Category: Employee Benefits

How To Be A Wise Health Care Consumer

Employee Benefits, Health, Wellbeing

In honor of February being Wise Healthcare Consumer Month, we offer the following tips that can help you keep more money in your pocket and get healthier, too. Take some time to learn how you can make smarter healthcare choices.

·       Know your insurance and understand your options: Make sure you understand what your insurance does and doesn’t cover, and what your share of costs will be. When your plan renews, make sure you understand any changes so you can switch to a different plan if your current insurance doesn’t meet your needs. Depending on your health, the plan with the lowest premium isn’t always the lowest-cost plan overall, so be sure to compare your options every time you have an enrollment opportunity.

·       Get preventive care: Insurance typically covers 100% of costs for in-network preventive care. Discovering health conditions early on may reduce the overall cost of treatment, mean fewer doctors visits, and lead to better outcomes.

·       Shop around: Whether you’re choosing a doctor or figuring out where to have a procedure done, you can shop around to find the best price and learn who provides the best care. If you take prescription drugs, ask your doctor if there’s a generic version available that will meet your needs—generic drugs are usually cheaper than brand-name.

·       Visit an in-network urgent care center for non-emergency care. They can treat sprains, cuts and breaks, colds, fevers and other non-life threatening conditions for a fraction of the cost of visiting an ER.

·       Review bills and EOBs: Compare your medical bills with your insurance explanations of benefits (EOBs) to make sure there are no discrepancies. If there are, call your insurance to find out what’s going on. Sometimes there’s just a billing error that can easily be fixed.

·       Take care of yourself and maintain a healthy lifestyle: As always, good self-care can reduce your health care costs by helping you stay in the best health possible. That means eating nutritious foods, getting enough daily movement, getting adequate sleep, and managing stress. Don’t forget that your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and that good self-care can help you manage both.

Reference: Alliant Insurance Services

Personal Leave

Employee Benefits, Time Off

Benefits-eligible staff may request personal leave* for situations that do not fall within the provisions of other university leave categories, such as FMLA.

Examples of a situation where personal leave may apply include:
• For educational or training purposes
• To attend a personal or family event
• For an extension of family leave after exhausting FMLA
• To care for a family member when not eligible for FMLA

*All applicable accrued annual and sick time must be exhausted during approved personal leave.  For details regarding the exhaustion of paid time off during personal leave, please visit the benefits webpage.

If you are considering requesting personal leave, be sure to submit your request to your manager as far in advance as possible. The request must include the purpose of the leave, the date the leave is to begin and the date you intend to return to work. In deciding whether to grant the request, your manager will take into consideration the department’s operational and staffing needs, the reason for the request and job performance.

Please note, the approval of the leave request is not guaranteed and is at a manager’s discretion. Similarly, the request does not guarantee job reinstatement, and the employee’s position may be filled, modified or eliminated during the period of personal leave. If the employee is not reinstated, the employee may apply for vacant positions.

For questions regarding Personal Leave or any of GW’s time off and leave offerings, please contact GW Benefits at timeoff@gwu.edu.

Struggling with your Goal Setting?

Employee Benefits, Exercise, Health, Healthy Eating, Wellbeing

 

At the beginning of the year, setting goals and making immediate progress to work towards them is all the craze.  The produce section of the grocery store has run out of salad, and the gyms and fitness classes are more crowded than usual.

And then, two or three weeks later, there’s plenty of lettuce in stock, and you can hop on your favorite treadmill again.

The thing with goal setting is this: They’re always started with good intentions, but they’re often too hard for people to live up to. Perhaps the goal is too restrictive or time-consuming. Perhaps it wasn’t realistic in the first place.

If you’re struggling with your goal setting, consider turning to a different approach—one that will allow you to achieve some of what you want to achieve, but in a reasonable, realistic way. Read on for some different approaches to common resolutions.

If your goal was eating healthy all the time, consider these alternate approaches:

  • Eat healthy 80 percent of the time and less healthy 20 percent of the time. Give yourself a little room to have treats in moderation—that way, eating healthy doesn’t feel too restrictive.
  • Aim to eat five servings of fruits and veggies per day. You don’t have to just eat salad! Have frozen or canned veggies as a side dish with dinner. Have no-sugar-added applesauce or fruit juice as a snack. Try a sneaky substitution.
  • Or, is five servings too much right now? Focus on including just one additional fruit or veggie serving per day. Then when you get good at it, increase it to two a day, and so on!
  • Try the Real Appeal program offered at no cost to GW medical plan participants. This program can provide you with resources to create healthy nutrition habits.

If your goal was working out every day, try these approaches instead:

  • Start your workout routine slowly! Going from working out zero days a week to seven days right away is generally too lofty of a goal. Start out aiming to work out two days a week. Succeed at that for a few weeks, and then increase it to 3 days a week—so on and so forth.
  • Instead of focusing on exercising, aim to add more movement into your day. That could be setting reminders to take a quick stretch or walk break each hour you’re working, take an after-dinner walk, or catch up on household chores (like laundry or cleaning out the fridge) that require walking and movement.
  • Find activities you truly enjoy doing. If you’re forcing yourself to go to the gym and you don’t really love it, consider other activities! Try an online fitness class. Buy a yoga DVD. Head to a park on the weekend and play a game of basketball with your kids. Go for a walk at lunchtime. Take a dance class. If you’re doing something you love, it’ll feel less like exercise and more like fun!
  • Get your workout goals started with Active & Fit Direct discounted gym membership program. If you enroll now through March 31, 2023, they are waiving the standard network enrollment fee.

If your goal was to meditate every day, try these ideas:

  • Going from never meditating to meditating every day might be too challenging—and that’s okay! Consider setting a goal to try meditation every other day to start.
  • Or, are you trying to meditate for too long, and getting frustrated because you can’t keep up? Ease yourself into it. Start with a 3-minute or 5-minute meditation. Get comfortable with those shorter lengths, and then increase the time when you feel more ready.
  • Maybe you discover that meditation isn’t really your thing. That’s fine—there are other ways to de-stress! Instead of meditating, try doing deep breathing exercises instead.
  • For additional mediation tips, GW employees can join Headspace, mindfulness app, at no cost.

A few other helpful approaches:

How to track your progress

It’s fun to track your progress and truly see your success! Here are a few easy ways you can do this:

  • For fitness goals, use a fitness tracking device
  • Use a habit-tracking app to mark your progress on any types of goals or habits
  • Use a paper calendar—mark every day you worked on a goal. You can even use the same calendar for multiple goals—just use different colors to signify each different goal.
  • Share your goals and progress with us by tagging our GW Benefits twitter account. 

Get the most value from your GW benefits from staying in the know for 2023 by visiting our website. We wish you luck achieving your healthy goals this year! 

Fight the Flu

COVID-19, Employee Benefits, Health

Both COVID-19 and the flu will be with us this flu season, making your annual flu shot as important as ever. Vaccination is the most effective preventive measure. For best protection, get vaccinated between September and the end of October. If you happen to miss that time, getting it later will still work well.

Everyone age 6 months or older is recommended to be vaccinated annually for the flu. It’s especially important for people at higher risk, including young children, pregnant women, people age 65 and older, people with weakened immune systems or chronic illness, and caregivers for others who are at high risk.

  •     Employees covered by a GW medical plan can visit area pharmacies and convenience care clinics to receive a flu shot at no cost. GW medical plan participants will need to show their CVS Caremark ID card at the time of your flu shot.
  •     If you are not covered on a GW medical plan, please verify costs with your health insurance company. Most plans will cover the full cost of seasonal flu shots.

By getting the flu shot, you can:

  • Keep yourself healthy and away from busy hospitals
  • Protect your family members and community, especially those at risk for serious illness like older adults, young children, and people with chronic conditions or weakened immune systems
  • Reduce the severity of illness if you do get the flu

Tips to prevent getting sick and spreading the flu

  • Avoid contact with sick people and stay home if you aren’t well.
  • Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth to avoid spreading germs.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently.
  • If you do get the flu, stay home for at least 24 hours after fever is gone without using fever reducers.
  • Stay-at-home guidance if you have COVID-19 may differ, so follow those guidelines if you have confirmed or suspected COVID-19. You can find more information here.

Most people don’t need medical attention for the flu. But if you’re in a high-risk group, or experience severe symptoms, such as high fever, severe shortness of breath or chest pain, seek medical attention immediately.

For up-to-date information about the 2022-2023 flu season, visit https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2022-2023.htm

Job Burnout - Person appearing overwhelmed

Beating Burnout

Employee Benefits, Mental Health, Wellbeing

When your work/life balance is off, you may find yourself tired, stressed, overwhelmed and short on time. This can lead to poor health, loss of productivity and burnout. Taking time to wind down and recharge, establish boundaries and create more balance in your life is an investment in your well-being, and necessary to avoid burnout. Recognizing when we need extra support for our emotional and mental well-being is critical. This month, join webinars led by GW’s EAP or Health Advocate Join one of the following webinars to understand how to identify and cope with these challenges and how to seek help when needed.

EAP Training Webinar

Learn how to recognize burnout and develop basic tools to deal with feelings of burnout. Heavy workloads and long hours can lead to burnout. This brief training helps participants develop basic tools to deal with feelings of burnout. Participants will take a burnout quiz, review skills to cope with feelings of burnout, and make a plan to deal with burnout. To register, select a link below.

Session 1: Job Burnout

September 20 at 12pm ET

Session 2: Job Burnout

September 27 at 2pm ET

Health Advocate Webinar

After more than two years of coping with ongoing challenges while in a pandemic environment, it is understandable that feelings of depression, anxiety and burnout have intensified. Those experiencing these conditions are far from alone and the self-care skills you build now may carry you through the challenges you face now and in the future. Topics to be covered during the webinar are repercussions of stress and burnout, how to find resources and ask for help and strategies for effective self-care. Select a link below to register.

Session 1: Depression, Anxiety and Burnout: Moving Toward Hope and Health

September 15 at 10:15 AM ET

Session 2: Depression, Anxiety and Burnout: Moving Toward Hope and Health September 15 at 4:15 PM ET

Tag You’re It – Time Off

Employee Benefits, Time Off

When is the last time you broke free from your workload for that feeling of vacation bliss where you could truly unplug and relax in a change of scenery?  Time off, whether a just a day or a planned vacation is not a negotiable luxury, but crucial for maintaining good health and enjoying an enriched life. Taking even a modest vacation can give your body a break from chronic stress that can contribute to anxiety, depression, insomnia and more. Whether it’s a road trip through majestic parks, discovering the vibrancy of a shimmering city, or just taking some time to enjoy your neighborhood, you’ll create meaningful memories as well as free up mental space for better productivity, creativity, and overall mental health.

Time off is a part of your total compensation package with GW so take advantage of it!  As a way to recognize how important it is for you to take your paid time off, we will be running a “tag you’re it” benefits campaign this month! During September, tag the Benefits Twitter account (@gw_benefits) and a coworker and share your favorite vacation picture or staycation recommendation. All participants will be entered into a raffle for a new travel backpack. We are excited to see your entries and help us encourage one another to prioritize our health and use our well-earned time away.

Financial Literacy

Up your Financial Game during Financial Literacy Month!

Employee Benefits, Financial Wellness, Wellbeing

National Financial Literacy Month  is a national campaign held every year in April. It is an annual opportunity to highlight the importance of financial literacy and encourage employees to establish and maintain healthy financial habits. It provides an opportunity for employees to gauge their personal level of literacy and seek out resources to support further learning.

Get smarter about managing your money during National Financial Literacy Month this April. Take advantage of these opportunities to grow your financial confidence.

Interactive webinars

Discover practical steps you can take to save smarter, budget better, manage debt and pursue greater financial success, now and into the future. Click here

Timely insights and education resources

Financial planning is an ongoing process that you can fine tune over time to align with your financial goals and resources.  Learn about how careful planning can help protect what you build and how to make the most of your money with a solid financial foundation. Click here

Financial IQ trivia challenge

Test your knowledge of financial concepts. Answer five quick questions to unlock five more. You have a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card every time you play until April 30. Click to play

Fidelity participant? Financial wellness shouldn’t feel like a balancing act. In under 10 minutes, take the financial wellness checkup, get your scores, and next steps to help improve. Take the Financial Wellness Check up!

Check out these resources on managing finances from GW’s own Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC), a leading center for financial literacy research and policy:

COVID-19 Financial Resilience Hub

Helping You Navigate Through the Crisis: Assess resources to manage personal financial finances and buffer ourselves against the financial emergency caused by COVID-19.

Discover five fundamental concepts behind financial planning.

You’re invited!

Visit our events page and join a financial webinar this Spring with topics ranging from How to Protect Your Money from Inflation, Understanding Your Retirement Plan and All it Has to Offer, to Saving Through Roth Contributions in Your Retirement Plan and more!

Headspace - Mindful Money

Headspace: Spend Money Mindfully to Budget and Save

Employee Benefits, Financial Wellness, Wellbeing

This month, check out Headspace’s Mindful Money Collection.

Learn to approach finances through a lens of awareness and compassion with Headspace’s newest collection, featuring:

  • A 10-day meditation course on Mindful Spending
  • Brand new expert videos on how to mindfully approach debt, saving, and how money impacts our relationships, and more.

Find it by navigating to the Search tab in your Headspace app today!

Take 5!  Manage your money mindfully. Watch financial wellness expert Alex Holder as she explores how mindfulness can help us save more and spend less by increasing our awareness around impulse shopping, noticing what we buy, and acknowledging the feelings that drive these purchases. Being mindful of your purchases can help you stick to a budget, lower your spending, and increase your savings.

Haven’t registered with Headspace yet? Get started today.

  • Sign up using your computer or device, such as a tablet or iPhone. To use on a tablet or phone, the Headspace app will need to be downloaded first.
  • Only your @gwu.edu email address can be used to sign up and verify that you are a GW employee.

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Retirement Plan

Spring Virtual Retirement Fair!

Employee Benefits, Retirement

You’re Invited! Virtual Retirement Fair – Thursday, April 28
On Thursday, April 28, we invite you to join us for a virtual retirement fair created specifically for GW employees.

The webinars focus on important topics to help you prepare when retirement is on your horizon, including:

  1. Understanding the steps to take as you consider and prepare for retirement from GW.
  2. Navigating the transition from career to retirement.
  3. Incorporating Medicare and supplemental plans into your retirement plan.

Virtual Retirement Fair Schedule

Please use the links below to register (all times are ET). If you are unable to join us, sessions will be recorded and saved on the Benefits website. 

Listen On Demand

Castlight logo

Benefits 101: Castlight

Employee Benefits

Your health and wellbeing are critical. GW partners with Castlight, a comprehensive tool to help you along your personal healthcare journey. Castlight is a leader in personalized healthcare navigation, putting the most relevant benefits, programs and recommendations front and center for you – based on your unique needs.

Castlight is provided by GW to medical plan participants and their covered adult dependents at no additional cost to you. It’s accessible 24/7 on your mobile phone, tablet or desktop. And, once you register, Castlight takes it from there. Here’s how:

Find the right care

When you need to find a healthcare provider for an annual check-up, screening or specialist visit, it can be overwhelming. There are so many choices on where to go, the thought of unknown costs can be daunting, and you may not even be sure what kind of provider you need. Based on your particular needs like an annual exam, pregnancy, diabetes or back pain, Castlight does the heavy lifting for you, providing you with key information on top-rated providers, connecting you to the best care with clear cost transparency, saving you time and giving you peace of mind.

Find the right programs

If you have certain health conditions you want to control or need support achieving healthy goals, Castlight is at your service. Castlight will curate the programs that best support your needs and help you make those goals become a reality. Maybe you want to quit tobacco, start exercising or need support controlling diabetes. Castlight features the best programs for you so you can easily get the information you need when you need it, and help you track next steps.

Be a better healthcare consumer

Keeping track of-and understanding-your healthcare spending can be confusing. Information can seem all over the place (bills here, receipts there, healthcare spending account information somewhere else). Castlight organizes all of your healthcare spending, claims history and health savings account information all in one place, so you can see the big picture and more easily manage your healthcare finances.

Also, remembering to make healthcare appointments can quickly make it to the bottom of your list, or not be on your list at all. Castlight sends you alerts and reminders to be sure you stay on track of your upcoming annual exams and screenings. Making time for routine healthcare is integral to you and your family’s overall health and wellbeing.

Not yet registered?

Register on the Castlight/GW microsite today! 

Curing the Winter Blues

Employee Benefits

Seasonal affective disorder, or S.A.D., can be a formidable consequence of shorter days, colder weather, and weaker sunlight. However, it’s highly treatable, thanks to treatments such as light therapy. Even walks outside can help boost your mood, says Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and vice chair for clinical affairs at the George Washington University (GW) Medical Faculty Associates (MFA). In a recent article, he explores the cyclical nature of both human biology and Mother Nature, how our mental health can be affected, and how to effectively use light therapy.

Setting Resolutions

Employee Benefits

January marks the annual time of year when we look to evaluate the state of our work, life-habits, relationships and interests. We explore what is going well, where we need to invest more, or less, time, and seek to understand what is helping us get closer to or farther away from our goals.

Even when we set similar goals, the way in which we achieve them will differ. To help you find sources of inspiration in setting goals and working towards them, we rounded up different topics and perspectives on New Year’s resolutions:

  • Need inspiration? Review 25 health New Year’s resolutions that are realistic and actionable.
  • Forbes 5 Ways to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions: This article explores the role of discipline, deliberate action, planning, the ability to prioritize and also some tolerance for the discomfort. If you are an auditory learner, there is a seven-minute audio clip of the article.
  • Don’t see the point in waiting till January to set resolutions? This New York Times article focuses on the Gen Z and Millennial trend to set goals throughout the year.  Use your GW email for free access to the article.
  • Looking for a refresher on the basic steps to keep goals and resolutions? Inc.com rounds up the top seven tips, starting with the importance of SMART goals, tracking progress and learning from mistakes.

COVID-19 Vaccine Pass

Employee Benefits


COVID-19 vaccine records from your local health department are helpful to keep on hand. GW medical plan participants can also download a Vaccine Pass from UnitedHealthcare. The pass uses a QR code to digitally display your records of your vaccination status. You can save this pass in your phone for when you need it, which may help eliminate the need to bring your CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Card to events and when you travel. Use it to show you’re vaccinated when going to crowded places like a concert or sporting event, taking an international flight and more. Be sure to check with your destination for vaccination proof requirements.


What is the COVID-19 vaccine record from UnitedHealthcare?

  • The vaccine record includes the manufacturer and vaccination date, including dates for multiple doses.
  • The information was gathered from UnitedHealthcare records, including claims and information from federal and state agencies, as well as vaccination providers.

How to find your COVID-19 vaccine record

  • Sign in to myuhc.com and navigate to the vaccine page. The vaccine record link is at the top after you sign in.
  • If your vaccine record is not showing, you may complete a form and upload your CDC Vaccination Card to get a self-reported digital vaccine record.
  • If you received your vaccination at a location that did not request a copy of Medical Insurance card, you will need to self-report your vaccination.

How to access your COVID-19 vaccine pass on myuhc.com

  • Sign in to myuhc.com account and go to “Vaccine record and resources.”
  • If you have a vaccine record on file, choose “Create vaccine pass”, review and accept the Terms & Conditions to create your vaccine pass.
  • Activating your vaccine pass is optional, so you can decide if and when you’d like a digital COVID-19 vaccine pass with a QR code. 
  • When you attend an event, present the vaccine pass to scan the QR code. Check with the destination prior to attending to assure the QR code will work. 

Emotional Health Resources

Employee Benefits

Your mental health underscores the well-being of our life’s touchpoints. Work, family, friendships, hobbies, physical health, financial well-being are just some of the areas affected by mental health.

2022 kicked off with many of us feeling somewhat hopeful and yet also experiencing uncertainty as new variants make headlines and winter travel is impacted, while we continue to care for our family and friends who are affected by the pandemic.

Take a moment to review the emotional well-being programs available benefits-eligible employees and their loved ones. For questions, please email us at benefits@gwu.edu

Headspace

Headspace, the mindfulness app, is available at no cost to benefits-eligible faculty and staff. Use your GW email address to sign up at go.gwu.edu/headspace. This daily tool provides meditation, sleep, movement exercises and kids programs. “Weathering the Storm” is a specially designed section in response to the unique stress caused by the pandemic.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

GW’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available at no cost to you and all members of your household (including dependent children up to age 26, whether or not they live at home). The service can assist you with a range of needs – from finding daycares in your area to up to five confidential counseling sessions. 

Services are confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Visit resourcesforliving.com using:

  • Username: GW-Wellbeing
  • Password: Yourlife

Call toll-free: (866) 522-8509 or TTY: (888) 879-8274

Talkspace via the EAP

Talkspace is a text therapy option available through the EAP for benefits-eligible employees and their household family members (13 years and up). In lieu of five virtual or in-person counseling sessions, employees may choose to use Talkspace and engage in text therapy with a matched therapist. Employees have access to Talkspace for five weeks, which can be used in a 120-day window.

Behavioral health benefits through the GW Medical Plans (PPO and HSP via UnitedHealthcare)

The GW PPO and Health Savings Plan include behavioral health benefits that offer services to support conditions like depression, ADHD, anxiety and substance abuse recovery services. Telemental health is also included in your benefits.

• Find a behavioral health provider and schedule appointments at myuhc.com. You can also visit the Live and Work Well website; enter code “UHC”as your company access code and click “Search Providers.”

Should you have questions about these programs, please reach out to us at benefits@gwu.edu.

Simple Therapy for GW Medical Plan Participants Begins 1/1/2022

Employee Benefits

Beginning January 1, 2022 GW medical plan participants and their eligible dependents (age 13 years and up) will have access to Simple Therapy. This virtual musculoskeletal program combines a comprehensive digital program with Live Physical Therapists to help you manage and prevent pain across 18 body parts including knee, hip, neck, shoulder, back, hand, and wrist. Join our Simple Therapy webinar to join a mini stretch exercise, learn how to register and get started.

Live physical therapists guide you to pain relief and prevention using targeted stretches and exercises personalized to your condition. Your feedback will modify your plan of care in real-time and adjust the difficulty of the exercises to help you progress at a pace that is comfortable for you.

SimpleTherapy’s mobile application makes it easy to perform the recommended stretches or meet with your care team anytime, anywhere. There are over 1,500 exercises in the program to address and prevent pain from head-to-toe, including back pain, knee pain and more.

The program offers:

  • Head-to-toe muscle and joint pain prevention and pain management programs.
  • An initial 30–45-minute comprehensive virtual consultation with a licensed physical therapist.
  • Unlimited coaching support.
  • A care pack filled with items to speed your recovery.
  • A diverse panel of board-certified physicians, chiropractors, and physical therapists to answer questions and evaluate a member’s care plan throughout their journey.

Beginning January 1, 2022 GW medical plan participants and eligible dependents can sign up at no cost. You can take the risk survey now to understand your risk of developing a muscle or joint condition.

image of brain national Alzheimer's disease month
Employee Benefits

November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and the focus this year is on the support of caregivers. Providing time, attention, care, support to your loved one suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s is both challenging and rewarding. Read stories about how caregiving made a difference and add a tribute on the Alzheimer’s Association website to show your admiration.

Memory loss concerns are worrying for friends and family members. Assessing the situation with patience and focus can help. Here are questions to ask yourself and a guide to taking notes to capture changes. When we are emotional it’s sometimes challenging to remember signs and symptoms in our loved ones.

  • What changes in memory, thinking or behavior do you notice?
    What have you noticed that’s out of the ordinary and causing concern?
  • What else is going on?
    Various conditions can cause short-term or long-term memory loss and affect thinking or behavior. Are there any health or lifestyle issues that could be a factor? These may include family stressors or medical problems like diabetes or depression.
  • Has anyone else noticed changes?
    Has a family member or friend expressed concerns? What did he or she notice?
  • Are any of these changes a sign or symptom of Alzheimer’s or another dementia?
    View the 10 early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s to check if they’re on the list.

Print a guide to take notes:

  • Guide for those who have noticed changes in themselves – English | Spanish (PDF)
  • Guide for those who have noticed changes in others – English | Spanish (PDF)

GW Offers Benefits to Support You

Are your searching for your own support when caring for a family member who has declining memory function? GW’s well-being programs can offer a helping hand:

  • Enroll in the Elder Care Support program at no cost through Bright Horizons. Whether you want a professional opinion on  care needs, short-term care, or guidance throughout the caregiving journey, your Bright Horizons® benefits can help.
  • Take advantage of adult in-home back-up care through Bright Horizons at a GW subsidized cost. Employees have 10 back-up care days to use throughout the year and can be a mix of child and adult back-up care uses.
  • Use the GW Employee Assistance Program to receive five counseling sessions at no cost. You can choose between in-person/virtual (depending on therapist’s appointment types) or use Talkspace text therapy for five weeks.  The weeks must be used within a 120-day window and do not need to be consecutive.

 
Please contact Benefits at benefits@gwu.edu if you have questions about these support programs or other GW benefits.

National Diabetes Month

Employee Benefits

November is National Diabetes Month, a time when communities across the country team up to bring attention to diabetes. This year’s focus is on prediabetes and preventing diabetes. We gathered helpful resources around the web to help you learn more, offer support to loved ones, and stay informed about managing the disease.

Education and Awareness

  • Several Type 2 bloggers share their experiences living with Type 2 Diabetes to help you feel more educated and connected especially in a changing world.
  • Are you curious to know whether you experience pre-diabetes symptoms? Take a diabetes risk assessment.
  • Food can still taste delicious and include your favorite ingredients when managing diabetes. Review these recipes from the Mayo Clinic – desserts are still included.

Speaking to Kids about Diabetes

When a loved one is diagnosed with diabetes, children can be part of the conversation. Diabetes affects the entire family and that’s why including children in the conversation is important. Read these seven tips for talking with children about diabetes.

New Diabetes Program under the GW Pharmacy Benefit

In 2022, GW will be implementing a new Diabetes Management Program for GW medical plan participants. CVS’s Next Generation Transform Diabetes Care program focuses on a highly personalized approach, customizing support based on a participant’s risk profile.

If you are currently using the Transform Diabetes Care program with Livongo, CVS Caremark will send you information before the new year on how to transition to the new program and how to get started with the new program offerings.

Speak with your doctor if you are concerned about your risk for diabetes. If you are interested to learn more about the new diabetes program from CVS in 2022, please contact us at benefits@gwu.edu.

Breast Cancer Awareness

Employee Benefits

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual observance held in the month of October. Breast Cancer is the second most common cancer among U.S. women and is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide, both in developed and developing countries.1 .

To mark world awareness of the disease, pink ribbons adorn shopping bags, advertisements and even food items marking Breast Cancer Awareness. Take time this month to review FAQs about breast cancer,  see if you’re eligible for a free screening and start a conversation with your doctor if you have questions or concerns.

Is Breast Cancer Screening Covered?

The two tests commonly used to screen for breast cancer are the mammogram and a clinical breast exam (CBE). Under the GW HSP and PPO medical plans, one mammogram per year is covered at 100% at age 40 and over.  If you are at a higher risk of breast cancer, your doctor might want to use other tests too, such as a different type of mammogram or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

 The National Cancer Institute recommends that:

  • Women 40 years and older should get a mammogram every one to two years.
  • Women who have had breast cancer or other breast concerns or who have a family history of breast cancer might need to start getting mammograms before age 40, or they might need to get them more often. Talk to your doctor about when to start and how often you should have a mammogram.

What Steps Should I Take if Breast Cancer Runs in My Family?

There’s no way to know whether you’ll get breast cancer even if it runs in your family. According to the American Cancer Society, most women who develop breast cancer don’t have any relatives with the illness. But it’s true that a family history of breast cancer does increase your risk.2

If your family history raises red flags, start by talking with your doctor about your family health history. That includes both sides — your mother’s and your father’s. Along with other factors, this can help your doctor evaluate your risk.

How Can I Support My Friend/Family Member with a Recent Diagnosis?

Many studies3 have found that cancer survivors with strong emotional support tend to adjust better to the changes cancer brings to their lives, have a more positive outlook, and often report a better quality of life. Research has shown that people with cancer need support from friends. You can make a big difference in the life of someone with cancer.

  • Send brief, frequent notes or texts, or make short, regular calls. Include photos, kids’ drawings, silly cards, and cartoons.
  • Schedule an ongoing virtual visit that allows you to give physical and emotional support for your friend.
  • Refrain, to the best of your ability, the impulse to offer medical advice or your opinions on things like diet, vitamins, and herbal therapies.

1 https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/breast-cancer-statistics/

2https://www.uhc.com/health-and-wellness/health-topics/cancer/breast-cancer/family-historyhttps://www.uhc.com/health-and-wellness/health-topics/cancer/breast-cancer/family-history

3 https://www.cancer.org/treatment/caregivers/how-to-be-a-friend-to-someone-with-cancer.htmlhttps://www.cancer.org/treatment/caregivers/how-to-be-a-friend-to-someone-with-cancer.html

World Mental Health Day

Employee Benefits

World Mental Health Day is observed on the 10th of October every year. This year’s theme is Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality.”

Corporations, organizations, non-profits, educators and community leaders are coming together to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and are mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. According to the World Health Organization:  “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on people’s mental health. Some groups, including health and other frontline workers, students, people living alone, and those with pre-existing mental health conditions, have been particularly affected.”

World Mental Health Day also provides an opportunity to empower people to look after their own mental health and provide support to others. As you read social media posts, interviews, news coverage and more during this campaign, we want to remind you that GW Benefits has tools to support your journey in mental health.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Benefits-eligible employees and members of their household are eligible for up to five counseling sessions through the Wellbeing Hotline. The calls are confidential and provide you access to a trained counseling professional.

Talkspace through GW’s EAP

Talkspace is now available through GW’s Employee Assistance Program for benefits-eligible employees and their eligible dependents (13 years and up). Talkspace is an online therapy platform that makes it easy and convenient to connect with a licensed behavioral therapist — from just about anywhere, at any time. Send text messages to your therapist via a web browser or the Talkspace mobile app. When you access Talkspace through the EAP, you are provided five weeks of text therapy within a 120-day window. The weeks do not need to be used consecutively. Please visit the Benefits website for more information, including registration instructions.

Headspace

Headspace, the mindfulness app, is available at no cost to benefits-eligible employees. Headspace has created a 10-day guide with short writing exercises to create a healthier, happier you. Families managing work while keeping little ones occupied can try these mindful exercises from Headspace for kids.

2022 Open Enrollment

Employee Benefits

Open Enrollment 2022 opened on Monday, October 11, 2021 and will run through October 29, 2021 at 8 p.m. (ET). This is the time each year for you to revisit your current benefit plans and consider whether any changes are needed for the coming year. Most benefits you elect during this period will take effect on January 1, 2022. To learn about 2022 benefits, please visit the Benefits Open Enrollment webpage to review the Open Enrollment Guide and other tools and resources.

Select Your Benefits

Visit EasyEnroll to review and select your benefits. EasyEnroll has single sign-on capability; if you are logged into a GW-provided computer with your NetID and password, you will automatically be directed into the EasyEnroll site. If you are logging in from a personal computer, you will be prompted to enter your NetID and password. Once logged in select “Open Enrollment for 2022” as the enrollment you’d like to complete. 

Visit go.gwu.edu/openenrollment from now through Friday, October 29 at 8 p.m. ET to review, change and/or newly elect benefits for 2022.

We Are Here to Help

Do you have questions regarding any of GW’s health and welfare employee benefits plans? The GW Benefits Call Center can assist and will have extended hours during Open Enrollment! Contact the call center at (888) 4GWUBEN (449-8236) Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET) from now until Friday, October 29 at 8 p.m. ET.

Meditate and Get Rewarded

Headspace, the mindfulness app, is available at no cost for benefits-eligible faculty and staff. The app includes guided meditations, sleep programs, exercises and more. Kids programs include themes such as calm, kindness, and bedtime. During October, new Headspace registrants will be entered into a raffle* for a chance to win AirPods.

*Please note: Winnings are taxable and will be included in employee’s taxable wages.

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