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Go for the Gold Wellness Credit and the Vanderbilt Health Plan Account
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- How does the Vanderbilt Health Plan Account work?
- How will Aetna and BCBST know how much I am to receive for my level of Go for the Gold participation?
- What are the benefits of having the Vanderbilt Health Plan Account?
- I waive the Vanderbilt Health Plan. Can I still participate in Go for the Gold?
- Can I deposit additional money into this Vanderbilt Health Plan Account?
- Can I access the Vanderbilt Health Plan Account to help pay for copays, prescriptions and over-the-counter items?
- How will I know the balance of my Vanderbilt Health Plan Account?
- If I leave Vanderbilt and there is a balance in my Vanderbilt Health Plan Account, can I take the balance with me?
- My spouse/ domestic partner is also a Vanderbilt employee. I carry both of us on my Vanderbilt Health Plan, and my spouse/partner waives coverage. Can we both get the Go for the Gold Wellness Credit?
- I am enrolled in the Vanderbilt Health Plan, but I am healthy and don’t use medical services other than my annual checkup. Isn’t this punishing those of us who are healthy?
- I don’t participate in Go for the Gold. Can I get the Vanderbilt Health Plan Account to help pay my deductible?
- Can the Vanderbilt Health Plan Account be transferred to a Health Savings Account?
- What happens if I have a balance in my Health Plan Account at the end of the year?
- What if I switch from one Health Plan option to another?
- Who can I contact with questions about Go for the Gold?
- Where can I receive help completing my Go for the Gold?
- How do I complete my Go for the Gold?
- If I have additional questions about the Health Plan Account who should I contact?
1. How does the Vanderbilt Health Plan Account work?
Vanderbilt puts the Wellness Credit you earn for participating in the Go for the Gold program into a Health Plan Account managed by Aetna and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST). The Health Plan Account helps you pay your deductible (the amount you pay before the health plan starts paying) and coinsurance (the percent you pay for medical expenses after meeting your deductible).
The Health Plan Account is managed by Aetna or BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, based on your chosen Health Plan option. For example, when you have a doctor's visit, the doctor sends the bill to Aetna or BlueCross, the carrier then processes the claim and if you have an amount due, that amount will be paid from your Vanderbilt Health Plan Account first. If you use up your Health Plan Account, then you start paying toward meeting the remainder of your deductible.
The Health Plan Account will pay the first medical claims billed, whether the bill is for you or any dependent you cover on the Vanderbilt Health Plan. You can refer to your Evidence of Benefits (EOB) from either BCBST or Aetna for more information.
2. How will Aetna and BCBST know how much I am to receive for my level of Go for the Gold participation?
Vanderbilt will send Aetna and BCBST a list of the dollar amounts for each Go for the Gold participant, based on the level of participation.
- Bronze annual amount = $120
- Silver annual amount = $180
- Gold annual amount = $240
Any unused annual amounts will rollover year-to-year up to a total capped amount of $1,000.
Information from your confidential Health Risk Assessment or Wellness Actions Log is not seen by the Office of Benefits Administration, Aetna or BlueCross.
View the Health Plus privacy policy.
3. What are the benefits of having the Vanderbilt Health Plan Account?
- The money is not taxed.
- The full annual amount is deposited as a lump sum at the beginning of the calendar year.
- The money is automatically applied toward deductibles and coinsurance.
- Any unused amounts will rollover each year to a maximum of $1000.
4. I waive the Vanderbilt Health Plan. Can I still participate in Go for the Gold?
Yes. All faculty and staff that are committed to leading a healthy lifestyle are encouraged to participate in Go for the Gold and reap the health benefits of the program, but if you waive the Health Plan, you will not receive the Wellness Credit paid into the Vanderbilt Health Plan Account.
5. Can I deposit additional money into this Vanderbilt Health Plan Account?
No.
6. Can I access the Vanderbilt Health Plan Account to help pay for copays, prescriptions and over-the-counter items?
No. The account is administered by Aetna and BlueCross and will automatically be used to help meet your deductible. You don't need to take action to access the account, it will happen automatically behind the scenes.
7. How will I know the balance of my Vanderbilt Health Plan Account?
The balance will be shown on your Explanation of Benefits. You can also check your balance on your carrier's website: see how to check your balance on the Aetna website and the BlueCross website. If you prefer to call to find your balance, contact Aetna or BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, based on your current Health Plan election.
8. If I leave Vanderbilt and there is a balance in my Vanderbilt Health Plan Account, can I take the balance with me?
No. The Vanderbilt Health Plan Account is part of the Vanderbilt Health Plan and is neither portable nor transferrable. If you leave Vanderbilt, you will have access to the account only while you are still covered under the health plan, which is typically the last day of the month in which you receive a paycheck from Vanderbilt.
After leaving Vanderbilt, even if you continue your Vanderbilt Health Plan coverage under COBRA, your Health Plan Account will not be available to you.
9. My spouse/ domestic partner is also a Vanderbilt employee. I carry both of us on my Vanderbilt Health Plan, and my spouse/partner waives coverage. Can we both get the Go for the Gold Wellness Credit?
No. The Go for the Gold Wellness Credit paid to your Vanderbilt Health Plan Account is only available to employees who elect and pay for our health plan. If your spouse/partner waives coverage, she/he is not eligible to receive the Wellness Credit because Aetna and BlueCross would only have one subscriber account — for the enrolled employee, not the waiving employee.
However, we still encourage you both to participate in the Go for the Gold program as part of your commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
You might consider reviewing the payroll deduction amounts for Employee-only coverage vs. Employee + Spouse/Partner coverage. As the Wellness Credit will not be paid for an employee who waives coverage, it might be worth changing your and your spouse's/partner's health plan election during Open Enrollment in October 2011 to the Employee-only coverage tier for 2012.
10. I am enrolled in the Vanderbilt Health Plan, but I am healthy and don't use medical services other than my annual checkup. Isn't this punishing those of us who are healthy?
Most employees use the health plan at some point. The Vanderbilt Health Plan Account balance will roll over from year to year to a maximum of $1,000, provided you are employed at Vanderbilt and paying for the Vanderbilt Health Plan. The Wellness Credit paid into your Vanderbilt Health Plan Account is sort of like a rainy-day fund that will be there to help pay your medical deductible and coinsurance amounts if you need it.
11. I don't participate in Go for the Gold. Can I get the Vanderbilt Health Plan Account to help pay my deductible?
No. Go for the Gold participation is voluntary; however, only those enrolled in the Health Plan and who participate in Go for the Gold will receive the Wellness Credit paid into your Vanderbilt Health Plan Account.
12. Can the Vanderbilt Health Plan Account be transferred to a Health Savings Account?
No.
13. What happens if I have a balance in my Health Plan Account at the end of the year?
Your Health Plan Account balance rolls over to the following year, so long as you remain enrolled in the Vanderbilt Health Plan. If you have no medical bills that use up the Health Plan Account, it will continue rolling over from year to year until you reach the maximum rollover amount of $1,000.
If you changed carriers (Aetna to BlueCross or BlueCross to Aetna) during Open Enrollment, your Health Plan Account funds will be available on May 1, 2012. See question 14, below, for more information.
14. What if I switch from one Health Plan option to another?
Your Health Plan Account balance will move with your Health Plan election. For instance, if you switch from BlueCross Select to Aetna HealthFund, any remaining balance will move to Aetna HealthFund. Your previous carrier (in this example, BlueCross) will hold your rollover funds until April 1, 2012, to pay any outstanding claims. After April 1, your rollover funds will transfer to your new carrier (in this example, Aetna) and will be available to you on May 1, 2012. Your new carrier can use these rollover funds to help pay claims incurred on or after January 1, 2012.
15. Who can I contact with questions about Go for the Gold?
Contact Health Plus by phone, 343-8943 or email us.
16. Where can I receive help completing my Go for the Gold?
Come to:
- Health Plus: Monday–Friday, 5 a.m.–9 p.m. and Saturdays, 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Occupational Health Clinic, Medical Arts Building, Suite 640, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
- In your department by appointment
Also, look for our mobile Go for the Gold help sessions at special events around campus.
17. How do I complete my Go for the Gold?
Go to the Health Plus website.
18. If I have additional questions about the Health Plan Account who should I contact?
For questions about how the Health Plan Account works, email human.resources@vanderbilt.edu.
To find out what your Health Plan Account balance is, contact Aetna or BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, based on your current Health Plan election. Remember, each company refers to our Health Plan Account in the manner in which they administer the benefit. Knowing their naming convention will help you find the answer to your "What is my balance?" question.
- If you are enrolled in Aetna Standard, call 800.743.0910 and ask for the balance of your "Health Incentive Credit."
- If you are enrolled in Aetna HealthFund, call 800.743.0910 and ask for the balance of your "HealthFund." The HealthFund total rollover for unused amounts is $3,000 individual and $6,000 family and includes the $1,000 Health Plan Account limit.
- If you are enrolled in BlueCross Select, call 800.422.6712 and ask for the balance of your "Health Reimbursement Account."