.C. PERMIT NO. 1006

P.O. Box 6249 Lincoln, NE 68506-0249 cooperative.com > My Benefits

BENEFITSBulletin Questions?

Comments?

Other feedback?

Let us know what you think of Benefits Bulletin. Are there ­specific topics you’d like to see covered? Call or email Scott Mathias at 703.907.6094 or scott.mathias@nreca.coop.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP. Call the benefits ­compliance team at 866.673.2299, o ­ ption 7.

You also can email us at ­group.compliance@nreca.coop (group benefits) ­ or at pension.compliance@nreca.coop ­(retirement benefits).

CAROL BARNES Sr. Manager of Retirement Compliance 703.907.6057 LISA BAUER Sr. Manager of Group Compliance 703.907.6430 JEFF BLASZKOWSKI Retirement Benefits 703.907.6620

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BENEFITS BULLETIN SPRING 2023

JANICE CHEW Group Benefits 703.907.6499

AMANI NDEZE Retirement Benefits 703.907.6108

MICHELE GARDNER Sr. Director of Benefits Compliance 703.907.5840

SUSAN PEARSON Group Benefits 703.907.6232

STEVE KIM Retirement Benefits 703.907.6730

WHITNEY RADER Retirement Benefits 703.907.6151

JUDEE SCHWARTZMAN Retirement Benefits 703.907.6429 JENNIFER SORRELL Sr. Manager of Benefits Compliance 703.907.6384 SHIMA TABIBI Retirement Benefits 703.907.6435 EUNICE WHITTED HIPAA Privacy Officer 703.907.6601