Open Enrollment Begins July 16th

  OPEN ENROLLMENT BEGINS JULY 16TH

Industry standards have continued to show double digits for health care costs. Last year, Independent received an increase to the plan of 5.25%, which means our plan is in better shape than most.  This year, Highmark presented a renewal increase of 4.04%.  

Independent’s medical plan expenses are expected to be $1,358,687 for year-end July 2018. The insurance committee recommended a flat increase of $4.  There are no changes to the plan design of the two EPO Options (Base Plan/Low Premium and Buy Up/High Premium).

Medical:

For the 2018-2019 Plan Year, Independent will continue subsidizing the employee only premium at a 69% level. The dependent premium will be paid entirely by the employee. The smoker surcharge will continue to remain at 30%.

These plans offer in-network coverage only. There are no Out-of-Network benefits. EPO members can access In-Network PPO providers anywhere in the nation. Both options carry the ACA out of pocket maximum of $7,350 (individual) and $14,700 (family).  The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's website bluecares.com provides online access to the most current listing of providers. EPO members can also find network providers by calling a BlueCard customer service representative at 800. 810.BLUE (2583).

1. Base Plan (Low premium/High Deductible Option) is an EPO plan with a $3,000 employee only deductible and a $6,000 family deductible.  This plan’s design is to foster better understanding of medical costs and the value of discounts prior to making our health care choices. Preventive care will continue to be covered at 100%, the deductible will not apply. The costs are:

*Regular per pay period premium for medical & prescription coverage will be $88 for Employee only: $410 for Employee + Child(ren); $725 for Employee + Spouse; and, $952 for Family.

*There is a 30% discount for non-tobacco users. Those per pay period premiums will be $68 for Employee only; $315 for Employee + Child(ren), $558 for Employee Spouse; and, $732 for Family.

2 Buy-Up Plan (High Premium/Low Deductible) : The Buy-Up Plan is also an  EPO which has a deductible of $500 for employee only coverage and $1,500 for employees covering their dependents as well . Preventive care will continue to be covered at 100%, the deductible will not apply. The costs are:

      

*The regular per pay premium will be: $155 for Employee only, $468 for Employee + Child (ren), $833 for Employee +spouse; $1,093 for Family.

*There is a 30% discount for non-tobacco users.  Those per pay period will be: $119 for Employee only, $360 for Employee + Child(ren), $641 for Employee + spouse, $841 for Family.

To help control your out-of-pocket costs, we encourage employees and dependents to take advantage of the Plan’s preventive benefits. Your annual physical, for example, is 100% covered --- with no co-pay or deductible cost to you. Schedule your annual physical and follow the plan’s guidelines for staying healthy. Please also note that if you purchase Voluntary Accident Insurance, you will receive a reimbursement of $50 for seeing your Physician for an Annual Physical! 

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Dental: The Plan’s carrier is United Concordia, a subsidiary of Highmark DE.  The carrier presented an increase to the plan of 7.54% as well as offering Blue Edge Dental. Blue Edge Dental includes a wellness benefit but also allows you to receive care from any licensed dentist without being balanced billed. The new bi-weekly premiums for the optional Dental plan are:

$13 (from $12) - Employee only

$25 (from $23) - Employee child (ren)

$30 (from $28) - Employee spouse

$40 (from $38) - Family

Voluntary Accident Coverage – The Plan’s carrier is Reliance Standard.  This coverage is 100% employee paid.  The bi-weekly premium remains unchanged for the optional Accident Coverage plan: e: Employee Only:  $7.50, Employee + Spouse: $12.00, Employee + Child(ren):  $15.50, Family: $20.50

Life Insurance and Long Term Disability – There are no changes in the rates for life insurance.  However, the long-term disability rate increases from $ .32 to $ .37 of $100 base payroll. Any changes in your life insurance rate are as a result of your age.

******

Health Advocate - Health Advocate services continue to be available to you, your family and extended family.  For extended family members to utilize this service, they need only to reference they are your relative who is employed by Independent Newsmedia.  Health Advocate can assist you and your family with issues ranging from understanding an EOB, to assistance in finding daycare.  Health Advocate can also assist with matters related to claim denials/appeals, locating a Physician and can even schedule the appointment for you.  In the current landscape of Healthcare, everyone can use a little help.  Health Advocate is there for you to do so, at no cost to you.

You only need to re-enroll if you wish to make a change to your current selections.  If you do not make changes during Open Enrollment, the only other time you may do so is if you experience a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).  A QLE includes:  Birth or Adoption of a child, Death, Divorce, Court ordered coverage, or Marriage.

There is NO open enrollment for life insurance or long term disability.  If you wish to sign up for these benefits, please complete the Evidence of Insurability (EOI).  The form  is in Self Service>Benefits.

        The Self Service Open Enrollment site will be available from July 16 – 23, 2018.

[ClickHERE to log onto Ceridian Self Service for open enrollment. The ENROLLMENT flag that appears at the top will continue to display until open enrollment ends.]

Excellence Awards

EXCELLENCE AWARDS:  Nominations for Independent's annual Excellence Awards must be submitted by Friday, February 16.   Nominations may be made by any employee.  The nomination form and more details are available at http://iniusa.org/

2017 W2s Available Online

W2s have been uploaded to SeeMyW2.  Access to SeeMyW2 requires registration.  If you registered in prior years then you just need to enter your user ID and the password you selected at the time you registered.  If you have never accessed SeeMyW2 before you will need the following; your email address; your social security number and the company code of 2017W2.  Begin by clicking on the link below. 

If you choose not to use SeeMyW2 paper forms should arrive within the next couple of weeks.  

https://seemyw2.ceridian.com/seemyw2/cgi-bin/3pp.pl/eReports?cid=805339

Important Notice About Your Prescription Drug Coverage and Medicare Creditable Coverage

Important Notice from Independent Newsmedia, Inc. About Your Prescription Drug Coverage and Medicare Creditable Coverage

Please read this notice carefully and keep it where you can find it. This notice has information about your current prescription drug coverage with INI and about your options under Medicare’s prescription drug coverage. This information can help you decide whether or not you want to join a Medicare drug plan.  If you are considering joining, you should compare your current coverage, including which drugs are covered at what cost, with the coverage and costs of the plans offering Medicare prescription drug coverage in your area. Information about where you can get help to make decisions about your prescription drug coverage is at the end of this notice.

There are two important things you need to know about your current coverage and Medicare’s

prescription drug coverage:

1. Medicare prescription drug coverage became available in 2006 to everyone with Medicare. You can get this coverage if you join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan or join a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) that offers prescription drug coverage. All Medicare drug plans provide at least a standard level of coverage set by Medicare. Some plans may also offer more coverage for a higher monthly premium.

2. Independent Newsmedia, Inc. has determined that the prescription drug coverage offered by

Highmark Delaware is, on average for all plan participants, expected to pay out as much as

standard Medicare prescription drug coverage pays and is therefore considered Creditable

Coverage. Because your existing coverage is Creditable Coverage, you can keep this coverage

and not pay a higher premium (a penalty) if you later decide to join a Medicare drug plan.

When Can You Join A Medicare Drug Plan? You can join a Medicare drug plan when you first become eligible for Medicare and each year from October 15th to December 7th. However, if you lose your current creditable prescription drug coverage, through no fault of your own, you

will also be eligible for a two (2) month Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to join a Medicare drug plan.

What Happens To Your Current Coverage If You Decide to Join A Medicare Drug Plan?

If you decide to join a Medicare drug plan, your current Independent Newsmedia, Inc. coverage will not

be affected. See the Contact listed below for an explanation of your plan benefits including the prescription

drug coverage.

If you do decide to join a Medicare drug plan and drop your current Independent Newsmedia, Inc.

coverage, be aware that you and your dependents may or may not be able to get this coverage back.

You should also know that if you drop or lose your current coverage with Independent Newsmedia, Inc. USA, and don’t join a Medicare drug plan within 63 continuous days after your current coverage ends, you may pay a higher premium (a penalty) to join a Medicare drug plan later.

If you go 63 continuous days or longer without creditable prescription drug coverage, your monthly premium may go up by at least 1% of the Medicare base beneficiary premium per month for every month that you did not have that coverage. For example, if you go nineteen months without creditable coverage, your premium may consistently be at least 19% higher than the Medicare base beneficiary premium. You may have to pay this higher premium (a penalty) as long as you have Medicare prescription drug coverage. In addition, you may have to wait until the following October to join.

For more information about this notice or your current prescription drug coverage, contact  inipayroll@newszap.com  for further information. This noticed is shared each year.

To obtain more information about your options under Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage and the “Medicare & You” handbook, visit  www.medicare.gov.

You can also call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program at 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227), TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.

If you have limited income and resources, extra help paying for Medicare prescription drug coverage is available. For information about this extra help, visit Social Security on the web at www.socialsecurity.gov, or call them at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

Remember: Keep this Creditable Coverage notice. If you decide to join one of the Medicare drug

plans, you may be required to provide a copy of this notice when you join to show whether or not

you have maintained creditable coverage and, therefore, whether or not you are required to pay a

higher premium (a penalty).

OPEN ENROLLMENT: JULY 17-21

As you have seen in the news, health care costs have been increasing substantially over the years. Last year, Independent received a whopping 17.89% increase to the plan! A plan design change was made to the base plan (low premium/high deductible) that brought the base plan in line with high deductible plans associated with HSA (Health Savings Account). 

This year, Independent’s medical plan expenses are expected to be $1,213,430 for year-end July 2017. The good news is that the increase for this year’s renewal is only 5.25%.  In order to receive this concession, the plan design did change slightly for the High Premium/Low Deductible (Buy-Up) Option.  However, there is no change for the tobacco-free employee only premium.

The plan design for the Low Premium/High Deductible Plan (now called the Base Plan) will have no changes.  However, the High Premium/Low Deductible Plan (now called the Buy-Up Plan) will have a slight change in the prescription copay from 15/30/60 to 15/75/100.  The low premium/high deductible already has a similar prescription copay in place. The growth in spending has been linked to the rising use of prescription drugs, new medical innovations and treatments.

Medical:

For the 2017-2018 Plan Year, Independent will continue to subsidize the employee only premium at a significant percentage in all levels of 70%. The dependent premium will be paid entirely by the employee. The smoker surcharge will continue to remain at 30%.

These plans offer in-network coverage only. There are no Out-of-Network benefits. EPO members can access In-Network PPO providers anywhere in the nation. Both options carry the ACA out of pocket maximum of $6,850 (single)/$13,200 (family).  The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's website bluecares.com provides online access to the most current listing of providers. EPO members can also find network providers by calling a BlueCard customer service representative at 800. 810.BLUE (2583).

1. Base Plan (Low premium/High Deductible Option)  is an EPO plan  with a $3,000 employee only deductible and a $6,000 family deductible.  This plan’s design is to foster better understanding of medical costs and the value of discounts prior to making our health care choices. Preventive care will continue to be covered at 100%, the deductible will not apply. The costs are:

*Regular per pay period premium for medical & prescription coverage will be $83 for Employee only: $404 for Employee + Child(ren); $720 for Employee + Spouse; and, $946 for Family.

*There is a 30% discount for non-tobacco users. Those per pay period premiums will be $64 for Employee only; $311 for Employee + Child(ren), $554 for Employee Spouse; and, $728 for Family.

2 Buy-Up Plan (High Premium/Low Deductible) : The Buy-Up Plan is also an  EPO which has a deductible of $500 for employee only coverage and $1,500 for employees covering their dependents as well . Preventive care will continue to be covered at 100%, the deductible will not apply. The costs are:

      

*The regular per pay premium will be: $150 for Employee only, $463 for Employee + Child (ren), $828 for Employee +spouse; $1,088 for Family.

*There is a 30% discount for non-tobacco users.  Those per pay period will be: $115 for (no change from current) Employee only, $356 for Employee + Child(ren), $637 for Employee + spouse, $837 for Family.

To help control your out-of-pocket costs, we encourage employees and dependents to take advantage of the Plan’s preventive benefits. Your annual physical, for example, is 100% covered --- with no co-pay or deductible cost to you. Schedule your annual physical and follow the plan’s guidelines for staying healthy. Please also note that if you purchase Voluntary Accident Insurance, you will receive a reimbursement of $50 for seeing your Physician for an Annual Physical! 

*********

Dental: The Plan’s carrier is United Concordia, a subsidiary of Highmark DE.  Orthodontic care continues to be part of the dental plan.  There is a slight reduction in premium.  The bi-weekly premiums for the optional Dental plan are:

$12 (unchanged) - Employee only

$23 (from $24)  - Employee child (ren)

$28 (from $29) - Employee spouse

$38 (from $39) - Family

Voluntary Accident Coverage – The Plan’s carrier is Reliance Standard.  This coverage is 100% employee paid.  The bi-weekly premium remains unchanged for the optional Accident Coverage plan: e: Employee Only:  $7.50, Employee + Spouse: $12.00, Employee + Child(ren):  $15.50, Family: $20.50

Life Insurance and Long Term Disability – There are no changes in the rates for life and long term disability insurances. Any changes in your rate are as a result of your age and salary change respectively.

******

Health Advocate - Health Advocate services continue to be available to you, your family and extended family.  For extended family members to utilize this service, they need only to reference they are your relative who is employed by Independent Newsmedia.  Health Advocate can assist you and your family with issues ranging from understanding an EOB, to assistance in finding daycare.  Health Advocate can also assist with matters related to claim denials/appeals, locating a Physician and can even schedule the appointment for you.  In the current landscape of Healthcare, everyone can use a little help.  Health Advocate is there for you to do so, at no cost to you.

You only need to re-enroll if you wish to make a change to your current selections. If you do not make changes during Open Enrollment, the only other time you may do so is if you experience a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).  A QLE includes:  Birth or Adoption of a child, Death, Divorce, Court ordered coverage, or Marriage. The Self Service Open Enrollment site will be available from July 17^th– July 21^th.

[ClickHERE to log onto Ceridian Self Service for open enrollment. The ENROLLMENT flag that appears at the top will continue to display until open enrollment ends.]

Independent Increases 401(k) Match

The 401(k) match limit will increase from $350 to $400 for the plan year that begins July 1.  Independent will match 50% of each employee’s contribution to his or her 401(k) account up to the new limit.  This means the employee who contributes $800 or more for the plan year will actually be investing at least $1,200 to their account. 

Independent’s TPA and co-fiduciary, NFP Mid-Atlantic has conducted webinars which showed a noticeable increase in interest of the 401(k) Plan.  The NFP group also provides one-on-one retirement advice to the employees which is key for them in understanding how the Plan works.

In addition to the increase in the company match, the following changes have also been made to the 401(k) plan effective July 1:

• Automatic Enrollment:  When employees have satisfied the eligibility period (has been the company for a year, worked 1,000 hours and is at least 21 years of age), they will be automatically enrolled in the company’s 401(k) Plan.  The contribution will be set up at 3%.  The deferred monies will be placed in the American Funds Balance Fund.  The employee can always make changes to their investments from the defaulted fund.  If the employee does not wish to participate, a request must be sent to inipayroll@newszap.com within 90 days after the first withheld contribution. The employee monies deferred will be refunded.  Any company match will be returned to Independent.

• The 401(k) Plan will allow only  one (1) loan from the plan for hardship reasons as defined under ERISA.  Any existing loans within the plan will continue to be administered until each has been paid off accordingly.

These actions were recommended by the 401(k) committee members --- CEO/President Ed Dulin, Vice President and Plan Trustee Wanda Ford-Waring, and Accounting Manager/Treasurer Toni Jackson.  The recommendations were approved by Independent’s board of directors.

We want the employees to continue to have confidence in the company’s stability.  By increasing the match will demonstrate Independent’s desire to grow the participation to its retirement plan.  Investment in your retirement is very important now days and the Plan is one of the most powerful tools to use to put aside monies.  A benefit is that the employees’ contribution is not taxed until it is withdrawn.  In fact, the contribution reduces your salary before taxes are withheld, meaning you pay less in taxes today.  Secondly, money held in the 401(k) plan grows.  The investment earnings on plan assets are not taxed as long as they remain inside the Plan.

For 2017, you can contribute up to $18,000 to the Plan on a pre-tax basis.  If you will be at least 50 years old by December 31, 2017, you can contribute an additional “catch-up” contribution of $6,000.  You may change the amount of your Elective Deferral contributions at any time. Any changes in contributions, including stopping your deferral contributions can be done by click  SELF SERVICEor by sending an email to inipayroll@newszap.com . 

If you have questions about the 401(k) Plan or how to invest, contact the NFP team at 800-826-7859 or email Kadedra.Warren@nfp.com. Email inipayroll@newszap.com for a  copy of the 401(k) Summary Plan Document. 

First Aid Guidelines

To ensure that all Independent offices are in compliance with standard federal regulations in maintaining first aid kits, the guidelines below identify the company’s requirements.  

First Aid Guidelines

First aid is emergency care provided for injury or sudden illness before emergency medical treatment is available.  

Independent adheres to the requirements for First Aid in accordance with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA).  This means that any worker who sustains a workplace injury or becomes ill due to workplace conditions shall report the injury or illness to their immediate team leader; and if needed obtain immediate first aid. Other requirements are:

*A record of the first aid treatment or advice given to the worker should be kept in a logbook. A copy of the logbook should be shared with safety@newszap.com as well.

*First aid includes but is not limited to: cleaning minor cuts, scrapes, or scratches; treating a minor burn, applying bandages and/or dressings, cold compresses, cold pack, ice bag, splint, changing a bandage or a dressing after any follow-up for observation purposes only.  

*There should be assigned employees for every shift that are in charge of the first aid kits.

*First aid stations are to be located within quick and easy access for the prompt treatment of any worker at all times when work is in progress.

*First aid boxes and their contents shall be inspected frequently to ensure that they are full, in usable condition and that the contents have not expired. The individual handling the inspection should record the inspection card for each box with the date of the most recent inspection and the signature of the person making the inspection.

*Over-the-counter medications are not to be included in company First Aid Kits. Doing so, can expose the company to liability.  For example, while an aspirin, may allow an employee with a headache to continue working and maintain productivity, even over-the-counter medications have health risks and side effects that can be serious or even fatal. Also, some medications can cause drowsiness and result in a workplace accident

The First Aid Kits must contain certain components to be in compliant.  There are two classes of first aid kits. Independent’s casualty risk manager has said that the Kit shown below is ideal for the company’s operations. The Class A Kit is designed to deal with most common types of workplace injuries.  Should you have questions about the First Aid Kit or any related-issues, please email safety@newszap.com. 

May 2017

Delmarva Group Adds New Director of Sales Development

Marty Valania has joined INI as the Delmarva Director of Sales Development this week. 

In this newly created position, he will be responsible for significantly improving sales for the Delmarva group by increasing the selling skills and marketing/multi-media knowledge of all advertising team members.  This should involve working individually with each person as needed, as well as group training sessions to enhance the overall effectiveness and productivity throughout the region. 

In a staff position reporting directly to Ed Dulin, Marty will be coordinating and communicating his schedule with the two Delmarva publishers, Tom Byrd and Darel La Prade.  He will also be involved in the brainstorming on new initiatives being considered which could have an effect on sales productivity.

Marty comes to INI with 30 years of publishing and advertising management experience.  Most recently, he served as Regional Sales Director at Digital First Media and  has had numerous positions where he was responsible for training and development of multimedia sales teams.

SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT

                             SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT FOR

   INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA INC. USA 401(K) PROFIT SHARING PLAN

This is a summary of the annual report for the Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan (Employer

Identification Number 51-0072172, Plan Number 001) for the plan year 07/01/2015 through 06/30/2016. The annual report has

been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act

of 1974 (ERISA).

Basic Financial Statement

Benefits under the plan are provided by insurance contracts. Plan expenses were $337,450. These expenses included

$8,970 in administrative expenses and $328,480 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries, and $0 in other expenses. A

total of 189 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year, although not all of these persons

had yet earned the right to receive benefits.

The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $4,561,112 as of the end of the plan year,

compared to $4,781,963 as of the beginning of the plan year. During the plan year the plan experienced a change in its net assets

of -$220,851. This change includes unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference

between the value of the plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of

assets acquired during the year. The plan had total income of $116,599, including employer contributions of $21,971, employee

contributions of $189,353, and earnings from investments of -$94,725.

Your Rights to Additional Information

You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are

included in that report:

1. An accountant's report.

2. Financial information and information on payments to service providers.

3. Assets held for investment.

4. Insurance information, including sales commissions paid by insurance carriers.

5. Information regarding any common or collective trusts, pooled separate accounts, master trusts or 103-12

investment entities in which the plan participates.

To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, email inipayroll@newszap.com or call 800-426-4192.

You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets

and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes,

or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes

will be included as part of that report.

You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan: 110 Galaxy Drive,

Dover, DE 19901, and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of

Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N-

1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.

20210.

One Week Remaining To Submit Nominations

EXCELLENCE AWARDS:  Nominations for Independent's annual Excellence Awards must be submitted by Friday, February 17.   Nominations may be made by any employee.  The nomination form and more details are available at http://www.newszap.com/excellenceawards/nominationform.html

Excellence Awards Nominations

EXCELLENCE AWARDS:  Nominations for Independent's annual Excellence Awards must be submitted by Friday, February 17.   Nominations may be made by any employee.  The nomination form and more details are available at http://www.newszap.com/excellenceawards/nominationform.html

W2s Available

W2s have been uploaded to SeeMyW2 and paper forms were mailed Monday, January 23, 2017.  Access to SeeMyW2 requires registration.  If you registered in a prior year then you just need to use your user ID and the password you selected at the time you registered.  

If you have never accessed SeeMyW2 you will need to register.  You will need  

• your email address  
• your social security number   
• the company code of 2016W2   

If you choose not to use SeeMyW2 paper forms should arrive within the next week or so.  

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Nominations sought

It's that time again to recognize those persons who have proven their excellence in helping Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA fulfill its mission to the communities we serve. Employees are invited to nominate coworkers for the annual Excellence awards. These awards honor persons and teams whose practice of our core values have moved Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA closer to its goal of publishing purposeful newspapers. In the past, honorees have come from every facet of our operation - advertising, distribution, production, administration and news. They have been team leaders and team members, new employees and veterans. Their common quality is that each has been a model of excellence.

 Nominations may be made by any employee. A nomination form is available at http://www.newszap.com/excellenceawards/nominationform.html. All submissions should be made using this form.  Deadline for nominations is Friday, February 17.


A list of previous winners can be found at Excellence Awards link at Press Lines and can be a useful reference tool when preparing a nomination since previous winners cannot win more than once in the same category. Winners will be announced in late March or early April.