During the current coronavirus outbreak, it’s important to stay up to date on the latest information, like safety measures to protect yourself against COVID-19 and steps to take if you think you’re sick. It’s also important to know about the Intuit benefits that are here to support you and your family.
If You Need Medical Care
If You’re Feeling Stressed
If You’ll Miss Work
If You’re Caring for Kids
If You’re Anxious About Your Finances
If You Need Medical Care
Refill Your Prescriptions Now!
With so much uncertainty at the moment, you’ll want to be sure to stock up on your essential medications. By taking advantage of the mail order pharmacy, you can get three months’ worth of prescriptions for the price of two. Plus, CVS Pharmacy is currently waiving charges for home delivery of all prescription medications.
CVS Caremark is also waiving early refill limits on 30-day prescriptions for maintenance medications at any in-network pharmacy, and they’re extending (for 90 days) prior authorizations set to expire between March 23 and June 30. This means you can have a larger supply of your necessary medications on hand, so you don’t have to keep making trips to the pharmacy.
Note that CVS is instituting quantity limits on medications that are being identified as possible treatments for COVID-19, like albuterol metered dose inhalers, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, Kaletra and azithromycin. Contact CVS if you’re using any of these medications for other conditions and you’re concerned about having enough on hand.
Call Before Going for Care
To help ensure you get the right care and limit unnecessary exposure to others, the best thing to do is call your doctor before you go.
Dial a Doctor
Use telemedicine to connect with a doctor by video or phone from anywhere and avoid going to the doctor’s office. There will be no copay for telemedicine services through the end of the fiscal year (July 31, 2020).
- Cigna/UHC members: Use Teladoc by calling 1-800-TELADOC (1-800-835-2362), visiting their website or downloading the mobile app. Note: Starting May 1, 2020, you can also use Teladoc for assistance with tobacco cessation, nutrition, skin care, and back and neck care.
- Kaiser members: Call 1-866-454-8855 (Northern California) or 1-833-574-2273 (Southern California).
You can also make an appointment for a virtual 30-minute primary care visit or a virtual 15-minute nurse triage visit through Crossover Health Center.
Get Tested if Necessary
If a doctor determines you should be tested for COVID-19, the diagnostic test cost will be covered in full through Cigna, UHC or Kaiser. Note that you may have to pay the regular cost of a doctor’s visit until it is determined that you have the virus. Any necessary follow-up care will be covered by the regular terms of your plan, including any deductible, copay or cost sharing.
Get Reimbursed for OTC Medications and Supplies
The CARES act that was enacted into law on March 27, 2020, allows you to use your Health Savings Account (HSA) or Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to pay for over-the-counter (OTC) medications and supplies without a prescription. These items, along with menstrual care products, are now considered qualified expenses by the IRS. This change is retroactive to January 1, 2020. This means that you are able to use your HSA or Health Care FSA to purchase any eligible OTC items throughout 2020 and beyond.
Continue 2019 HSA Contributions Through July 15, 2020
If you contributed to an HSA in 2019, you can continue to make 2019 contributions up to the new extended IRS tax filing deadline of July 15, 2020. If you want to contribute for 2019, call HealthEquity at 1-866-346-5800 to find out how to make the contribution so that it gets applied to the correct year. Please note: Payroll contributions are only made for the current plan year.
If You’re Feeling Stressed
Talk to Someone
It’s understandable that you’d be experiencing a lot of fear and anxiety around a public health crisis. If you ever want to talk to someone about your concerns, Optum, Intuit’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), is here to help. You can access six free, virtual counseling sessions per year. Just call 1-866-240-3364 to get started. Optum is also offering a free emotional support help line for all people impacted by the coronavirus. Call 1-866-342-6892, any time of day, to talk to a specially trained mental health specialist.
Take Charge of Your Well-Being
Now's a time when you really need to focus on your wellness. Your Practical Guide to Wellbeing from Virgin Pulse offers lots of tips, resources and support to help you reduce stress, stay active, be productive, sleep well and eat healthy. No need to be a Virgin Pulse member to take advantage of these resources. And check out Optum’s Remote Well-Being Toolkits (issue 1, issue 2, issue 3 and issue 4) to find tips and resources to help you continue your well-being journey while you work remotely.
Get the Facts
Sometimes a little information can go a long way toward easing your mind. Keep up with the latest news and advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization.
Stay Mindful
Learn to relax, stress less and find more joy in your life by taking a mindfulness session through the Whil digital platform. If you’re a Kaiser member, you can also access the Calm app for free. Just visit the Kaiser site to start taking advantage of guided meditations, mindfulness programs, sleep stories and mindful movement videos.
If You’ll Miss Work
Take Time Off
Visit Intuit’s microsite to learn about taking time off if you’re sick and need to miss work.
If You’re Caring for Kids
Update Your Dependent Care FSA
If your dependent care needs have changed due to a school or childcare center closure, this is considered a qualified family status change. You can make changes to your Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contributions, based on the date of impact to your family (e.g., the date of school/childcare service closure). To make changes, call Alight at 1-866-468-8236 (8 a.m.–9 p.m. PT) within 31 days of your qualified family status change.
Monies you have already contributed to your Dependent Care FSA account will remain available for use within the current plan year (through July 31, 2020). Any changes made to your Dependent Care FSA contributions through a qualified family status change will be processed within two payroll cycles from the date the change is made. If you experience another qualifying life event later in the year, call Alight to make a new contribution election within 31 days.
Keep Your Kids Learning
Just because they’re out of school doesn’t mean they can’t engage in productive and educational pursuits. Whil’s Grow program teaches kids 13 and older how to improve their focus, concentration and performance. Rethink, for kids with developmental disabilities, is currently offering several specialized services and features, including remote consultation services and video-based lessons.
Bright Horizons World at Home is a new way for you to keep your children learning during this time. Designed by education experts, World at Home features videos and activities for a wide range of curriculum areas, including yoga and mindfulness, STEM learning, language, story time and cooking. Intuit Perks at Work has partnered with Community Online Academy to offer courses for both kids and adults, including a free offering every Thursday. Topics include meditation, dance, American Sign Language and becoming a YouTuber.
To help you out this summer, Bright Horizons is offering discounts on their Additional Family Supports (nannies, sitters and tutors) as well as a Virtual Caregiver Summer Package through Sittercity, which features schoolwork assistance, online games and guided activities. If you’re looking for summer camp alternatives, explore the free online summer camps and online experiences, classes and events offered by Kids Out and About.
You may also want to check out these 10 tips for supporting your kids right now, as well as this list of educational websites that your kids may enjoy.
If You’re Anxious About Your Finances
Focus on the Long Term
During times of market volatility, you may be wanting to check on your investments and reconsidering your strategies for reaching your financial goals. A good place to start is the Empower website, where you can view your 401(k) account and explore content and tools focused specifically on challenging market conditions. Learn more at Empower’s Market Volatility Center.
If you’re stressing about the stock market and what it means to your financial portfolio, be sure to check out the Financial Knowledge on-demand webinar Managing Your Investments in Uncertain Times.
Hit Pause on Your Student Loans
The federal government has just announced that if you have a federal student loan, you have the option to suspend your payments completely until September 30, 2020, without accruing interest. Reach out to your loan provider to check what options are available to you. Even if you have a private loan (e.g., SoFi), there may be options to assist you during this time.
If Necessary, Consider a 401(k) Loan or Withdrawal
Congress recently passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide expanded access to retirement plan accounts for distributions and loans. The Intuit 401(k) Plan has adopted these provisions to ensure that those who qualify will have access to apply for a hardship or loan from the Plan.
While taking a loan or withdrawing money from your retirement account early should be a last resort, we understand that unusual times call for unusual actions. Before making decisions about taking money out of your retirement savings, please discuss your options with a tax professional.
To apply for a coronavirus 401(k) loan, call Empower Retirement at 1-800-338-4015 to request a form.
To apply for a coronavirus-related 401(k) loan repayment suspension, complete this form.
To apply for a coronavirus-related 401(k) withdrawal, complete this form.
The CARES Act relief applies to individuals who:
- Have been diagnosed with COVID-19 by a test approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Have a spouse or dependent who has been diagnosed.
- Are experiencing adverse financial consequences due to having their paid work hours reduced, being unable to work due to lack of childcare, or having to close or scale back a business due to coronavirus.
To learn more, review the FAQs for the CARES Act. If you have questions, call Empower Retirement at 1-800-338-4015.
Get Financial Wellness and Budgeting Support
Dial down your financial stress by getting assistance with increasing your savings, lowering your debt, improving your credit, and creating and sticking to a budget. Optum’s Live and Work Well program offers lots of great financial wellness and budgeting resources you should check out. You can even connect with a money coach.