Are you one of the many Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) employees covered by an MCPS-provided medical plan who reduced their 2020 health insurance costs by completing a biometric health screening and/or health risk assessment? If so, congratulations! You will see a reduction in the cost of your health insurance next year when compared with the cost you would pay if you had not participated in the Wellness Initiatives program.*
Did you miss the opportunity to take part in Wellness Initiatives for 2020? If so, you can reap the program benefits in 2021. Simply complete a biometric health screening between October 7, 2019, and October 2, 2020, and MCPS will pay an additional 1 percent of the total cost of your health insurance—reducing your contribution by 1 percent—effective January 1, 2021. Likewise, complete your medical insurance plan’s health risk assessment during the same time period and MCPS will pay an additional 1 percent of the total cost of your health insurance, also effective January 1, 2021.
Remember, you must complete a biometric health screening and health risk assessment each year within the announced time frame to continue receiving the rate reductions.
Will you and your spouse be tobacco free throughout 2019?
- If so, you will avoid a 25 percent surcharge to your total health insurance costs in 2020 by attesting NOW (during Open Enrollment) to your and your spouse’s tobacco-use status via the online Benefit Enrollment System.
- If not, consider quitting to avoid the surcharge in 2021.
Once both you and your spouse have been tobacco free for 12 months, you will be able to re-attest after January 1 by answering the tobacco-use question from Employee Self-Service. ERSC will remove the surcharge within two pay periods.
If you need help to quit using tobacco, consider registering for and completing Well Aware’s Quit for Good tobacco cessation program. MCPS will waive the tobacco-user surcharge for the following calendar year if the program is completed between September and December of each year. If the program is completed between January and May of any year, MCPS will waive the tobacco-user surcharge and refund any surcharge paid during that year. Learn more.
Be sure to review the 2020 Employee Benefit Summary and the Wellness Initiatives web page so you will be ready to receive the rate reductions and avoid the surcharge in 2021.
*Check to see if you have received credit for completing a biometric health screening and/or health risk assessment using these instructions.
