Information On The Coronavirus

Recent Updates: The New School has released its academic plan for 2020-21 and a phased reopening plan for its New York campus. Please check the Parsons Paris website for information about our Paris campus. Learn more.

  • Part-Time Faculty, Local 802

    The Open Enrollment period begins on Monday, 10/19/20 and ends on Friday, 11/13/20.

    The New School has designed a benefits plan to meet the needs of our diverse employees. Please review this important information regarding your elections. A thorough understanding of your benefits options can help you ensure that you have the appropriate level of coverage for you and your family's needs, and that you have chosen the most cost effective plan for your needs. Below is a snapshot of the benefits available to you. Please review the sections listed below on the website for more information.

    • Health Insurance: Aetna Open Access - Aetna Select EPO
    • Dental Insurance: Aetna DHMO and Aetna PPO
    • Qualified Transportation Expense (QTE)
    • The New School Retirement Plan (Employer Contributions)
    • The New School Voluntary 403(b) retirement plan (Employee Contributions)

    Important Reminder

    The benefits elections you make during the open enrollment period may not be changed until January 1, 2022, unless you experience a qualifying event such as marriage, divorce, birth, adoption or gain or loss of coverage. Benefits that are governed by this rule include: all medical and dental elections and flexible spending. You must notify the benefits office within 31 days of a qualifying event for changes to become effective, otherwise you will not be able to make changes until the next open enrollment period. You must also submit documentation to support the qualifying event. For example, if you are adding a newborn you must submit the birth certificate within 31 days of the child's birth in order for the coverage to be effective on the child's date of birth.

    Here's What to Do

    1. Review all of the information on this webpage
    2. Review your current benefit elections and costs in MyDay . Type myday.newschool.edu into your browser and log in with your regular username and password. Click on the Benefits worklet (circle). Under View, select Benefit Elections. Download this into excel or print a pdf for your records.
    3. Review this guide for assistance on how to navigate the MyDay Open Enrollment Benefit Event.

    Note: Qualified Transportation Expense (QTE) and Tax Deferred Annuity (TDA) Retirement Plan changes can be made outside of the Open Enrollment Benefit Event. The 2021 limits are not known at this point but we will advise when limits have been set.

  • What's Changing in 2021

    Aetna will replace UnitedHealthcare and Delta Dental for medical, dental and vision plans. Express Scripts Inc. (ESI) will replace Optum for prescriptions. EBPA and TIAA will continue to administer New School benefit plans in 2021.

    Please click here to access the Aetna Presentation on our medical, dental, vision and Rx plans. 

    Health Care Plan Contributions

    The university and enrolled employees share in the cost of the health care plan. Employee and university contributions will change effective January 1, 2021. See the 2021 Health Care and Dental Care Contributions section below for 2021 employee and university premiums, including the separate contribution charts if you choose to cover a domestic partner.

    Enrollment Process: What You Need To Do

    We've created this guide to you help navigate the MyDay system and manage your Open Enrollment elections.

    To access your Open Enrollment Benefit Event, log into MyDay and click on the Inbox worklet (circle). Locate the Open Enrollment Benefit Event and carefully follow the help text on each screen. The Benefits Open Enrollment period will end on Monday, November 15.

    You do not need to take any action if:

    • You (and your currently enrolled dependents, if any) want to continue to be enrolled in the EPO that you have in 2020, and
    • You (and your currently enrolled dependents, if any) want the same dental plan that you have in 2020

    Health Care and Dental Care Plans

    Health Care Plans

    There will now be 10% co-insurance when using an in-network provider when the service isn’t for a routine office visit. For example, tests such as MRI’s, will require a deductible and 10% co-insurance. These changes are similar to plan designs at several local colleges and Universities and allow for the continuance of these type of plans, despite rising medical costs. 

    Review this Summary of Benefits and Coverage for the Choice EPO Plan for more details about this plan. (Paper copies are also available by contacting Human Resources.)

    Finding Participating (In-Network) Providers

    Enrollees in the Aetna Open Access- Aetna Select EPO plan must obtain health care services from in-network providers. To find in-network providers go to www.aetna.com

    Prescription Drug Coverage

    Beginning 1/1/2021 prescription drug (Rx) coverage will be administered by Express Scripts (ESI). Visit  www.express-scripts.com to determine the cost of the most common medications, Step Therapy Rules and to receive info for specialty medication (we will update info for ESI as it’s made available).

    The university’s prescription drug plan with OptumRx will remain active through the end of the 2020 calendar year (OptumRx info below).

    • View the 2020 Advantage Prescription Drug List to determine the cost of a the most common medications.
    • Under the Optum Rx Progression Rx program, some prescriptions require that you try a "Step 1" medication before a "Step 2" medication will be covered. Refer to Progression Rx – Step Therapy Program list to view the names of these medications and details about this plan feature.
    • The Specialty Pharmacy Program must be used by members with rare or complex medical conditions who require specialty medications (described in flyer). If you have an existing (active) specialty medication prescription with Optum Rx it will remain on file and you will not need to obtain a new one.

      Vision Plan Coverage

      As a reminder, Aetna enrollees will automatically be enrolled in the Vision Plan at no additional cost. (You must be enrolled in the health care plan to receive vision plan benefits; there is no option to enroll separately.) The plan allows you to receive routine vision services either from participating (in-network) vision providers or from providers who do not participate in the Aetna vision network (out-of-network). To search for in-network providers, go to www.aetnavision.com You should also print your vision care member ID card once you're logged in; you will present the card at the time you receive routine vision services.

      The Vision Care Plan covers an examination and new lenses (contact and glasses) every 12 months and new frames every 24 months. Review the Plan Summary for coverage details. Call Aetna at 877-973-3238 for additional information. Click here to locate a provider.

      Dental Plan Coverage

      The University Dental Plan will now be administered through Aetna.  If you wish to newly enroll or make a change to your current dental elections, you must do so via the MyDay system. For additional information please go to the dental care page of the New School's benefits website.

      2021 Health Plan and Dental Plan Contributions

      Effective January 1, 2021 the cost of the New School Health Plan will increase and your contributions will shift. Dental care costs will remain the same. Refer to the 2021 Health Care and Dental Care Plan Contribution Chart if you will be covering a yourself, a spouse and/or child(ren).

      If you will be covering yourself, a domestic partner, and a child(ren), view the 2021 Domestic Partner and Child(ren) Imputed Income Chart to determine the taxation related to this coverage.

      Contributions are withheld from your monthly paychecks over the course of the Academic Year (September through June). If you do not receive a paycheck in any month or do not receive enough pay to cover your monthly contributions, the amount of contributions withheld from another paycheck (or paychecks) will be increased so that your premium will be paid to the fullest extent feasible through deductions from your pay during the Academic Year (September through June). In addition, failure to make premium payments will result in termination of coverage (health and/or dental) effective the last day of the month for which the required contribution was made.

      Qualified Transportation Expense and Tax Deferred Annuity

      Qualified Transportation Expense Plans

      2021 pre-tax limits have not been announced as of yet. In 2020 the pre-tax limit was $270. If you currently participate, your 2020 elections will continue into 2021. You may enroll or make changes at any time during the year by initiating a Benefit Event in MyDay. We've created this guide for Changing Your Transit and Parking Amounts to help you navigate MyDay. Use the event date of 01/01/2021to increase your contributions for January.

      For additional information regarding these plans, visit the Qualified Transportation Expense page on our website.

      Tax Deferred Annuity Retirement Plan

      You can choose to contribute a percentage of your base annual salary or a flat dollar amount per paycheck. The maximum annual contribution for 2021 is not known at this time, but the 2020 limit was $19,500. Employees age 50 and older (and those who will attain age 50 by December 31) are eligible to contribute an additional $6,500 annually, as set by the IRS (referred to as the "Age 50+ Catch-Up").

      Your current elections will continue in 2021 but if you'd like to increase or change your contributions, you can do so by initiating a Benefit Event in MyDay. We've created this guide for Changing Your Retirement Savings Amounts to help you navigate MyDay. Use the event date of 01/01/2021 to change your contributions for January.

      For additional information regarding these plans, visit the Retirement Plan page.

      Required Notices

      As required by law, The New School must provide certain notices to employees on an annual basis.

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