BENEFITS & RETIREMENT
VISION
As of July 1st, the district has taken over the vision plan.
All questions should be directed to Sheba Graham at
435-4062 or via email at SGraham2@scsd.us.
All of your accounts have reset, which means you can make appointments immediately. You will just need to give your doctor your name as account numbers have changed and the previous account is no longer active or valid.
STARS is Syracuse Teachers Association Retirees and we meet as a group three to four times a year for lunch, news, and staying in touch on issues and concerns near and dear to us all. In addition, we have a private Facebook page, a list-serve of members, and we send newsletters to help us address questions, and pertinent information from our quarterly meetings with STA, as well as meetings with NYSUT and NYSUT Retiree Advisory Committee. Information on joining is on this page.
The NYSUT Member Benefits Trust was established in 1983 as a tax-exempt, not-for-profit trust distinct from NYSUT for the purpose of endorsing and monitoring quality, competitive insurance plans and benefit programs. These programs and services are available to NYSUT members; some are also available to or cover spouses/domestic partners of members, dependent children, dependent parents and grandparents.
The Trustees of the NYSUT Member Benefits Trust established the NYSUT Member Benefits Corporation in 2008 as a for-profit corporation. This separate, taxable subsidiary protects the Trust’s tax-exempt status and offers the opportunity to expand the types of programs and services offered to our members.
In 2015, the Trustees of the Member Benefits Trust established the New York State United Teachers Member Benefits Catastrophe Major Medical Insurance Trust – with the Catastrophe Major Medical Plan being its sole purpose.
In addition to voluntary programs available for purchase or use by individual members, Member Benefits also endorses group programs available for purchase by local associations, their benefit funds and employers.
Member Benefits has staff located at NYSUT headquarters in Latham, NY as well as several of NYSUT’s Regional Offices throughout New York State. Each Regional Office has a Member Benefits representative either housed at the office or visiting the office on a regular basis for the purpose of providing service to local leaders and individual members.
Enrollment for our new Chubb voluntary benefit — Guaranteed Life with Long-Term Care (permanent life
insurance with long-term care) — is underway, and we want to make sure you have everything you need to
make the right decision for you and your family.
For your reference, we've attached the Guaranteed Life with Long-Term Care policy guide to this email — take a
look for full plan details before you enroll.
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Important: If you enroll now, you don't have to buy all the coverage you'll ever need on day one — start with a minimum plan and increase your coverage every year at your policy anniversary, with no medical underwriting
required. That flexibility only exists if you enroll during this window; you cannot add coverage later without going
through full medical underwriting.
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We're holding two live virtual info sessions so you can join whichever works best for your schedule:
• Tuesday, October 20 at 6:00 PM —
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/9HI4uU9iTYaZvfQZVGHhcA
• Thursday, October 22 at 6:00 PM —
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/1kV53lJ0R06qKS0yWgKVTw
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Brian Johnson and Tom Layton will walk through how the plan works, what guaranteed acceptance means for
you, and answer your questions live.
Can't make either time live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording.
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To log in: your username is your last name, and your password is your employee ID.
Prefer to talk it through instead? Reach a benefit counselor directly:
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Call (855) 554-3785 to speak with a benefit counselor — you can ask questions or enroll right over the phone.
Remember, this guaranteed-acceptance window closes November 6.
In solidarity,
Rich Rogers, Treasurer, Syracuse Teachers Association
