Medical Insurance

Great-West Healthcare Now Part of CIGNA

As of April 1, 2008, Great-West Healthcare is now part of CIGNA, the nation's leading health service company. While there is no immediate change to the Great-West Healthcare products and services currently provided, in the future this combined organization will be able to offer you an expanded national network and competitive total medical costs.

Vision Savings Program

Participants in our group MetLife Dental Plan are automatically enrolled in the MetLife Vision Savings Eyecare Program. Benefits include savings on eye examinations and discounts on glasses, frames, and contact lenses. More information, a list of participating providers, discounts, and ID cards can be found at http://www.eyemedvisioncare/MetLife/

Durable Medical Equipment

Have you ever had a sprained ankle and your physician provides you with crutches?   How about a sprained wrist for which your doctor gives you a splint?  These items are not part of your doctor's services.  In fact, durable medical equipment (DME) companies provide these items to your physician.  Therefore, you will receive a separate bill from the DME provider.  And in most cases the DME provider IS NOT a Great West participating provider.  The most commonly used DME provider is Superior Medical Equipment, and they ARE NOT a participating provider.

So what are your options?  If this has already happened to you, your only recourse is to contact your physician's office and file a complaint.  However, chances are, prior to providing you with the equipment, your physician gave you paperwork that indicated the equipment was from a separate provider.   Therefore, the charges will be your responsibility.  If you are faced with this situation in the future, you can request a prescription for the DME from your physician.  Once you have the prescription, you should call Great West, who will give you the contact information for a participating DME provider.  The DME providers who are contracted with Great West are able to overnight the equipment to you.

Generally, if these items are provided to you from a hospital, they are part of the hospital's charges.  But it's always better to ask than receive a unexpected bill. 

Disease Management Program

Managing your heath can be difficult.  Especially if you have a chronic condition.  Great West encourages you to become active in managing your health, and works with you to set and achieve health-improvement goals.  You can either enroll yourself in this beneficial program or a Great West physician/nurse may contact you directly to seek your enrollment in the program. The program offers direct access to a nurse 24/7, customized information to help you effectively manage your condition, sample questions to use when meeting with your doctor, and even suggestions that may help reduce your overall out-of-pocket costs.  Visit www.mygreatwest.com for additional information.

Explanation of Health Care Benefits

Each time a claim is submitted to Great West for yourself or an insured family member, Great West notifies you by means of an Explanation of Health Care Benefits (EOB).  It is very important that each time you receive an EOB, you take the time to carefully review the information contained on the form.  You will want to ensure the claim which has been submitted is for yourself or a family member, determine your portion of the cost of services, or ensure no additional information has been requested on the part of you or the provider.  It is imperative that you maintain the EOB in the event billing discrepancies arise with the providers office.  

Please remember that it is your responsibility to verify your providers’ participation in the Great West PPO  Network.  Provider directories and compete summary plan description can be found at  www.mygreatwest.com.

Disability Insurance

Disability insurance provides you a portion of your salary if you are out of work due to an injury or illness. To receive benefits, your physician must certify that you need to be out of work. Two forms of disability insurance are offered to our employees:

• Weekly Income/Short-term Disability (STD)- Benefits begin after you have been out of work for 7 days and continue through your 90th day out of work, as long as you remain sick or disabled.

• Long-term Disability (LTD) - Benefits begin after you have been out of work for 90 days and may continue through the maximum benefit period, as long as you remain sick or disabled.

Once you have been out of work for the period specified above, you begin to receive benefits in the amount of 60 percent of your gross salary, not to exceed plan maximums.  These benefit payments are not subject to any taxes. However, LTD benefits may be affected by payments received from other sources.

For further information, a summary plan description, or to verify your participation in the plan(s), please contact the HR Office. 

401(k) Retirement Plan

Website Access 

CDM is pleased to introduce http://www.AccessCDM.com, our redesigned, significantly enhanced website.  AccessCDM features noticeable improvements to CDM’s existing Internet capabilities and offers additional tools for plan sponsors and plan participants.

 Some of the new site features include:  

 We hope you find www.AccessCDM.com to be the easily navigated, comprehensive site that CDM intended for it to be.  Please do not hesitate to contact your CDM Plan Consultant with any questions or comments regarding AccessCDM.  

2008 Contribution Limits 

The maximum amount participants may contribute to their 401k plan in 2008 to $15,500 (highly compensated employees may be limited to a lesser amount)..  Additionally, employees that will be 50 years old or older by 31 December 2008  may contribute up to an additional $5,000 in 2008, provided you maximize your regular contributions. 

Plan Withdrawals

Eagle Systems 401(k) plan is a great way to save for your retirement.  However, the IRS has imposed strict regulations on 401(k) plans to ensure the assets are used for retirement as they are intended.   While you may stop contributing at any time, there are only certain circumstances under which you may withdraw your plan assets.  These are limited to termination of employment, personal loan, hardship distribution, and in-service distribution.   Certain fees and restrictions apply to each of these distributions, so please contact the Personnel Department for further information.  Please plan carefully when investing in the 401(k) plan.

Everyone is reminded that requests for distributions, including loans must be made through the Personnel Department at ESI. Please remember that once a request is made for a distribution, you must allow approximately 45 days for  processing.

Investments

Since all 401(k) participants are able to reallocate and transfer funds via www.accesscdm.com or 888-203-4015, the Plan Administrator at ESI is unable to verify the accuracy of your investments. Please review your account periodically to ensure your contributions are invested as you have directed.