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Benefits Bulletin February 2025

Welcome to the Benefits Bulletin!

Our goal with this monthly newsletter is to communicate benefit changes and keep you up-to-date and informed on approaching deadlines.

Harmony Harvest Farm Discount to JMU Employees

Harmony Harvest Farm, the 2024 Winner of JMU’s Small Business Game Changer, wants to help JMU employees live a better life through flowers. This means you can save 15% on fresh flowers and greenery (including U-Pick at the farm), as well as free admission to the farm’s annual Flower Fair!

Harmony Harvest Farm is featuring a Valentine’s Day Special. Get Valentine’s Day flowers delivered directly to your workplace on February 14. Simply place your order using the 15% coupon code below, and they will deliver flowers to you at work on Valentine’s Day.

February's Social Security Column Newsletter

GENERAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR MEDICARE PART B

If you did not apply for Medicare Part B (medical insurance) within 3 months before or after turning age 65, you have another chance each year during the General Enrollment Period. The period runs from January 1 to March 31 every year.

If you didn’t enroll in Part B when you’re first eligible, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Part B coverage. Your monthly premium will increase 10% for each 12-month period that you were eligible for Part B but did not sign up for it. Your coverage starts the first day of the month after you sign up.

To learn more about Medicare, please visit our Medicare Benefits page at www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare.

You may also read our Medicare publication at www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10043.pdf.

Please share this information with your friends and loved ones who may need it.

YOUR PERSONAL MY SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT IS FOR EVERY STAGE IN YOUR LIFE

Your personal my Social Security account is here for you at every stage of your life. You don’t have to be retired or even close to retirement to take advantage of it. With an account, you can conduct much of your Social Security business online. For example, you can request a replacement Social Security card (in most states and the District of Columbia).

If you are not receiving benefits, you can use your personal my Social Security account to:

  • Get personalized retirement, spouse, or disability benefit estimates.
  • Get your Social Security Statement.
  • Get instant proof that you do not receive benefits.

If you already receive Social Security benefits, use your account to:

  • Change your address. (Social Security benefits only)
  • Change your direct deposit information. (Social Security benefits only)
  • Get instant proof that you do receive benefits.
  • Print your SSA-1099.

Please encourage your family and friends to create their personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

SSA TALKS: SCAMS

Rebecca Rose, Senior Public Affairs Specialist in SSA’s Office of Inspector General’s Division of Communications, joined episode 5 of SSA Talks to discuss Social Security scams and how to recognize them. Recognizing the signs of a scam gives you the power to ignore criminals and report the scam.

In this episode Rebecca discusses the 4 basic signs of a scam. She reveals that scammers will usually:

  1. Pretend to be from an agency or organization you know to gain your trust.
  2. Claim that there is a problem or that they have a prize.
  3. Pressure you to act immediately.
  4. Tell you to pay in a specific way such as gift cards.

The episode also includes testimony from scam survivor, Kate Kleinert. She's a widow who shares her story of losing $39,000 to a romance scam and offers advice on recognizing and reporting scams.

Our blog titled What You Can Do To Protect Your Personal Information at blog.ssa.gov/what-you-can-do-to-protect-your-personal-information covers ways you can safeguard your personal information from scammers. To learn more about scams and how to report scams to our Office of the Inspector General, visit our Scams webpage at www.ssa.gov/scam.

You can listen to this episode on our SSA Talks webpage at www.ssa.gov/news/audio-series.html and subscribe to receive alerts about future episodes. The SSA Talks webpage contains a transcript for each episode.

Please share this information with your loved ones.

5 THINGS TO KNOW WHEN YOUR CHILD WITH DISABILITIES TURNS 18

When your child turns 18 years old, they legally become an adult. This is an important time to consider their financial future – especially if they need additional care into adulthood. Here are 5 things that may help you prepare for this milestone:

1. Health and Welfare Decision-making

When your child legally becomes an adult, you can no longer make certain decisions for them about their health and welfare. However, you can stay involved through our Representative Payee program. Social Security will determine who best serves as a representative payee for your child’s benefits. To learn more about the Representative Payee program, read our webpage at www.ssa.gov/payee/index.htm. Please note Social Security does not recognize power of attorney.

2. Changes in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Eligibility

SSI provides monthly payments to adults and children with disabilities, as well as people 65 and older, who have little or no income and resources.

If your child receives SSI, when they turn 18 we will review their eligibility for continued SSI payments based on the disability rules for adults. For more information, please review the publication, What You Need To Know About Your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) When You Turn 18 at www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-11005.pdf. Please be sure to review this with your child. We also encourage you to check out Social Security’s Youth Toolkit webpage at www.ssa.gov/youth.

3. Education Transitions

If your child attends school, they have a few options to continue their education, such as pursuing:

  • A diploma: They may pursue further education in college or trade programs with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). More information on the IEP is available at www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-64-118.pdf.
  • A certificate: They may have the opportunity to continue in a transitional program in their high school even after they complete their senior year. Most are permitted to remain until they turn 22.
  • Employment: Local Vocational Rehabilitation Services can assist with employment options during pre-graduation IEP meetings.

4. Support for Living Arrangements

Once your child turns 18, they may choose or qualify for different living arrangements depending on the services they already receive. If your child receives therapy services at school, how will they receive them once they leave? They could receive them through a Medicaid waiver or private insurance.

Qualification for respite services may also look different. Respite services allow family caregivers time to step away from their duties. It is essential you understand all the benefits and options available to your child after they complete high school and before deciding on living arrangements and services.

5. Financial Protections

  • Special Needs Trust: Update estate planning documents before your child turns 18. Otherwise, inheritance may terminate your child’s governmental benefits.
  • ABLE Account: You can deposit funds into this account up to a certain limit each year. However, there are limits on what its funding covers. More information on ABLE accounts is available at www.ssa.gov/payee/able_accounts.htm.

The above is informational only and does not constitute financial advice or an endorsement of ABLE products or ABLE organizations by the Social Security Administration. There may be other financial options that could be a better fit for some individuals. You must use your best judgement to determine which option is best for your situation.

Children receiving benefits on a parent’s record may continue to receive those benefits until age 19 if they’re a full-time elementary or secondary school student. People who have a disability that began before age 22 may also be eligible to receive child’s benefits at any age. For more information, please review the publication, Benefits for Children at www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10085.pdf. As your child enters adulthood, consider these issues while you navigate their financial future.

Please share this information with your friends and loved ones who may need it.

ARE YOU AGE 70 OR OLDER AND NOT YET RECEIVING BENEFITS?

Retirement is not one-size-fits-all. It can mean different things to different people. Perhaps you have not applied for Social Security retirement benefits because you're still working or are delaying applying so you can get a higher benefit. If you’re age 70 or older, you should apply now for the benefits you’re owed. Your benefits will not increase if you continue to delay applying for them because you are 70 or older.

Did you know that you can receive benefits even if you still work? Your earnings can increase your monthly benefit amount – even after you start receiving benefits. Each year that you work, we check your earnings record. It’s possible your latest year of earnings is one of your highest 35 years. If so, we will automatically recalculate your benefit amount and pay you any increase due.

The best and easiest way to apply for your benefits is with a personal my Social Security account. You can create your free account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. Once you create your account, you can get an estimate of how much you might receive each month based on when you want to start receiving benefits and then apply.

In your account, you can also:

We’re here to help you secure today and tomorrow and we invite you to learn more about applying for retirement benefits at www.ssa.gov/apply. Please share this information with those who need it.

Webinars

Need to Talk with an Expert?

Upcoming Benefits Training: Retirement 101: Understanding Your VRS Retirement

Are you contemplating retirement? Have you set a retirement date? What do you do next? What benefits will you receive? What is the timing on paperwork?

Come to Retirement 101 and learn the answers to all these questions and more! Learn about your retirement options through the Virginia Retirement System (VRS), discuss the impact on benefits when you retire, and learn how myVRS and Human Resources can aid in retirement planning.

Retirement 101: Understanding Your VRS Retirement (HR1212)

Tuesday, February 25, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Register with course number HR1212 in MyMadison

February's Featured Benefit

This month's featured benefit is...

Balanced Dukes

Balanced Dukes is the employee wellness and well-being program for James Madison University. Our goal is to support and enhance the overall well-being of our faculty and staff by offering a variety of resources including our weekly newsletter, monthly wellness workshops, quarterly campaigns, and large conferences and events. We also coordinate faculty/staff clubs to help promote engagement and community on campus.

To learn more about Balanced Dukes, visit our website or contact Tara Torkelson, Coordinator of Employee Well-Being – torkelt@jmu.edu | 8-5533

Whole Health Challenge

Learn more and register here.

VRS Hybrid Voluntary Contribution Changes

VRS Hybrid members may now make changes to voluntary contributions monthly rather than quarterly. Increasing your voluntary contributions is a great way to save for retirement. Saving a little more now will make a big difference by the time you retire. As a reminder, you may voluntarily contribute up to 4% of your salary, with the employer matching contributions at 2.5%.

To make changes to your voluntary contributions, log in/create an account, or call Voya Customer Service at 1-877-327-5261.

DMV Connect on Campus

DMV Connect is coming to campus on February 18

Human Resources is excited to announce that DMV Connect, a mobile customer service center through DMV, will be coming to campus on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., in the Wine-Price Building. DMV Connect is equipped to process all DMV transactions including:

  • Applying for or renewing your ID card (REAL ID)
  • Applying for or renewing your driver’s license
  • Applying for a Veteran ID card
  • Getting a copy of your driving record
  • Obtaining vehicle titles, license plates, decals, and transcripts
  • Ordering disabled parking placards or plates
  • Applying for certified copies of Virginia vital records, including birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
  • Getting fishing and hunting licenses
  • Updating your mailing address, voter registration address, and organ donor status
  • Requesting a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to set up an online myDMV account
  • Purchasing an E-ZPass transponder
  • And much more!

Save yourself the inconvenience and the time it takes to go to DMV to complete your transactions; simply visit DMV Connect!

Schedule HERE!!!

THANK YOU FOR READING!

This bulletin has been brought to you by the JMU Benefits Team. If you have any questions or would like to reach out to us, please give us a call at 540-568-3593, visit us on the web at www.jmu.edu/humanresources/benefits, or email us at benefits@jmu.edu. Look for the Live Chat on our website and reach one of us instantly!

Credits:

Created with images by Maya Kruchancova - "decorations for Valentine's Day" • feirlight - "Traditional Belgian chocolate" • Gatherina - "Delicate white flowers covered with snowflakes during winter" • 2mmedia - "Valentines Day background" • Florian Kunde - "Tree Sparrow sitting on twig in winter. High quality photo" • Maya Kruchancova - "winter forest with frost" • Lubos Chlubny - "Frozen red leaves glowing in morning winter sunlight" • Maryam - "A cozy mountain village view through a snowy window with warm lights creating a serene and picturesque winter scene" • Starmarpro - "St. Valentine's Day concept. Funny portrait cute puppy dog border collie with a heart shaped sunglases. High quality photo" • Olga Ionina - "Romantic window in a white wooden house overlooking the winter garden, Scandinavian style. Lantern, candles and heart on the windowsill." • Konstiantyn - "Spring tree branch against sunset sky background" • Veronika - "Groundhog in sunglasses, wearing a jacket and plaid shirt, white background. groundhog day" • Miklos - "A heart-shaped pizza topped with pepperoni and basil sits on a wooden table surrounded by fresh tomatoes"

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