Caring For You During COVID-19
Our GW benefit partners want to support you and your family during the pandemic.
To learn more about benefit enhancements during COVID-19, select a category to learn more:
- At-Home COVID-19 Test Reimbursement and Paxlovid
- Retirement
- Paid Time Off
- Medical Plan Enhancements
- Well-Being Resources
At-Home COVID-19 Test Reimbursement and Paxlovid
GW medical plan participants are now able to purchase over-the-counter (OTC) at-home COVID-19 tests or have a pharmacist prescribe Paxlovid via your CVS Caremark Pharmacy benefit, at little or no cost to you.
The cost of FDA-authorized or approved over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 at-home tests are covered by the university’s health plans. Your CVS pharmacy plan will cover up to eight OTC COVID-19 home tests, per 30-day period, for each person covered under your plan.
Please review the frequently asked questions (FAQs) to better understand the benefit, including eligibility, what’s covered and how to submit for reimbursement.
At-Home COVID-19 Test Reimbursement FAQs
Retirement
TIAA and Fidelity consultants continue to be available for free retirement counseling appointments via phone or virtual.
To arrange an appointment, please call or book online to schedule:
Fidelity Investments
Make an appointment on Fidelity's website or call 800-642-7131
TIAA
Make an appointment on TIAA's website or call 866-843-5640
Call GW's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to speak with a financial consultant.
Have a free 30-minute consultation for each issue you’d like to ask about.
- Create a budget
- Set long-term goals
- Understand bankruptcy options and requirements
- Avoid foreclosure and handling creditors
- Prepare for a home purchase and saving for your down payment
1-866-522-8509/ TTY 711 www.resourcesforliving.com
Username: GW-Wellbeing
Password: Yourlife
Paid Time Off Enhancements:
COVID Vaccine and Recovery Time FAQs
To support staff as well as GW's COVID vaccine requirement, the university provides staff members with up to 48 hours of paid time off that could be used to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and/or to recover from the side effects from the vaccine. Those eligible must have worked for GW for at least 15 days before they can request paid time off for vaccination and/or recovery.
Eligible employees can take:
• up to 2 hours of vaccine time per dose (including boosters) and
• up to 8 hours of vaccine recovery time during the 24-hour period following the 2-hour vaccination time period to recover from vaccine side effects.
A maximum of 48 hours of COVID Vaccine and Recovery Time per year can be used.
Vaccine time off can be used to:
• receive a COVID-19 vaccination, including a booster, or
• take your child to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, including a booster.
Vaccine recovery time can be used to:
• recover from side effects from a COVID-19 vaccination or booster, or
• care for your child recovering, from side effects from a COVID-19 vaccination or booster.
FAQs
We highly encourage you to review the FAQs above for more details about this paid time off, including the amount of time off available, eligibility and qualifying situations.
In March 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, the university created a new temporary time off option, Pandemic Time (PND), to support you as you cared for yourself and your loved ones. Benefit-eligible staff and hourly wage and temporary workers, as of March 16, 2020, were provided an allotment of PND hours to be used for eligible situations related to the pandemic. Based on feedback from the university community, all current benefits-eligible staff, as well as hourly wage and temporary workers, regardless of hire date, will receive a new balance of PND time.
The new PND time-off balances will be available retroactively to January 1, 2022 and updated in the Time Reporting System (TRS) as follows:
- 80 hours for full-time benefits-eligible staff,
- 40 hours for part-time benefits-eligible staff
- 20 hours for hourly wage and temporary workers.
- GW temp agency workers who are in an active status may request PND for days they are scheduled to work but unable to do so as a result of qualifying COVID-19 events.
Going forward, PND time will also be provided to newly hired staff, hourly wage and temporary workers until the end of the public health emergency period. Eligibility for new hires aligns with that of COVID Vaccine and Recovery time; employees must have worked for GW for at least 15 days before they can request PND.
Please note: PND balances provided are based on your employment status on the later of January 1, 2022 or your hire date. Balances are not adjusted based on subsequent changes in employment status. The university also reserves the right to recoup PND time from the final paycheck of staff who terminate shortly after using PND time. In addition, PND time is not paid out at time of employment separation.
There are several eligible situations that qualify for the use of pandemic time. We encourage you to review the PND FAQs to review these situations, the definition of “family member” and how to request PND time in the Time Reporting System.
Medical Plan Enhancements
Due to Internal Revenue Service guidance in response to COVID-19, the university is adding flexibility to 2021 Flexible Spending Accounts to allow more time for you to incur eligible expenses and use the funds.
- The grace period to use your 2021 HCFSA and DCFSA funds is being extended from March 15, 2022 to December 31, 2022. The deadline to submit reimbursements to PayFlex is also extended from April 30, 2022 to April 30, 2023.
- To submit claims to PayFlex, please follow these instructions.
For a general summary of the FSAs, please review GW's Flexible Accounts Summary Plan Description (PDF).
UnitedHealthcare COVID-19 Website
UHC is regularly updating their COVID-19 website with information about related to COVID-19 testing, resources for people with Medicare, and other healthcare resources.
Behavioral Health
Optum via UHC is also offering a free emotional support help line for all people impacted. This help line will provide those affected access to specially trained mental health specialists. The company’s public toll-free help line number, 866-342-6892, will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for as long as necessary. Callers may also receive referrals to community resources to help them with specific concerns, including financial and legal matters.
Additional UHC Resources:
- Use the Search function on Castlight's website to find local COVID-19 testing sites and available vaccines.
- Users will be shown helpful coronavirus tips, including highlighting appropriate providers.
- Users can navigate to a Coronavirus Test Location Finder via the top banner on the Castlight app or on Castlight's website. The search will help you find the closest Coronavirus testing site to your home. The list is compiled of 1000+ testing sites in the U.S.
Wellbeing Resources
We acknowledge and appreciate the various emotions many of us are carrying, and appreciate the ways in which our community is extending care to one another right now.
Take a moment to review the emotional well-being resources (PDF) for benefits-eligible employees and their eligible dependents.
Resources for Living (RFL) is a GW-sponsored EAP program that provides you with daily life support.
During the COVID-19 outbreak (PDF), RFL has developed specific resources to help employees manage their emotional health and daily needs during this national crisis.
Single-sign on from GW-owned computer
- Visit myGW
- Click “Sign In” in the upper left-hand corner beneath the "myGW" logo
- Under the Working tab, click “Wellbeing Hotline
From a Non-GW Computer
- Visit Resources for Living
- Enter username GW-Wellbeing
- Password: Yourlife
You may also call Resources for Living at (866) 522-8509
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Helpline: (800) 662-4357
This organization provides information, education and access to substance abuse and mental illness programs nationwide. The Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator is a search tool to locate behavioral health and substance abuse/addiction services. After completing the search criteria you can view a list of treatment providers, their contact information and other pertinent details. You may also call the number above to receive free and confidential information about treatment services in your area.
Fidelity Financial Resources:
Webinars:
Find a live or recorded webinar on Market Volatility on-demand in NetBenefits.
The Fidelity Learning Center has more educational resources that are both timely and relevant.
TIAA Resources