Benefits Bulletin January 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.

Upcoming University Closing - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The university will be closed Monday, January 20, 2025, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Please review the Holiday Schedule and University Closings website for the 2025 Holiday and Closing Schedule.

Time and Attendance Record for Non-exempt Employee

2024-25 Time and Attendance Records for non-exempt classified employees must be submitted electronically to benefits@jmu.edu no later than Friday, January 17. The 2024 -25 and 2025-26 Time and Attendance Records are located on the Time and Attendance Reporting website at https://www.jmu.edu/humanresources/benefits/leave/time-attendance.shtml.

University Closings Due to Inclement Weather

With winter weather reaching the valley, please review Policy 1309-University Closings, Class Cancellations and Exam Postponements Due to Inclement Weather or Emergencies to learn more regarding closing decisions, the cancellation of classes, the difference between designated and non-designated staff, and the eligibility for compensation for hours worked during inclement weather delays and closures.

VRS Defined Contribution Plans Now Live with Voya Financial

Your VRS defined contribution plan account balances, contributions, investments, and beneficiaries were transferred from MissionSquare to Voya Financial. To access your account information, you will need to create an account with Voya:

• Go to https://login.voya.com/voyassoui/index.html?domain=vrsdcp.voya.com#/login-pweb and select Register Now
• Click the option to register your account and enter your information. Then select Continue
• A verification code will be sent to you by email or text. Enter the code and click Verify
• After you have registered your account, create a username and password. Also provide your email address and mobile phone number for future recovery of your login credentials

Once you have registered your account you can:

• Review your account information and make any needed changes
• Make sure your beneficiary information is up to date
• Review or add banking information.

Please contact Voya Customer Service at 1-877-327-5261 if you need any assistance creating your account.

January's Featured Benefit

This month's featured benefit is...

University Cleaners

We are pleased to announce that University Cleaners is offering dry cleaning and laundry services to JMU employees with free pick-up and delivery. While already providing laundry pick-up and delivery to our students, University Cleaners is expanding their services to employees.

Voted Best Dry Cleaners in the Shenandoah Valley, you can trust University Cleaners’ Dry Cleaning & Wash, Dry, Fold Laundry Services to simplify your daily routine.

Why use Dry Cleaning & Wash, Dry, Fold Laundry Services?

• Convenience: sign up for either a pick-up and delivery route to your home* OR simply drop off your garments in or near your JMU office…University Cleaners will take care of the rest!
• Timesaving: more time for family, friends, and fun. Let University Cleaners handle the dirty laundry so you can focus on what really matters.

How it Works:

1. Sign Up: Visit University Cleaners website
2. Create an Account and add a credit card on file
3. Schedule: Enter your pick-up and drop-off location (currently University Cleaners run deliveries on Wednesday and Friday throughout the school year)
4. Relax: Leave the dry cleaning and laundry to University Cleaners, and enjoy your freshly cleaned, pressed or folded clothes delivered right back to your home* or JMU office

Watch this video, and contact University Cleaners for more information.

*Deliveries to home must be within designated delivery area.

January's Social Security Column Newsletter

SOCIAL SECURITY’S FAQ PAGE CAN ANSWER YOUR IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

There are many online resources about Social Security, but it is important that you visit our official website – SSA.gov – for the most accurate and up-to-date answers. You can find lots of information about our programs and services on our Frequently Asked Questions page at faq.ssa.gov. We feature the most asked questions at the top of the page to include:

• How can I get help from Social Security?
• How much will the COLA amount be for 2025 and when will I receive it?
• What should I do if I receive a call from someone claiming to be a Social Security employee?
• How do I schedule, reschedule, or cancel an appointment?
• What happens if I work and get Social Security retirement benefits?

You can also browse by topic, including:

• Disability.
• Supplemental Security Income.
• Retirement.
• Medicare.

Many of our FAQs are available in Spanish, as well, at www.ssa.gov/espanol.

Visit our publications library at www.ssa.gov/pubs for more detailed information on many important topics. Most publications are available in text, audio, downloadable formats, and in other languages.

Please share this information with your loved ones.

SUBMIT YOUR CONTINUING DISABILITY REVIEW REPORT ONLINE

Do you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)? If so, you should know that we are required by law to review your case to verify that you still have a disabling condition that prevents you from doing substantial work. We call this process a Continuing Disability Review.

We will send you a notice telling you when it is time to review your medical condition and keep you informed about your benefit status. How often we review your medical condition depends on whether your condition is likely to improve.

We’ll normally review your case:

• Within 6 to 18 months after our decision on your disability application if your medical condition is expected to improve.
• Every 3 years if medical improvement is possible.
• Every 7 years if medical improvement is not expected.

If you get disability benefits you can complete and submit the Medical Continuing Disability Review Report (SSA-454) online. The online option is available to adults who receive SSDI, SSI, or both, and do not have a representative payee. To complete the form online, sign in to your personal my Social Security account and select "Complete Your Continuing Disability Review". If you do not have an account, visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount to get started.

If you do not have a personal my Social Security account, you can fill out and print the SSA-454 at www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-454-bk.pdf. You can mail or make an appointment to take your completed form to your local Social Security office.

Please share this information with your friends and loved ones who receive SSDI benefits or SSIs.

THREE QUESTIONS ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY THAT CAN HELP YOU PLAN YOUR RETIREMENT

Social Security benefits are part of the retirement plan of many American workers. If you’re among the many people paying Social Security taxes, you should get an estimate of what your future benefit may be. Our retirement webpage at www.ssa.gov/retirement is a great place to start mapping out your retirement plan. These three questions will help to guide your planning:

• What factors may affect your retirement benefits?
• When is the right time to start receiving your retirement benefits?
• What documents do you need to provide when you apply for retirement?

We encourage you to use your personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount to get an instant estimate of your future retirement benefits. You can also compare the effects of starting your retirement benefits at different ages.

We base your benefit on how much you earned during your working career. Higher lifetime earnings result in higher benefits. If there were some years you didn’t work or had low earnings, your benefit amount may be lower than if you had worked steadily. If you never worked and did not pay Social Security taxes, and have a spouse who worked, you may be eligible for spouse’s benefits. You must be at least 62 years old, and your spouse must already be receiving retirement or disability benefits. If you are a younger spouse, you may be eligible for benefits if you have a qualifying child in your care. By a qualifying child, we mean a child who is under age 16 or who receives Social Security disability benefits.

You can learn more at www.ssa.gov/retirement. Please share this information with family and friends to help them prepare for their financial future.

FASTER PROCESSING OF DISABILITY CLAIMS FOR PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Today, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. It is a brain condition that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Since the onset of Alzheimer’s can occur in younger people before they retire, it may affect their ability to work as the disease progresses.

Our benefits and services are especially vital to people with early-onset Alzheimer’s who are unable to work and may have no other source of income. They may want to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Our Compassionate Allowances program provides faster processing of disability claims for people with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and several other neurodegenerative (brain degenerative) disorders.

More than a decade ago, Social Security added early-onset Alzheimer’s disease to our Compassionate Allowances program. You can learn more about our Compassionate Allowances program at www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances.

Please share this information with friends and family.

FIVE BENEFITS YOU CAN APPLY FOR ONLINE AT SSA.GOV

We continue to make it easier for you to access our programs and benefits. Our website –www.SSA.gov– offers a convenient way to apply online for benefits.

You can apply for:

• Retirement or Spouse's Benefits – You must be at least 61 years and 9 months and want your benefits to start in no more than 4 months. Apply at www.ssa.gov/retirement.
• Disability Benefits – You can use our online application at www.ssa.gov/disability to apply for disability benefits if you:

1. Are age 18 or older.
2. Are unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death.
3. Have not been denied disability benefits in the last 60 days. If your application was recently denied, you can appeal our decision online and request a review of the determination we made. Please visit www.ssa.gov/apply/appeal-decision-we-made.

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – SSI provides monthly payments to adults and children with a disability or blindness who have limited income and few resources. People age 65 and older without disabilities who have limited income and resources may also be eligible for SSI. Some adults with disabilities who meet certain requirements may complete the application process online. To learn more, visit www.ssa.gov/ssi. If you cannot visit our website, you can call 1-800-772-1213 to schedule an appointment. (If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may contact our TTY/TDD number, 1-800-325-0778.)
• Medicare – Medicare is a federal health insurance program for:

1. People age 65 or older.
2. Younger workers who have received disability benefits for 24 months.
3. People with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Note: They do not have a two-year waiting period.

If you are not already receiving Social Security benefits, you should apply for Medicare up to 3 months before turning age 65 at www.ssa.gov/medicare. You should consider your Medicare options even if you are still working and covered under an employer group health plan (or your spouse’s employer health plan through their active employment).

• Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Costs – The Extra Help program helps Medicare beneficiaries with prescription drug costs, like deductibles and copays. People on Medicare who need assistance with the cost of their medications can apply for Extra Help at www.ssa.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help.

Please share this information with those who need it.

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

Webinars

• January 15 - Legal Resources Seminar - So You've Been Breached register online
• January 22 - Legal Resources Seminar - Using Power of Attorney register online
• February 12 - Legal Resources Seminar - Immigration Changes Under New Administration register online

Need to Talk with an Expert?

• January 17 - Fidelity, Punchai Paul Vutiprichar - online scheduling or 800-642-7131
• January 28 - FIRM - VA 529, Phil Harris/Caribel Colon - online scheduling
• January 29 - Voya Financial, Janice Parker - online scheduling or janice.parker@voya.com
• February 5 - Aflac, Michael Glover - michael_glover@us.aflac.com or 540-997-3201

Whole Health Challenge

If improving your health is one of your goals, let Balanced Dukes help you! We are excited for our annual Whole Health Challenge, which will focus on incorporating a few healthy habits into your life that can really enhance your overall well-being. The 8-week challenge starts in early February, so keep an eye on your inbox for an email with more details and registration information. We look forward to helping to make your health a habit!

Balanced Dukes is the employee wellness and well-being program for James Madison University. We offer resources, initiatives, and campaigns designed to support and enhance the overall well-being of our faculty and staff. For more information on Balanced Dukes, click 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!