With the new year underway, eligible faculty and staff have access to new and enhanced benefits as part of Ohio State’s commitment to wellness.
New Benefits
Two new benefits – Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSA) and family care support – are now available to eligible faculty and staff.
Lifestyle Spending Account
Eligible employees can submit claims for reimbursement of personal expenses related to health, fitness, family, emotional and social wellness.
This benefit reimburses you up to $125 quarterly (a total of $500 per year) for an eligible service or expense. Eligible expenses must be incurred during the calendar quarter for which you are being reimbursed and submitted no later than 15 days following the end of the quarter. Unused funds do not roll over to the following quarter.
No enrollment is needed to participate. Eligible Ohio State employees include full-time and part-time (at least 50% FTE) in a regular or term position.
You may submit multiple claims each quarter, but you will only be reimbursed up to the benefit maximum of $125 each quarter. To submit your claims to HealthEquity|WageWorks, the LSA administrator, sign into Workday, select Benefits, and click through the “My HRA/FSA/LSA (Health Equity)” link.
Please note this is a taxable benefit if used.
Learn more about the Lifestyle Spending Account
Family Care Support
Ohio State has partnered with Bright Horizons® to offer new family care support benefits to help eligible employees manage work, life and family responsibilities. These benefits include:
- Back-Up Care™: Access a network of high-quality child care centers and in-home care providers for temporary care when you have a disruption in your regular care. Ohio State substantially offsets your cost through a subsidy program. Employees have a copay that can be reimbursed through the LSA up to benefit limits.
- Family Concierge™: Time-saving, personalized guidance with a customized plan for new, ongoing and emergency child, adult and elder care.
- Enhanced Family Supports™: Discounts for primary child care, academic support, tutoring services, enrichment programs and elder care.
These benefits are available to eligible Ohio State employees (full-time and part-time (at least 50% FTE) in a regular or term position. The Ohio State subsidy of back-up care is taxable if used.
Learn more about Family Care Support
Enhanced and continuing wellness benefits
Enhanced and continuing wellness benefits offered to eligible employees include Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRA), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Your Plan for Health (YP4H).
Health Reimbursement Account
An HRA is an employer-funded account from which you can be reimbursed tax-free for eligible health care expenses. You earn access to an HRA through enrollment in a university-sponsored medical plan and participation in Ohio State’s Your Plan for Health (YP4H) Incentive Program.
For 2023, an additional $100 is available in HRA credits for both enrolled employees and spouses through YP4H. That means each can earn up to $500 in HRA credits, for a total of $1,000.
HRA earnings for 2023 will begin depositing into the new HealthEquity|WageWorks accounts in early February. HRA claims for 2023 should be submitted to HealthEquity|WageWorks via the “My HRA/FSA/LSA (Health Equity)” link in Workday.
Unused HRA funds can roll over from year to year. Beginning this year, the maximum allowable amount of accumulated contributions in your HRA will be $3,900. If your account has been building over the years, you are encouraged to check your balance via Workday and submit 2022 reimbursement claims to TASC by March 31, 2023. Any funds over the maximum allowable amount will forfeit after that date.
Learn more about the Health Reimbursement Account
Employee Assistance Program Work-Life Services
The Ohio State Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers free counseling and many other services to improve mental health, reduce stress and make life easier. Additional work-life services include financial wellness, legal consultations, life-coaching and on-demand professional development courses.
A Personal Assistant option is also available to provide referrals for travel and entertainment, professional services, cleaning services, home food delivery and managing everyday tasks.
The confidential portal is accessible 24/7 at osu.mylifeexpert.com, use the company code “buckeyes” and complete the registration to get started. The website includes financial and health calculators, relevant news features and other helpful tools.
Learn more about Employee Assistance Program Work-Life Services
Your Plan for Health
Your Plan for Health (YP4H) is Ohio State’s wellness program for benefits-eligible employees and their enrolled spouses. YP4H, powered by Virgin Pulse, provides resources to help you thrive in the workplace and at home.
During the program year (January 1 – December 31, 2023), you can earn points to help you complete up to four incentive levels each quarter, earning rewards as you go.
For those enrolled in Ohio State’s medical plan, completing the Personal Health and Well-being Assessment (PHA) and a verified Biometric Screening will earn you a monthly premium credit. Enrolled participants can also earn up to $500 in HRA credits by earning points quarterly and completing activities for a bonus.
Faculty and staff who are benefits-eligible and not enrolled in Ohio State’s medical plan are encouraged to participate and earn PulseCash. PulseCash can be earned during monthly challenges, team walking challenges and special promotions, but is no longer part of the levels incentives.
