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2010 BENEFITS INFORMATION

WELCOME TO YOUR 2010 BENEFITS HEADQUARTERS

2010 HEALTH CARE REFORM: WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. On March 25, 2010, the House and Senate passed The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (the "Reconciliation Bill") which amends several provisions of the Act. Together, the bills comprise the overall healthcare reform legislation package which President Obama signed into law on March 30, 2010.

Valassis is required to put these new mandates into effect at the beginning of our next plan year. Below is a listing of the changes that will impact our health benefit plans.

Effective January 1, 2011:

  • Valassis will extend coverage for dependents up to age 26, if they are not eligible for any other employer provided coverage.
  • Valassis will remove the lifetime cap on coverage (Valassis plans currently have a $2 mm lifetime cap).
  • Valassis' Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) and Health Care Saving Accounts (HSA) will no longer be permitted to reimburse employees for expenses incurred for over-the-counter products or medications (except insulin) unless prescribed by a physician. In addition, starting in 2013, the maximum contribution to a HCFSA will be capped at $2,500 per year (indexed annually).

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Reconciliation Bill, please feel free to contact your HR Manager or the Associate Resource Center at 1-877-238-6847.

 

2010 Enrollment Documents and Presentations

Provided for you below are the benefits documents, presentations regarding open benefits enrollment for 2010. The 2010 benefits rates are also available below. We are making these available to answer any questions you might have regarding the Valassis employee benefits programs and plans and assist in making the enrollment experience smooth and painless. We highly recommend that you read the 2010 Enrollment Guide thoroughly to understand any changes taking place for the new plan year that may effect your choices. Both English and Spanish versions are available.

Sun Life Online Evidence of Insurability (EOI) Application

Beginning in 2010, Sun Life of North America will be the new Life Insurance and Disability carrier for Valassis associates going forward. You can submit an evidence of insurability information online with Sun Life Insurance Company by copying this address in your browser: https://www.sunlife-usa.net/eoi/

Be sure to include the Valassis group policy number of 202983 to ensure that your Evidence of Insurability is processed correctly. Follow the instructions on the screen. You'll be able to review your answers and then sign your application electronically before you submit it to Sun Life.

Current Associates Making Changes Until 12/31/2009

Current Valassis Direct Mail and Sales & Marketing associates who wish to view or make changes to their 2009 plan year benefits may continue to do so by accessing the old enrollment site, which will cease to be active as of 1/1/2010. All other (non-Direct Mail) associates should access the ADP portal to make any neccessary changes.

New Associate Commuter Benefit Implemented

We are pleased to announce the addition of Commuter Benefits to the Valassis benefits lineup effective October 1, 2009! The Commuter Benefits Program is administered by WageWorks, and lets you pay for eligible commuting costs through automatic, pre-tax payroll deductions. It is an easy and convenient way to save money on commuting costs.

What’s Covered

According to IRS Regulations, the Commuter Benefits Program can be used for the following work-related eligible expenses:

  • Bus, light rail, regional rail, streetcar, trolley, subway, or ferry
  • Vanpool
  • Parking at or near work
  • Parking at or near public transportation for your commute

Some expenses, however, are not eligible. These include:

  • Parking costs that are not work-related
  • Expenses for other family members
  • Mileage and tolls
  • Taxis and limousines
  • Parking at an airport for air travel

It is important to ensure that you spend your Commuter Benefits Program dollars on eligible expenses only. For more information about what is and is not eligible, please visit www.getwageworks.com/valassis/commuter.

How You Save

How much you’ll save through your Commuter Benefits program depends on how much you set aside to spend on your commute, and on your tax situation. For every $100 of eligible expenses, most people will save from $30 to $40 on their:

  • Federal income tax
  • FICA (Social Security) taxes
  • State income tax (in most states)

When can I enroll?

You can enroll at any time. There are monthly enrollment deadlines of the 4th of each month to be eligible for the program in the following month. You can also cancel at any time before the monthly cutoff; your cancellation will become effective on the same schedule.

Are there any fees?

Not to you. While there are administrative costs associated with running the program and delivering your passes, those costs are entirely covered by Valassis as part of the benefits package you receive. You pay absolutely no fees, to WageWorks or to Valassis.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Save

To sign up or to find out if the Commuter Benefits Program is right for you visit www.getwageworks.com/valassis/commuter or call 1.877.WageWorks (877.924.3967), Monday through Friday, 8 am - 8 pm EST to speak with a Commuter Benefits expert.

 

 

NEW HIRE ORIENTATION

The New Hire Orientation presentation (with audio) is available for associates to view whenever it is convenient for them and their work schedule.

In about an hour, you will be able to navigate through this self-directed new hire orientation presentation. You will learn more about Valassis’ business and our exciting new consumer brand RedPlum. We discuss important things you need to know as an associate, such as our mission, vision and core values. We then review our current policies and benefit programs and provide you with contact information such as websites and phone numbers so that you can find the information you need in order to make informed decisions for you and your family.

To view:

  1. Use this link to download Netspoke Player. After about 30 seconds, a File Download command box will display, and ask you to run the file or save it. Select Run and enter. A Security Warning command box may then display. If it does, select Run and enter.
  2. Return to www.valassisbenefits.com and click on the link below to begin the New Hire Orientation. The program will take a moment to load. For the Intern Program Orientation, click here.

Instrucciones en español:

  1. Este enlace para descargar Netspoke Player. Después de unos 30 segundos, una descarga de archivos de comandos se mostrarán, y pedirle que ejecute el archivo o guardarlo. Seleccione Ejecutar y escriba. Una advertencia de seguridad de comandos, puede mostrar. En caso contrario, seleccione Ejecutar y escriba.
  2. Volver a www.valassisbenefits.com y haga clic en el vínculo para iniciar la Nueva Orientación de alquiler. El programa tendrá un momento para cargar.

WELLNESS INFORMATION 2009

Information updated regularly to help you and your family learn about your health!

Blue Cross Wellness

Health Risk Appraisals - How Healthy Are You?

As a continued benefit to our associates, BCBSM is providing a Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) tool on their HCBO website.

A Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) provides you with a report on your health risks, based on the answers given in the questionnaire. It then provides feedback to identify areas of risk and recommended strategies or changes to mitigate these risks. It also promotes health awareness by reviewing your personal lifestyle practices and identifying health issues your personal choices could impact.

The appraisal only takes about 15 minutes to complete and any information you provide is kept strictly confidential by Blue Cross. Log into www.hcbo.com and navigate to "My Featured Links" to link to Blue Health Connection and your personalized Health Risk Assessment. If you have not registered on the HCBO website, link here for instructions on how to do so.

Living Healthy Magazine from Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Cigna 2010 Wellness Center

Cigna's 2010 "VitaMin" communications series replace the monthly wellness newsletter and features a vibrant new look and offers "vital health information in a minute." The combination of colorful images and popular health topics will help keep you informed, engaged, motivated and healthy throughout the year.

You can access the "VitaMin" page by clicking here.

This year's VitaMin program features a series of 12 health topics:

  • Heart health
  • Diabetes
  • family fitness
  • Woman's health
  • Men's health
  • Summer safety
  • Know your numbers
  • Age gracefully/Planning for the year ahead
  • National breast cancer awareness
  • Cold and flu
  • Holiday stress

You can view Cigna's entire health and wellness calendar of events and topics for 2010 here.

 

To Enroll On-Line

Enroll or make changes
 Link to ADP Benefits Site
Sign on instructions
Read enrollment instructions

Your 2010 Benefits Resource Center

2010 Medical Plan Comparison
2010 Medical Plan Comparison- Spanish

2010 BCBS Plan Summaries

Cigna CT HMO Summary
2010 Cigna CT HMO Certificate
2010 Dental Comparison
2010 Dental Comparison- Spanish

2010 Dental Information

2010 Dental Info - Spanish

2010 Cigna Dental PPO Certificate
2010 Rate Sheet
2009 Domestic Partner Rate Sheet
2010 EyeMed Vision Summary
2010 EyeMed Vision Summary (Spanish)
BCBS Pharmacy Initiatives

Sun Life Forms

Click For More!

Resources in Hindi

2010 Open Enrollment Guide
2010 Open Enrollment Guide (Spanish)
2010 Open Enrollment Presentation (English)
2010 Open Enrollment Presentation (Spanish)
CitiBank H.S.A. On-Line Application Process (Through February 28, 2010)
Notice of Privacy Practices

 

    Important Legal Information: This site is designed to provide easy-to-understand explanations of the key features of the Valassis benefit plans. These descriptions do not necessarily include all the plan details, which are contained in the official plan documents. In the event of any contradiction between the information in these Summary Plan Descriptions and the official plan documents, the official plan documents will govern in all cases. More information...