Happy Belated New Year to all!
Personally, I never make New Year’s resolutions as I never seem to keep them beyond February. That said, I do try to make some goals and objectives for the year. Somehow in my mind these are different than resolutions…right?
It is a great time of year to take stock of things like our health – both physical and financial. In addition to all of the symbolic hearts we will see this month it is also National Heart Month. This issue of For Your Benefit devotes some space to matters of a healthy heart. Please see Article 2 to learn more about the signs of a heart attack and stroke and how they are different for men and women. This is followed up by some information on maintaining a healthy heart and some resources for you. One of those is to make sure you get your annual physical. The Pearson medical plans cover annual physicals at 100% both in and out-of-network.
While our medical plans didn’t change this year we did see some of the out-of-pocket costs increase slightly – copays, deductibles and out-of-pocket limits. Before the year gets under way, take some time to review the plan you’ve selected and know what these new limits are and how they work. There’s a great chart in Article 5 that might help with some commonly misunderstood terms.
Finally, the end of year announcement by the IRS saw no change in the limits affecting the 401(k) plan. Please review the 2016 limits in Article 8 and make sure you have reviewed your financial plan for the new year. This might include resetting your contribution amount, taking a fresh look at your investment allocation or simply making sure your beneficiary information is up to date.
We are off to another year with all of the challenges that life throws at each and every one of us. Our wish for all of you is to take good care of yourselves. Pearson Benefits is here to help wherever we can.
Best,
Bob Arthur
Vice President, Global Benefits