The new year is a natural time to try for a new start with bWell, our redesigned wellness program. bWell brings you fun individual, team and community challenges, improved online tools, and opportunities to win one of the amazing “10 in 2015” prizes.

• New incentive structure – The new bWell features three levels of achievement. Each level provides increasing incentives for completing activities. You must complete the online Well-Being Assessment and participate in a Biometric Screening before you can begin earning Level 2 or 3 rewards.
• Earn Points – You earn points by participating in challenges, tracking your activity or food, or by completing many other wellness activities.
• Easy activity tracking – You can automatically sync your Fitbit and other smartphone apps to the program website, myBMCwellness.com.
• Engaging challenges – Every six weeks we’ll introduce a health-increasing challenge that will have you feeling great while you earn points.
• “10 in 2015” Prizes – Once you’ve reached Level 3 and earned 5,000 points, you’re eligible to win one of five exclusive spa resort vacations or one of five Way to bWell prizes, including gift cards to local spas and sporting-good stores.

Our first team challenge – Hydrate! – runs from January 20 to March 1. Be one of the first 400 to sign up for the challenge and receive a bWell water bottle. Staying properly hydrated has been linked with improvements in energy level, digestion and skin health.

Here’s how the Hyrdrate! Team Challenge works:

• You and at least three other BMC’ers form a team and must collectively track 10,000 ounces of water before the challenge ends on March 1.
• Drink at least 64 ounces of water every day, five days a week.
• Each member of a successful team will earn 150 bWell points.

Happy hydrating!

Your first paycheck in January is a good time to check deductions for benefits coverage you elected during annual enrollment last fall. Review your first January pay stub online through the ADP portal.

Benefit Coverage

Your 2015 benefit deductions may be higher or lower than last year, depending on your elections during the annual enrollment period. To verify your 2015 deductions, compare your first 2015 pay stub against the confirmation statement you printed during enrollment. Some of the items your pay stub will show include:

• Pay period deductions for medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts and other coverage you elected or received for 2015.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions if you participate in the BCBSTX HSA medical plan and elected an HSA annual contribution amount.

If you didn't print a confirmation statement after you enrolled, you can find 2015 coverage information by logging on to My BMC Compensation and Benefits (Select Your Benefits Resources).

If you discover a problem with a benefit deduction, please call YBR at
1-877-269-4849. Representatives are available from Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Eastern time.

FSA Carry Over Reminder

Did you carry over unused Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) dollars from 2014? Check your balance on the Your Spending Account (YSA) website. A new law allowed you to carry over to 2015 up to $500 in an HCFSA if enrolled in the PPO medical plan or $500 in a Limited Use Flexible Spending Account if enrolled in the HSA medical plan.

Log on to the YSA website from My BMC Compensation & Benefits (Select Your Spending Account). 

If you are enrolled in the BCBSTX Health Savings Account (HSA) medical plan for 2015 and have an HSA with UMB Bank, BMC deposited 50% of the annual company-provided contribution to your account in January.

BMC's contribution depends on your base salary and the how many dependents you cover under the HSA medical plan.

BMC will make a second contribution to your account in July for the remaining 50% of the annual amount listed above.

You are eligible for BMC's HSA contribution if you are actively employed by BMC on the date the company contribution is deposited to your HSA.

Most of us are probably more similar than we realize, but the differences we do have can play an important role in how we communicate at work. Your Magellan EAP invites you to a complimentary webinar, “Effective Workplace Communication Across Generations,” on Wednesday, February 11, from 1 to 2 p.m., Central. Space is limited, so be sure to register now. 

According to the sixth annual Fidelity Investments^® New Year Financial Resolutions Study, 41% of Americans are feeling better about their present financial situation than a year ago. In addition, 36% say they are carrying less debt than the year before, and 64% expect their bonus or tax refund will be at least the same – if not larger – in the year ahead. Read More…

If you put away half of 2015 raises, promotions or tax refunds into savings you will have a happy and secure 2015, according to author Steve Bucci, The Debt Advisor at bankrate.com. Read More…

Source: Fidelity