Healthy Rewards: Health Plan Premiums
Question & Answers
Q: How can I reduce my health care premiums?
A: There are two steps you must take:
1. Both the health plan enrolled employee AND spouse (if enrolled) must complete the Health Assessment,
AND;
2. Both the health plan enrolled employee AND souse (if enrolled) must complete the Health Screening.
Q: How does the health plan enrolled employee and a health plan enrolled spouse complete the Health
Assessment?
A: There are two ways you can do this and both are confidential.
1. Login to RedBrickHealth.com/login.
2. Call 866-322-1711 to complete over the phone (Spanish available) or to request a paper version be mailed
to your home.
Q: How long does it take to complete the Health Assessment?
A: About 15 to 20 minutes.
Q: Is my information on the Health Assessment confidential?
A: Yes, RedBrick Health programs and information are completely confidential. Personal health information is not
shared with Schwan’s.
Q: How do I get a Health Screening?
A: There are four options. Visit www.myschwanbenefits> My Wellness> Health Screening for complete details
Option 1- Onsite Health Screening
The company will offer onsite health screenings at some of the larger locations annually in the fall. Watch for
information at your location to see if this is an option for you and what you need to do to sign up.
Option 2- RedBrick Health Community Access Lab Voucher
You can complete your Health Screening at a participating provider through the RedBrick Health Community
Lab Voucher program.
Option 3- Complete the Health Screening Form
Schedule an appointment with your PCP (Primary Care Physician) or, if you’ve completed a screening with
your provider on or after January 1st, 2014, ask them to complete the Health Screening Form.
Option 4- Employees who have had a DOT physical exam completed on or after 1/1/2014 maybe submit those
exam results (by using the long form) to qualify as completing the health screening.
Q: What are the premium reductions for completing the health assessment AND health screening?
A: If you participate in the health assessment and health screening (both enrolled employee and an enrolled
spouse), then your premiums are reduced by $15.38 bi-weekly. For those who complete the health assessment
and health screening before January 1, 2015, this equates to an annual savings of $399.88. For those that
complete the assessment and screening in 2015, premium reductions will be effective the first of the following
month after the health assessment and health screening is completed and the information is received.
Q: What is the latest date we can complete the health assessment AND health screening to still receive a
health insurance premium reduction?
A: If you are mailing or faxing in your Health Screening or Health Assessment form, it must be faxed or postmarked
by the 10th of the month to ensure timely processing. Premium reductions will be effective the first of the
following month (if received by the 20th of the prior month) for new hires and those who complete after the
deadlines listed above.
Additional questions can be submitted to
Benefits@Schwans.com or by calling (800) 773-2167, option 4.
Healthy Rewards: HRA & HSA
Contributions
Question & Answers
Q: How can I earn healthy reward deposits into my Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) or my
Health Savings Account (HSA)?
A: Login to RedBrick Health and go into the HealthMap to participate in various healthy activities such
as:
· Meeting targeted health-screening values, such as being tobacco free and having acceptable
body mass index, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
· Completing an online health education program, or RedBrick Journeys™ program.
· Completing a health coaching program.
· Tracking preventative-care screenings.
· Logging into JP Morgan Retirement.
Q: How much can I earn towards my HRA or HSA?
A: Each point you earn by participating in Healthy Activities equals $1 deposited to your Health
Reimbursement or Health Savings Account (up to $75 per quarter/up to $300 annually). See the list of
programs recommended for you in your HealthMap.
Q: If I missed the reward opportunities for Quarter 1 can I catch up and do extra activity to apply
to the Q1 available contribution of $75?
A: You are able to earn up to $75 each quarter for a total of up to $300 each year.
1st Quarter: October 1, 2014-December 31, 2014
2nd Quarter: January 1, 2015-March 31, 2015
3rd Quarter: April 1, 2015-June 30, 2015
4th Quarter: July 1, 2015-September 30, 2015
If you miss a quarter, you will not be able to catch up. However if you do earn more than 75 points in
a period, the extra points will roll over to your next bank’s total (within the same health year) up to a
maximum of 15 points.
Q: What is done with the data from our health assessments and health screenings?
A: RedBrick Health programs and information are completely confidential. Personal health information is
not shared with Schwan. Schwan works with vendors who comply with privacy policies, the HIPAA
privacy & security rules, and all applicable laws. Participation information may be shared to allow
administration of the program (i.e., incentives paid to you). Information may be shared on an
aggregate level to assist in offering appropriate programs for employees and their family members.
Additional questions can be submitted to
Benefits@Schwans.com or by calling (800) 773-2167, option 4.
Cost Saving & Cost Comparison Tool
Question & Answers
Q:
A:
How else can we save money on health care expenses?
Employees can take advantage of two tools offered thru Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
The tools allow employees and their families to compare various medical services, providers and
costs so they can choose the best health care options to fit their needs.
The first tool is the Find a Doctor web tool provided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
and gives quality ratings, patient reviews and allows employees to compare doctors and hospitals on
costs and quality.
The second tool to take advantage of is the Ways to Save alerts that will notify members of
opportunities to save money on their health care costs. For example: if an employee takes a
prescription regularly or sees medical providers, they may receive a message informing them of
savings opportunities.
Q:
A:
Where do I find these tools?
Make sure you are registered at www.bluecrossmn.com/Schwans. Once registered you can update
your preferences regarding how far you are willing to travel for medical services, how much you
would like to save before you will switch providers and in what language would you like to receive
the alerts.
Once you are logged in, follow these steps:
1. Click on Doctors & Hospitals on the left side of the screen
2. Click on Search
3. Click on the Quick Links in the upper right of the page and select, My Savings Profile
4. Update My Savings Profile and Save
Employees already registered are encouraged to make sure your email address is up-to-date by
clicking your profile.
Q:
A:
Why do I receive an error “We’re sorry, but we’re having technical difficulties” each time I try?
This error could be displayed for new employees who have not yet been activated for this portion of
the website. Please allow a few days for system processing to complete and try again.
Additional questions can be submitted to
Benefits@Schwans.com or by calling (800) 773-2167, option 4.
Health Care Reform – Affordable Care Act
Question & Answers
Q:
A:
In 2015, who is eligible for full-time benefits?
Employees who average 30 or more hours per week over a 12 month period or their length of
employment, if shorter, will be eligible for full-time benefits in 2015.
Q:
A:
How is eligibility for full-time benefits determined?
There are a couple of methods used to determine eligibility. The method used depends upon the
length of employment with the company and if the employee is initially determined to be full-time or
part-time. All methods involve reviewing the employee’s hours worked over a prior period of
employment (called the measurement period).
Q:
In 2014, who is considered an ongoing employee and how is their eligibility for 2015 full-time
benefits determined?
Anyone employed before October 5, 2013 is considered an Ongoing employee. To determine the
full-time status of ongoing employees, the hours of service are measured from October 5, 2013 to
October 4, 2014, also known as the standard measurement period. Employees who average 30 or
more hours per week during this measurement period will be eligible for full-time benefits in 2015.
A:
Q:
A:
If an ongoing employee’s hours are reduced in 2015, will their full-time benefits end?
No, if an employee has been determined to be eligible for full-time benefits in 2015, those full-time
benefits will not end in 2015 as long as the employee continues to pay their premiums. However, an
employee’s eligibility for full-time benefits in 2016 will be evaluated in October 2015. Any employee
not averaging 30 or more hours per week during the next measurement (tentatively Oct 5, 2014 to
Oct 3, 2015) period will not be offered full-time benefits for 2016.
Q:
A:
If an ongoing employee goes on a leave of absence in 2015, will their full-time benefits end?
No, if an employee has been determined to be eligible for full-time benefits in 2015, those full-time
benefits will not end in 2015 as long as the employee continues to pay their premiums. Certain
leaves of absence, such as paid leaves, require that credit toward benefit eligibility be given for time
spent on leave of absence. Therefore, an employee on leave of absence may not have hours
worked during the measurement period, but may still be eligible for full-time benefits.
Q:
If an ongoing employee’s hours are reduced in 2015, can the employee elect to end their fulltime benefits?
Yes, the employee can elect to end their benefits by completing a benefits change form and
submitting it to the Benefits department within two (2) months of their reduction in hours.
A:
Additional questions can be submitted to
Benefits@Schwans.com or by calling (800) 773-2167, option 4.
Health Care Reform – Affordable Care Act
Question & Answers
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
What happens if the ongoing employee is determined to be part-time during the 2014 measurement
period?
If the ongoing employee is working less than 30 hours per week during the measurement period, their full time
benefits will be ended 12/31/14 and they will be offered part-time benefits for 2015. In 2015, these employees
will be reviewed on a monthly basis to verify they are not working 30 or more hours per week. Any
employee currently enrolled in full-time benefits which will be ending as a result of this change will receive
communication regarding the end of their full-time benefits and part-time benefit offering for 2015.
In 2015, what happens if the ongoing part-time employee is determined to be working 30 or more
hours per week?
If the ongoing part-time employee is identified as working 30 or more hours per week during the monthly
measurement period, we will contact the manager to determine if their hours are going to continue at 30+
hours or if this is a temporary increase in hours. We will also continue to monitor the employee’s hours. After
two months, if the hours continue to be 30+, we will offer the employee full-time benefits.
In 2014, who is considered a new employee and how is their eligibility for full-time benefits determined?
Anyone employed October 5, 2013 and after is considered a new employee for 2015 benefits. New
employees’ hours are measured on a month-by-month basis until they have worked a full standard 12 month
measurement period, at which point they become classified as ongoing employees. Example, an
employee hired July 2, 2015 would be considered an ongoing employee in the 2016 measurement period.
The Benefits Team must make a reasonable determination whether an employee is full-time based on the
facts and circumstances at an employee’s start date. Factors to consider include:
•Whether the new employee is replacing an employee who was full-time
•How many hours of service ongoing employees in the same or comparable positions have varied above
and below 30 hours per week in recent measurement periods.
•Whether the job was advertised or communicated to the new hire as requiring 30 or more hours of service
or less than 30 hours a week
In addition, all new employees’ hours will be evaluated during their benefits waiting period to determine their
eligibility for full-time benefits. New employees working 30 or more hours per week during the benefit waiting
period will be offered full-time benefits. Once new employees are past their benefit waiting period, they
will be evaluated on a month-by-month basis until they become classified as ongoing employees. For rehires, prior periods of employment may be used to determine benefit eligibility, depending on the
circumstances.
Q:
A:
Will seasonal employees and interns be offered full-time benefits in 2015?
It will depend on the length of employment. If the employment period does not exceed six months, seasonal
employees and interns will not be offered full-time benefits in 2015. If the employment period exceeds six
months, the seasonal employees and interns will be measured on a month-by-month or ongoing basis,
dependent upon their length of employment.
Additional questions can be submitted to
Benefits@Schwans.com or by calling (800) 773-2167, option 4.