HR News

To assist individuals and families who are in need of winter outerwear, Syracuse University is again partnering with InterFaith Works of Central New York and Hendricks Chapel for Operation Orange Warmup. The coat collection drive will take place at the Syracuse men’s basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 27, versus North Carolina State.

At the start of this new semester, I want to welcome our newest community members and welcome back our returning students, faculty and staff. As coordinator of the University’s ongoing response efforts to communicable illnesses, such as COVID-19 and influenza, I want to provide some reminders that can help keep you and our community healthy.

Crucial Conversations, a popular professional development workshop series for faculty and staff, will be offered in two formats—in-person and virtually—beginning later this month. Crucial Influence, a new offering for leaders from the creators of Crucial Conversations, is also being held again this spring.

The following provides important information about the coverage of services provided by WellNow Urgent Care under the Syracuse University health plans.  

The University is aware that WellNow has notified their patients, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (Excellus BCBS) and the community that it intends to leave Excellus’ network effective Jan. 1, 2024. We are hopeful that WellNow and Excellus will reach an agreement soon.

Included below is important information about your coverage effective Jan. 1, 2024, if you are enrolled in SUBlue, SUOrange or SUPro and receive services at a WellNow facility:  

• Through Dec. 31, 2023, WellNow remains in Excellus’ network and any claims will continue to be covered as in-network, with the applicable deductible, co-pay or coinsurance applied. If you receive a bill from WellNow for a service in 2023, please review it carefully and make sure that it has been submitted to Excellus first. If your bill does not show Excellus paying any portion of the bill, please contact our dedicated Excellus BCBS customer service center at 800.493.0318 (TTY: 800.662.1220).
• Effective Jan. 1, 2024, if WellNow is no longer in the Excellus network, it will be considered an out-of-network provider. If you are enrolled in SUBlue or SUPro, services provided by WellNow as an out-of-network provider will be covered, but you will generally be responsible for higher out-of-pocket costs. If you are enrolled in SUOrange, which has no out-of-network coverage, services will not be covered by the plan, and you will pay the full cost of the visit. Find more information about the plans’ in-network and out-of-network cost sharing on the health plan webpage.
• Besides WellNow Urgent Care, your primary care doctor is generally your best option for non-emergencies, and many primary care providers offer after hours care. If they are not available, there are other options for care, including telehealth services through MDLIVE, other in-network urgent care centers and emergency rooms for medical emergencies. Members can visit the Excellus website to locate options for care, including hours of operation.
• MDLIVE is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even on holidays, to provide care for non-emergency medical or behavioral health conditions. Board-certified doctors and licensed therapists treat a wide range of conditions and generally can prescribe medications. For more information visit the MDLIVE webpage.
• Additionally, members can access the Excellus 24/7 Nurse Call Line: 800.493.0318 (TTY: 800.662.1220). Specially trained registered nurses from Excellus BCBS can provide support and education for members with chronic or complex health conditions, or provide answers to more general health questions, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• For more information, contact the University’s dedicated Excellus BCBS customer service center at 800.493.0318 (TTY: 800.662.1220).

Early literacy is paramount to a child’s future success, but recent research [PDF] from The Education Trust-New York shows the state is facing a “literacy crisis that has the potential to limit the future success of students, families, schools and communities.”

Human Resources and Syracuse Athletics are pleased to host Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night in the JMA Wireless Dome to celebrate faculty and staff members’ contributions. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy an evening out with your colleagues, friends and/or family while supporting the Orange and being celebrated for all you do for the University!

In continuation of Syracuse University’s commitment to providing comprehensive benefits and in appreciation of the contributions of faculty and staff, the University will be operating under its holiday schedule and Orange Appreciation Days format for the winter break period from 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, through Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. Normal business hours will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

To better understand the experiences and needs of transgender employees, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the LGBTQ Resource Center are hosting a focus group for transgender and nonbinary staff and faculty.

Don’t miss the opportunity to review your benefits!

Open Enrollment is the one time of year when eligible employees can reflect on their benefit options, connect with the variety of available resources to help make the best decisions to meet their needs and enroll for the coming year.

Visit the Open Enrollment website to learn more about your benefits and the resources available to help you make decisions for next year.

Questions about Open Enrollment, benefits or the enrollment process? Contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042.

Next Monday, Oct. 30, we will begin the annual Open Enrollment process for employee benefit selections for 2024. Ahead of that, I am writing today to provide an update on how the University plans to address rising health care costs, and what you can expect with regard to employee contributions (the amount deducted from your paycheck for health coverage) for 2024. In addition, there will be no significant plan design changes for 2024 benefit plans.