News and Events
Latest News
Published 2/29/2024, updated 3/27/2024, 4/3/2024
We are pleased to introduce our new University-Sponsored Identity Theft Protection Plan, effective April 1, 2024. In collaboration with Experian, a trusted leader in identity protection services, we are committed to ensuring the safety and security of all our university members in today’s digital landscape.
Key features of the Experian Identity Theft Protection Plan include:
Credit monitoring, reports, and scores: Receive credit reports, scores, and real-time alerts for any significant changes to your credit report, helping you detect potential identity theft.
Identity theft insurance and restoration services: Up to $1 million of identity theft insurance and 24/7 restoration services in the unfortunate event of an identity theft.
Dark web and proactive monitoring: Active scans of the dark web and many other databases for any compromised personal information.
Device protection and online privacy: A suite of privacy tools to help defend your digital data across all your devices.
Digital financial management: Financial tools and personalized insights to help you achieve your credit and financial goals.
All benefits-eligible employees and retirees will be automatically enrolled in the program. However, to take full advantage of the program features and add dependent children up to age 18, employees must take action to register for an account on the Experian website.
Have you had trouble activating your account? If so, please call Experian at (855) 797-0052 for assistance.
New and Enhanced Benefits from UC
Published: 01/02/2024
NEW in 2024 UC Retirement Administration Service Center (RASC) has launched Retirement Counseling and Advisory Services, providing UC Retirement Plan (UCRP) members with personalized retirement counseling by accredited financial professionals.
UC has enhanced the UC Retirement Savings Program with a new Roth contribution option for the UC 403(b) and UC 457(b) Plans, giving you more flexibility to save and plan for your future through regular pretax contributions, new Roth contributions, or both.
Sick Leave policy now includes language that supports sick leave usage parity between mental and physical illness and aims to reduce the stigma of mental illness and disabilities.
The Lab is expanding its leave options to offer eligible employees up to five days of protected leave following a reproductive loss.
News Archives
Published: January 2023
If you’re a member of one of UC’s employee PPO plans, you may have heard about Accolade, your new point of contact for health and medical benefits questions, big or small. Accolade connects you with health assistants and nurses who can help you navigate your health care, including new options such as no-cost telehealth and video visits, and expert second opinion services.
Would you like to learn more?
Whether you’re a CORE, UC Care or UC Health Savings Plan member or you’d just like to find out what Accolade has to offer, you’re invited to register for one of our upcoming webinars (select each date to register):
Wednesday, March 22, 12 – 12:45 p.m. (PT)
Thursday, March 23, 2 – 2:45 p.m. (PT)
You can reach Accolade for assistance, or to learn more about their services, Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. PT, at (866) 406-1182.
Retiring on July 1st? Learn how the Inactive COLA can affect your HAPC
Effective July 1, 2023, the Inactive COLA for certain inactive members is 2.00% for those with a separation date on or before June 29, 2023.
Preparing for Retirement Recorded Webinar
Updated Date: July 14, 2022
Preparing for Retirement Recording Passcode: RgpN@K6Y
This recorded presentation was hosted by an RASC representative for Lab employees planning to retire within the next five years. The presentation covers topics such as understanding UCRP pension benefits, retirement savings, and retiree health coverage.
Aimed at members of the UC Berkeley and LBNL communities who plan to retire on
July 1, 2023, or sooner.
Monday, December 5th, 2022
2:00-3:00 pm PT
Presented online via Zoom
Register Here
This Retirement Pop-Up is intended to provide high-level support and information to members of the UC Berkeley and LBNL communities who plan to retire on July 1, 2023 or sooner.
Information on the basic retirement process, as well as an opportunity to answer Frequently Asked Questions, will be covered during this session.
Speakers can answer questions on:
The general retirement process for employees
Using UCRAYS
Healthcare in retirement
Benefits in retirement
Accessing and managing your individual retirement accounts (403b, 457b, DCP plans)
Retirement financial planning
Retirement Center support (Retiree ID cards, Berkeley retiree email, retiree library access, lifelong learning opportunities, retiree association membership)
Speakers will be happy to provide whatever support they can to individual needs as long as time permits and private, confidential information is not shared. Being logged into your UCRAYS account and Fidelity NetBenefits account will be helpful when attending.
Please submit your questions ahead of the event using this form
Speakers:
Sharon Johnson, UCB Benefits Manager
Janet Suko, UCB Benefits Program Coordinator
Gabe Schmidt, UCB Health Care Facilitator
Blanca Bocobo, LBNL Health Care Facilitator and Lab Benefits Analyst
Stacy Guidi, LBNL Benefits Supervisor
Eric Schreiber, UCB and LBNL Fidelity Workplace Financial Consultant
Nancy Pargot, UCB and LBNL Fidelity Workplace Financial Consultant
Sam Davis, Faculty Retirement Liaison
Cary Sweeney, UCB Retirement Center Director
Camille Koué, UCB Retirement Center Associate Director
Speakers at this event will not include representatives from the Retirement Administration Service Center (RASC), which may limit their ability to answer questions specific to individual situations.
Candid Conversations about Women’s Health
Date: Thursday, December 8, 2022
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
The journey through the years of peri-menopause, menopause, and post-menopause is different for everyone. Women have so many questions and hear so many opinions on the subject it can be a bit confusing. Listen in on candid conversations with Kaiser Permanente physicians regarding women’s health.
In this webinar, we will discuss symptom management and what one can expect during this transition. Plus, we have some great resources to share with you as we wrap things up.
This event is open to all employees and their dependents.
Published date: September 28, 2022
UC’s Open Enrollment for 2023 benefits begins on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 8 a.m., and ends on Friday, Nov. 18, at 5 p.m. You’ll have more resources than ever to learn about your options:
UC’s Open Enrollment website (live Oct. 24) and mailed guide with information about 2023 benefits enhancements, plan choices, and costs
UC’s virtual benefits fair, with booths hosted by our benefits plans — Look out for more information soon!
For 2023 medical plans, UC will continue to offer Kaiser and UC Blue & Gold HMO plans for employees, along with CORE, UC Health Savings Plan, and UC Care.
Additional information is available on UCNET
Medical Coverage for your College-bound kids
Published: July 11, 2022
July 22, 2022 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Click here to add to Google Calendar
Do you have college-bound students moving out of California? Are you in Kaiser or UC Blue & Gold? If yes, please consider changing your medical plan to continue to cover your son or daughter while in school.
RASC's Implements Proactive Outreach
Published Update: May 26, 2022
UC Retirement Administration Service Center (RASC) is implementing a proactive outreach strategy to support members' inquiries. RASC aims to improve employees’ and retirees' customer service experiences. For this reason, RASC has partnered with the company Call Experts to help provide updates on employees' and retirees' inquiries. Call Experts is a trusted UC vendor partner that delivers call center support.
As of today, May 25, 2022, Call Experts will reach out to prospective retirees by:
Returning callback requests from the RASC contact number 1-800-888-8267
Calling retiring employees with a status update on where they are in their retirement process
Please note Call Experts will not have access to member records to protect UC data.
Fidelity Hosted Financial Education Webinar Series
Published Update: March 31, 2022
Join us for an upcoming virtual Ask Fidelity Session! Hear highlights on topics of interest and then get your questions answered by your local UC-dedicated Fidelity planners. Register here
• Thursday, June 2, 2022, @ 11:00 AM - ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING YOUR ESTATE PLAN
Learn the basics of estate and gift taxes, strategies for transferring wealth, and where to get more information and help develop your estate plan.
Berkeley Retirement Center
Medicare Workshop
Wednesday, April 20th, 2022
Presented online via Zoom
10:00 - 11:30 am PT
Click here to register
Published: April 6, 2022
UC Berkeley is hosting an online Medicare workshop presented by Kaiser Permanente and the UC Retirement Administrative Service Center (RASC). This webinar is open to employees and retirees with any UC health carrier. It will help people nearing retirement or turning 65 to better understand the Medicare system. Employees and retirees will learn:
How Medicare works: Parts A, B, C, and D
How to know if you are eligible
When to enroll in Medicare or switch plans
How your coverage can change when you retire
What to do if you plan to keep working after 65
A question-and-answer session will be held at the conclusion.
Pathway to Retirement Webinar
Published Date: February 14, 2022
The University of California is offering the Pathway to Retirement educational webinar to help LBNL, UCOP, and UC Berkeley employees plan for financial security and enjoy all that retirement brings. Whether it’s months or years away, your pathway to retirement starts here!
Expert speakers present essential topics to help you retire with confidence, including finding fulfillment in retirement, income planning, UC benefits, Social Security strategies, and navigating the UC retirement process.
Visit the Pathway to Retirement event page for more details.
1095-C and 1095-B forms
Published: January 25, 2022
The 1095-C and 1095-B are forms required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Employers are required to provide one form, or both forms, depending on the type of health plan coverage you had in for the 2021 calendar year. The forms are for employees’ information and record only; the forms are not filed with tax returns.
Which forms can you expect?
You can expect to receive the 1095 form through the U.S. mail only. There is no electronic option, and the mailings are going out in the next few weeks.
Employees defined as full-time under the ACA (those who work 75% time or more) will receive the 1095-C from UC. Parts I and II of the 1095-C will be filled in for all employees; only those enrolled in UC’s self-insured plans (Core, Health Savings Plan, UC Care) will have Part III populated.
Employees defined as not full-time under the ACA (working 74% or less) who are plan members of UC’s self-insured plans (Core, Health Savings Plan, UC Care) will receive Form 1095-B.
All plan members of UC’s fully-insured plans (Health Net and Kaiser Permanente) will receive Form 1095-B directly from the medical plan.
Need a Copy?
Requests may be submitted for duplicate 1095s after February 14, allowing adequate time to deliver the original from U.S. mail. To request a duplicate copy, employees should log on to the UCPath portal, scroll down to the Forms Library, and click on “Records” to complete a Benefits record request.
Questions?
Employees with general questions about the 1095 Forms can find FAQs on the IRS website
and the UCNet site.
Open Enrollment Final Steps
Published Date: December 13, 2021
Review your Open Enrollment Confirmation Statements emailed the week of December 2nd.
If you find any errors open an inquiry on the UCPath portal
Review your next paychecks for your new 2022 medical premiums
Medical premiums increased for 2022. Are your premiums correct review with medical plans rates here
The Biweekly paid employees will see new premiums in December paychecks for January medical coverage
The Monthly paid employees will see your new deduction in your next paycheck
Find additional information on the UCNet article
Fidelity Hosted Financial Education Webinar Series
Published Date: November 20, 2021
Join us for an upcoming virtual Ask Fidelity Session! Hear highlights on topics of interest and then get your questions answered by your local UC-dedicated Fidelity planners. Register here
• Thursday, April 7, 2022, @ 11:00 AM - SOCIAL SECURITY IN YOUR RETIREMENT STRATEGY
Learn about Social Security, including what you need to consider when deciding when and how to claim your benefit.
• Thursday, December 2, 2021, @ 11:00 AM - UC DCP AFTER TAX ACCOUNT
In addition to pretax savings through the 403(b) and 457(b) plans, the UC Retirement Savings Program offers you the opportunity to save with after-tax contributions through the DC Plan. Learn more about the benefits of the DC Plan After-tax Account and the process for a Roth IRA conversion rollover.
• Thursday, February 3, 2022, @ 11:00 AM - RETIREMENT INCOME PLANNING & THE UC RETIREMENT SYSTEM
Learn about how a retirement income plan can help you determine when retirement is feasible based on projected savings, income sources, and expenses while also considering expected financial challenges in retirement. Also, learn about the benefits offered through the primary and voluntary retirement programs and how they work together to help prepare for a financially secure retirement.
Columbia Sportswear Employee Discount Event
Published Date: Oct 21, 2021
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab has exclusive access to the Columbia Sportswear Employee Store from October 29th- November 21st only! Click here for the flyer
WHAT TO BRING TO ACCESS THE STORE:
The flyer invite (printed or shown on a mobile phone)
Work /organization ID (business/membership card, badge, pay-stub, the signature of work email, uniform, merged email from an organization, etc.)
Personal photo ID
This invite is valid for you + 4 guests (you must be present)
This invite grants store access only (offer not valid online)
Find store location and hours here or on the invite
Reach out to RichmondEmployeeStore@columbia.com for additional questions
Pathway to Retirement Webcast
Published Date: Oct 21, 2021
The University of California is offering the Pathway to Retirement educational webcast to help LBNL and UC Berkeley employees plan for financial security and enjoy all that retirement brings. Whether it’s months or years away, your pathway to retirement starts here!
Expert speakers present essential topics to help you retire with confidence, including finding fulfillment in retirement, income planning, UC benefits, Social Security strategies, and navigating the UC retirement process.
Visit the Pathway to Retirement event page for more details.
Pathway to Retirement event held on:
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
9:00am -12:00 pm
Published Date: Oct 1, 2021
As wildfire season once again starts in California and the COVID-19 pandemic continues, UC’s benefits partners are committed to meeting the needs of those affected.
If you need extra assistance, please contact your plan directly (contact information is here). Customer service representatives will do their best to offer the help you need as quickly as possible.
Date: September 24, 2021
Optum Behavioral Health mailed ‘U.S. Behavioral Health Plan, California 2020 Health Insurance Premium Rebate’ letter to 2020 plan subscribers of Kaiser Permanente. You can find FAQs regarding the letter on UCNet here.
Life in Retirement Retiree Panel
Friday, December 8th, 2023
1:00-2:00 pm PT
Presented online via Zoom
Join the Berkeley Retirement Center, IDEA, and the LBNL Health Care Facilitator for a Life in Retirement event featuring recently retired LBNL staff. Rather than the "nuts and bolts" of retirement, this event will focus on navigating the emotional and social transitions, and will help you identify steps you can take now to make the transition a smooth one. If you have topics that you would like the panel to discuss, please feel free to submit them before the event using this form.
By Popular Demand, please join us for our Kaiser Permanente “ Hot Flashes Ahead! Menopause and Self Care Webinar. This webinar is for all UC locations employees, regardless of what health plan they are with. This webinar will be presented by Dr. Erika Simpson, OB/GYN from Kaiser Permanente, and partnering with Andrea Kono, Kaiser Permanente Certified Health and Wellness Coach.
Your body changes over your lifespan. For a woman, knowing what to expect about the perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal stages can help you as your body is changing. Many changes can be eased by embracing a healthy lifestyle. But it is also important to know when to get support.
You will be invited to create a realistic action plan that will help you take positivesteps toward taking control of your health and well-being.
Page Updated: 03/07/2024