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| Dear GW Community,
The new year has begun, and January has already flown by. While we add the final touches to our benefits programming for 2023, we are so excited to share with you some new well-being events and initiatives coming your way very soon. Make sure you are on the lookout for our next newsletter!
Included in our February edition are some tips for goal setting, celebrating Black History Month, recognizing American Heart Month as well as America Saves Week, highlighting important 1095C tax form information, and information about GW’s REACH program workshops for faculty and staff. We also share reminders, events, and opportunities to connect 1:1 with our benefit vendor partners.
If you have questions about any of the benefits featured in GWell or other benefits programs, please contact us at benefits@gwu.edu.
Be Well,
GW Benefits
Human Resource Management and Development
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Improving Wellbeing Through Goal Setting
When goal setting is done right, it can be a powerful mental health booster. Sticking to your goals can feel invigorating, but it’s also easy to get derailed and be sidelined with self-doubt. Rather than feeling bad and giving up, try a different approach. Have you thought about setting goals that will remove unwanted clutter from your to-do list rather than add? Or try creating smaller goals that will help you to achieve larger ones down the line. Remember that any progress you accomplish no matter how small, is a step in the right direction to achieving lasting lifestyle changes.
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| Give Your Heart Some Love
Heart disease can greatly impact your overall health. The good news is that it is preventable. Join us in the fight against heart disease this February by wearing red and tapping into benefits and programs that help you live a healthy lifestyle. If you are looking for a few ideas to start, you can tune into the on demand UHC healthy heart webinar, search for primary care providers, specialists, and telehealth providers as well as see a breakdown of costs and coverage with Castlight, or register for Quit for Life. Tag the GW Benefits Twitter account and share with us one way you plan to keep your heart healthy this month.
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| America Saves Week
In celebration of America Saves Week taking place February 27 to March 3, GW’s benefit partners have resources to help you tackle debt and save for the future. Whether you are saving for short- or long-term goals, paying down debt, or seeking advice about investing, Fidelity and TIAA are available to assist you in bettering your financial position today and into the future. Information about available workshops can be found at the links below.
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| Black History Month
The importance of building a culture that embraces diversity, inclusion, innovation, and growth for all is underscored during Black History Month. This year, we share a new Fidelity webinar to honor Black History month and bring together diverse individuals for a conversation on how to manage money, deal with debt, and create a financial legacy. Let us also celebrate the generations of Black and African Americans for their many contributions to our society by following these tips and attending the GW events happening around campus this month.
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| 1095-C Tax Form
Before March 2, 2023 eligible employees will receive a Form 1095-C tax document, which reports information about your medical coverage in 2022. While you will not need to include your 1095-C with your 2022 tax return filing, or send it to the IRS, you may need information
from your 1095-C to help complete your tax return. Think of it as your “proof of medical insurance” for the IRS.
Who receives a Form 1095-C?
Any GW employee who was considered full-time at any point in 2022 or who was enrolled in a GW medical plan in 2022. The Affordable Care Act defines “full-time” as an employee who worked an average of 30 or more hours per week.
There are three parts to the form:
- Part 1 reports information about you and GW.
- Part 2 reports information about the coverage offered to you by GW, the affordability of the coverage offered, and the reason why you were or were not offered coverage.
- Part 3 reports information about the individuals (including dependents) covered under the self-insured plan.
For more information about the Form 1095-C, please visit irs.gov.
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15 Minute Stretch Break
Mark your calendars for our first Stretch Break session with SimpleTherapy on Friday, February 24 at 11:30am ET. Register here! The goal of these brief sessions is to help alleviate some of the stress and stiffness that can accumulate on a daily basis due to prolonged sitting and unhealthy posture. A simple 15 minutes of movement per day has been clinically proven to reduce chronic pain and increase movement function. SimpleTherapy will be demoing a few basic but effective stretches and movements that can be done in the workplace without severely interrupting your workflow or productivity. We look forward to seeing you there!
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GW REACH Program Workshops
Designed specifically for GW faculty and staff, the REACH program gives members an opportunity to engage in workshops that will provide information about student well-being trends, availability of services, and how to make appropriate referrals to those services. You can view or register for the Spring 2023 sessions here! Please email Mallory McPherson-Wehan at mallory0915@gwu.edu with any questions.
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Paid Time Off Reminder
For both men and women, the American Heart Association reported, taking more annual vacations greatly lessened the risk of coronary heart disease or heart attacks. Fortunately, with GW’s paid time off benefits, you can take vacation every year!
Since we are now halfway through our fiscal year (July 1– June 30), it is a great time to review your annual time balance and take advantage of your well-earned time away. Managers are also able to check their team members’ balances in the Time Reporting System to encourage and assist their employees in using their annual time benefit.
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Relax and Rejuvenate - Free Employee Seated Massages!
Faculty and staff can enjoy free seated massages at Foggy Bottom and Virginia Science and Technology campuses this winter season!
Foggy Bottom - University Student Center
February 15, 2023
VSTC - Enterprise Hall
February 28, 2023
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| February 23 at 12:00pm ET
Maximizing Your HSP and HSA
Join this webinar to hear the tips and tricks for maximizing your Health Savings Plan (HSP) and Health Savings Account (HSA). The information covered will contain the special features of the HSP, including the preventive prescriptions covered at 100%, the phases of HSP employee cost responsibility - out-of-pocket, deductible, and co-insurance, how to set up your HSA and use funds for medical, dental, vision and prescription costs, how GW's HSA matching contribution works and the tools and resources on both the UnitedHealthcare and Payflex websites.
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| February 28 at 12:00pm ET
Generational Differences in the Workplace
Understanding the influences and expectations that four generations bring to the workplace is important to developing and maintaining harmonious, workplace relationships. This one-hour training will discuss the four generations currently in the workplace. You will learn about historical influences of each generation, personal and lifestyle influences, workplace characteristics, and commonalities among the generations.
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| Mark Your Calendar and Check Back Often!
Did you know we have a GW Benefits event webpage? Be sure to check it out throughout the month as additional opportunities will be added!
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| Monthly Benefits Vendors' Meetings...
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1:1 UnitedHealthcare Meetings
Meet with GW’s UnitedHealthcare representative, Jessica Wachter, to review outstanding claims and/or ask questions about your medical coverage.
Meetings can be conducted either in-person at the University Student Center or virtually. Jessica will reach out prior to your appointment to confirm your preference and provide a meeting link for virtual appointments.
For future appointments, please use the arrows in the upper right corner to scroll to the next month.
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1:1 Virtual Retirement Counseling
Retirement plan participants can schedule a virtual retirement counseling appointment with TIAA or Fidelity. Retirement plan participants can book remote appointments by calling their preferred provider or using the online booking systems listed below:
- Fidelity Investments - Make an appointment online or call 800-642-7131
- TIAA - Make an appointment online or call 866-843-5640
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GW Benefits
45155 Research Place, Suite 160
Ashburn, VA 20147
Phone: (571) 553-8382
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