Benefits and Perks
Walla Walla University is proud to offer its employees valuable and comprehensive benefit packages, including two health plan options to meet your specific needs. For your information, please feel free to review the resources below. If you have questions related to WWU benefits, you are welcome to contact josette.mcdonald@wallawalla.edu.
Updates for 2023-24
- Open Enrollment was May 10-24, 2023, with our Annual Employee Benefit Fair on May 10. This was your annual opportunity to make any election changes to your benefit plans. Enrollment is not required this year only with current coverages and plan elections automatically transferring for the next plan year.
- If you are making changes to your plan, you should have returned the completed form to Human Resources on May 24, at 5 PM:
Download the WWU Benefit Enrollment Form
- Reliance Standard Life Insurance will be our new life insurance provider. Our premiums will remain the same. What this means is that we have a "true open enrollment" offering for benefit-eligible employees, with a guaranteed issue amount up to $150,000.
- WA State has passed a new long-term care trust act and funded by payroll tax, called WA Cares. This long-term care program is mandatory for all W-2 employees with a WA work location. Premiums begin in July 2023 and will be .58% of an employee's income with no income cap. To learn more about this program, visit WACaresFund.wa.gov.
- Interested in Medicare? Alliant Medicare Solution is a free concierge service of licensed insurance agents who can explain your options and/or help you enroll and is available to you or anyone in your family. Schedule an appointment here, or call (877) 203-2728. If you are nearing age 65 or older, you may want to review Medicare options each year in order to avoid penalties and determine the best plan for you. Depending on your needs, you may even find better coverage at a lower premium than your employer-provider health insurance. Medicare can also be utilized as a secondary insurance to your employer-provided insurance to drive down your costs.
- We understand the pandemic caused additional stress to all of our lives and we are still recovering. If you need support, check out our mental health and financial resources by visiting COVID-19 Employee Resources.
Quick access
Alliant Benefit Advocates are here to help you!
Virtual Care Options through Premera:
- 24-Hour NurseLine (FREE): Call 800-841-8343 to discuss your symptoms and get advice on where to go for care.
- 98Point6 App (FREE for Copay Plan and discounted for HDHP members): Download 98point6 to talk to a board-certified primary care physician 24/7.
- DoctorOnDemand (FREE, as long as you use an in-network provider): Doctors provides virtual serves for general medicine, internal medicine and dermatologists care 24/7. Visit doctorondemand.com/Premera to learn more.
- Talkspace (subject to $35 copay): Online therapy with a licensed clinician via private message or live video. Visit talkspace.com/Premera to learn more.
- Omada Virtual Physical Therapy: Virtual physical therapy with a dedicated licensed physical therapist to help reduce pain and achieve lasting relief. The program provides support and individualized exercise programs to address back pain, arthritis, injury recovery, and more. For more information, visit msk.omadahealth.com/go/premera.
- MyCare App: Offers virtual care from the comfort of your home. You can be seen by a provider quickly, conveniently, and at a low cost. Through the MyCare app, you can schedule an appointment regarding primary care, health management, mental health and substance abuse, and prescriptions. Visit premera.com/visitor/mycare or download the Premera MyCare app in Google Play and the App Store.
Premera Blue Cross Medical/Prescription/Alternative Care
Delta Dental of WA
Vision Plan Services (VSP)
Medical/Prescription: Premera.com
Select "Heritage" Network
Dental: DeltaDentalWA.com
Select "Delta Dental PPO" plan
Vision: VSP.com
- Access your HSA, as well as arrange reimbursements, request paperless statements, set up direct deposit, and invest your funds by logging into Premera.com. Once you are logged in, scroll down and click: View your Personal Funding Account.
- Update your HSA elections any time by completing a HSA Deduction Authorization Form and emailing it to josette.mcdonald@wallawalla.edu or caleb.allen@wallawalla.edu.
- Under the HDHP, all preventative drugs are covered at 100%. Review the HDHP Core Drug List.
- Consider utilizing prescription discount companies like GoodRx.com or SingleCare.com when comparing costs and filling prescriptions.
Long-Term Care Insurance through LifeSecure
Contact Diane Steeves at 503-781-0142 for detailed information.
Short-term Travel Insurance Application - Personal Travel - Complete at least 24 hours prior to your departure.
Full-time, permanent WWU employees and their family members, who are covered under the employee health plan, are eligible for University provided Short-term Travel Insurance. Spouses and dependents who are not covered by the employee health plan may purchase the Short-term Travel Insurance when traveling with the qualifying employee.
Review the Aflac Open Enrollment Flyer or visit the Aflac WWU Enrollment Page for further information.
Basic Leave Entitlement FMLA requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for the following reasons:
- for incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care or child birth;
- to care for the employee’s child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care;
- to care for the employee’s spouse, son, daughter or parent, who has a serious health condition; or
- for a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the employee’s job.
There are times when everyone needs a little help or advice. An enhanced Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through SupportLinc can help you with things like stress, anxiety, depression, chemical dependency, relationship issues, legal issues, parenting questions, financial counseling, and dependent care resources. Best of all, it's free for both employees and their families! Help is available by a licensed counselor 24/7, 365 days a year by phone at 1-888-881-5462. Other resource tools, such as podcasts, articles and videos are available online at www.supportlinc.com or by downloading the app: eConnect Mobil App.
Learn more about these free services in this introductory letter from SupportLinc.