SPRING 2023 SPOTLIGHT ON BENEFITS NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Is an Inpatient Stay Required for Your Treatment? Know When and How the Health Plan Covers It. This article describes the pre-authorization process for inpatient stays, including hospitalization, and gives steps participants can take to better understand what the Health Plan covers and what their out-of-pocket costs may be relating to inpatient costs.
• The New Weight Loss Drugs: What You Need to Know. Prescription drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have recently increased in popularity for their use as weight loss drugs, but how do these and other GLP-1 agonists drugs work, and does the Health Plan cover them? This article answers these questions and gives participants questions to ask before they begin using these types of drugs for weight loss.
• CyberSmart(er) Series: Phishing Scams Are Getting More Sophisticated. Here’s How to Outsmart Them. This first article of an ongoing CyberSmart(er) series explores the most common method of cyberattack, phishing. Although the Plans has implemented many security controls and best practices, here you will learn six tips to avoid falling victim to phishing attacks and keep your data safe.
• The Age You Must Begin Taking Withdrawals from the Basic and Supplemental Pension Plans Increases to 73. Effective January 1, 2023, the Required Beginning Date, which is the age participants must begin taking at least the required minimum distributions, has increased from age 72 to 73 for participants who turn age 72 after December 31, 2022.
• ATTENTION: the RxSavingsPlus Card From CVS Caremark Can Help You Save on Prescription Drug Costs Regardless of Your Current Health Plan Enrollment Status. All Health Plan participants, beneficiaries and DGA members can now obtain the RxSavingsPlus card from CVS Caremark free of charge and save on the full cost of brand name and generic medications at more than 65,000 participating pharmacies nationwide. The card can also be used for discounts on many diabetic supplies, over-the-counter products with a doctor’s written prescription and even certain pet medications. For more information, visit rxsavingsplus.com/dgaplans.
• Think You Are Missing Contributions? They Might Not Be Due Yet. Quarterly contributions statements help participants verify that their earnings and employer contributions are being reported correctly. Employers have until the end of the month following the month work was performed to report contributions, which may cause you to believe a contribution is missing when it will appear on the next contributions statement instead. Verify your work dates and the accuracy of your contributions when your statement arrives in the mail or monitor contributions anytime using the online portal, myPHP.
• End of National and Public Health Emergencies Means End of Pandemic-Era Relief Measures. Effective April 10, 2023, the Biden Administration signed legislation to immediately end the COVID-19 related National Emergency. It also intends to end the Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023. This article details the pandemic-era relief measures (i.e., cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing) that will end and their end dates.
• HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices. This Notice details your legal rights regarding your protected health information and describes how the Plan may use and disclose participant health information. Protected health information is any information that identifies you, your health treatment or payment information.

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• The 2022 Annual Funding Notice. Each year, the Plans is required to release a notice that summarizes the Basic Pension Plan’s financial status. The 2022 Annual Funding Notice provides important information like the Plan’s funding percentage, assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2022. The Basic Plan remains financially healthy. Read the full notice here.