YNHHS enhances employee compensation and benefits plan

Yale New Haven Health has announced details of the 2020 compensation and benefits program – a comprehensive and competitive package that includes enhanced compensation, reduced medical co-pays and other enriched benefits for YNHHS employees.

“We are extremely pleased to introduce an enhanced compensation and benefits plan for employees that is both bold and transformative,” said Kevin A.Myatt, YNHHS senior vice president and chief human resources officer. “The new compensation and benefits program demonstrates how we value our employees and includes far-reaching enhancements that address employee feedback about what matters to you at work and at home.”

Compensation program for 2020

The 2020 compensation program will again reward performance through merit-based pay increases. Along with merit increases attributable to annual performance reviews, pay ranges for all positions will be expanded, providing greater earning growth opportunity, especially for long-service staff.

Additional changes and program highlights include:

• Merit increases of up to 5 percent (up from the 4 percent maximum in recent years) based on overall performance rating and pay zone.
• Expansion of pay ranges for all positions, with range maximums increasing by a minimum of 6 percent.
• Market pay adjustments resulting in base pay increases for many clinical and non-clinical positions.
• New Employee Referral Bonus Program. Referrals leading to successful hire earn $2,500 (for certain hard-to-fill positions identified by Talent Acquisition) or $1,000 (for all other positions). All employees are eligible to participate, except staff in HR and managers and above.
• PIP (Performance Incentive Plan) eligible employees may receive up to 3 percent of salary for meeting hospitalwide performance goals.
• Special Achievement Awards – up to 2 percent of salary for specific accomplishments demonstrating extraordinary effort.

Benefits program for 2020

Among the many enhancements to employee benefits, effective Jan. 1, co-pays for employees using the Advantage and Advantage Plus plans at YNHHS facilities will be reduced by at least 50 percent*.

For example:

Additional changes and program highlights effective Jan. 1 include:

• The Medical Premium Waiver Program ceiling increases to $35,000. Full-time employees earning $35,000 or less (who participate in Know Your Numbers) will have reduced or no medical benefits premiums. The program, currently at YNHH, the Health Services Corp. and Grimes, expands to include employees at Bridgeport and Greenwich hospitals, Northeast Medical Group, CPBS and Home Care Plus.
• Consolidation of out-of-pocket (OOP) maximums to reduce annual OOP exposure. This change enables employees using Tier 1 and Tier 2 providers to have the same lower OOP maximum. Once the annual out-of-pocket maximum is met for Advantage and Advantage Plus plan participants, the plan will pay 100 percent of covered expenses for the rest of the calendar year.
• The tuition reimbursement annual benefit maximum will increase to $5,200 for eligible full-time employees and to $3,500 for part-time employees.
• The Specialty Pharmacy Program benefit will allow employees and dependents enrolled in a YNHHS medical plan to obtain a 30-day supply of certain high-cost specialty drugs for a $20 co-pay. In 2020, these medications must be obtained through Outpatient Pharmacy Services at YNHHS at the Saint Raphael Campus Apothecary, 1100 Sherman Ave. in Hamden or through home delivery. (CVS Caremark will no longer fill specialty medications under the YNHHS prescription benefit.) This change includes Tier 4 specialty prescriptions for conditions such as cystic fibrosis, human growth, cancer, hepatitis C, HIV, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatology and other inflammatory conditions.
• Parking fees for many employees, particularly those in surface parking lots located a distance from the main hospital, will be reduced by up to 20 percent and frozen for two years.
• Reimbursement for selected train commuter passes will increase up to $100 per month.
• New OnDemand telehealth program will offer access to NEMG providers board-certified in areas such as internal medicine and family practice. (Replaces MDLive.)
• No change in dental or vision plans and no increase in dental or vision premiums.
  
  

Changes for new hires include higher hiring pay rates for many positions; day-one medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage; and no waiting period for the tuition reimbursement benefit.

“To develop this compensation and benefits program, we worked carefully to balance our staff's needs while keeping in line with market levels, and to manage the environmental pressures we face as an employer,” Myatt said. “We are proud to offer one of the best compensation and benefits packages among our peers, and we are committed to continually monitoring our programs and making changes to help our employees enhance their health and wellbeing.”

Open enrollment begins Nov. 4

Open enrollment for health and related benefits runs from Nov. 4 - 18 at 5 pm for all employees. Employees must visit ynhhsbenefits.com to enroll for medical coverage and other benefits. All benefits-related information, materials and forms will be available on the site. While all benefits enrollment will be online and paperless, the 2020 benefits “blue book” summary booklet will be mailed to employees’ homes for reference. For assistance with online enrollment, contact the HRConnect benefits service center, 844-543-2147 (21HR), or visit ynhhs.org/hrconnect.