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:: WHAT'S NEW IN HR? ::

**************************************************************** GROUP LIFE INSURANCE BENEFIT  Effective April 1, 2008 1x Annual Salary ANNUAL UPDATE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE FORM NOW DUE AURA 457b Deferred Retirement Plan effective May 1, 2008 ***************************************************************

To all AURA voluntary tax-deferred annuity participants,

The Internal Revenue Service recently issued final 403(b) regulations that affect your 403(b) account under the AURA tax-deferred annuity plan.

Effective September 25, 2007, direct transfers from your AURA-sponsored 403(b) voluntary account to a provider who is not approved under our plan to receive contributions may result in severe tax consequences to you.  The only providers that are approved under AURA’s plan to receive contributions are Fidelity Investments and Teachers Insurance Annuity Association – College Retirement Equities Fund.

Please note that the direct rollover rules have not changed.  When you are entitled to take a distribution from your 403(b) account, such as when you cease to be an employee of AURA, you may continue to roll over your distributions to another 403(b) plan, a 401(k) plan, or to an IRA account.

You should consult your tax advisor for more information.

If you were unable to attend the CIGNA Educational Meeting presented on August 9th, 2007, please use the following links to print out/review the materials discussed in the meeting.
            * MyCIGNA.com power point presentation
            * MyCIGNA.com Link- to register use the CIGNA ID# (minus last 2 digits on ID card)
            * Explanation of Benefits- how to read the EOB
            * Prior Authorization- list provided of common procedures needing Prior Authorization

The University of Arizona (UA) extends a number of great benefits to NOAO employees who qualify for UA Affiliate or Associate Membership. 

If you are eligible for full benefits, then you may qualify to apply for UA Affiliate Membership. 

If you do not have full benefits, then you may qualify to apply for UA Associate Membership. 

To view the benefits offered to UA Affiliate/Associate Members, please visit  http://www.hr.arizona.edu/03_hire/volGuidelines.php.

To apply for Affiliate/Associate privileges please follow these instructions. 

For further information about our UA affiliate benefits, or assistance in completing an application or determining your status, please contact Anjie Lewis in the CAS Office, (520) 318-8386.  

Mountain States Administrative Services (MSAS) will continue to administrator the FSA program for 2007 plan year.  All FSA Claims should be submitted to Mountain States.  For information regarding the FSA plan you may review the participant guide . You may download the claim form at the CAS Forms website . The claim form along with supporting documentation should be submitted directly to Mountain States via fax or mail for reimbursement.

If you have any questions regarding claims you review your claim status online MSAS Online or contact customer service at (520) 722-0811 or (800) 866-4731.

Please see the FSA frequently asked questions for more information regarding the FSA plan.

The Emergency Travel Assistance Service is a free program made available to regular full-time employees and their families through Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, and the services are provided by Assist America. Assist America’s travel assistance services include:

• medical consultation and evaluation;
• medical referrals;
• hospital admission guarantee;
• prescription assistance;
• legal and interpreter referrals;
  
• critical care monitoring; and,
• if medically necessary, evacuation by whatever mode of transport necessary to the nearest facility that can appropriately treat your situation.

More information and an ID card may be found in the informational brochure. Cut out the card that contains the phone and email contact information for this benefit.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Always carry your Assist America member ID card whenever you travel.
• Assist America cannot reimburse participants for services that it did
  not provide.
• This service will not replace your health insurance. In order to get reimbursed for medical bills, please follow the procedures outlined by your health insurance plan.

Contact Information

The Assist America staff is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help ensure that you obtain appropriate emergency travel assistance when you are 100 miles or more from home.

Toll free in the U.S. 1-800-872-1414
Call collect outside of the U.S. 301-656-4152

HIPAA PRIVACY POLICIES

METLIFE DENTAL PARTICIPANTS
Now, there's a better way to manage your dental benefits and get the most out of them at the MyBenefits website. When you log on to www.metlife.com/mybenefits , you'll have easy online access to information about your dental benefits right from your desktop. You can:

• Find an in-network dentist and view your claim details
• View a summary of your dental elections and a link to detailed coverage information
• View a list of your covered dependents and have quick links to their coverage descriptions, so you know what procedures are covered before they go to the dentist
• Track claims online and receive email alerts when a claim has been processed
• Download a claim form