Testimonials
What's Next?
Whose License is it?
Important W-2 Information
In This Issue
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Copy Editor: Kelly Chadwick Contributors: Stacey Solomon/ Ryan Lundquist / Jesika Cater Design & Editor: Jesika Cater
About This Issue
Pathways
Winter 2021
BenefitsPro: COVID Relief Bill Includes Surprise Medical Billing Fix. Click here to read more.
DirectPath Press Corner
It’s my sincere hope that you are all having a wonderful 2021 so far. Last year was certainly a unique one. I wanted to thank you all for your hard work during an uncertain time. I believe that DirectPath has the best group of Benefits Educators in the industry. I say this a lot, but one of the greatest things about my job is that I get to work with people who genuinely care about making a difference in the lives of others. Here are just a few contributions that you made in Q4 of 2020. You impacted over 140,000 lives. You set the standard for a 100% telephonic enrollment season. You helped us pioneer remote trainings for groups of 3 to 60+. You completed 21,700+ appointments in October and November. We will begin working on process improvement for Q4 2021 soon, and we are grateful for your participation in the survey. We take your suggestions and feedback, then turn them into actionable items that allow us to create a positive and successful Benefits Educator experience. We heard you when you said that you need additional training on core benefits, that you’d like to see portal enhancements, and that earlier ben admin system access is key to being confident on day one of enrollment. We’ll be using the survey results as a guide to making 2021 the best year yet. In closing, I want to repeat that we appreciate your hard work, because it cannot be said enough. The Benefits Educators are the first impression that DirectPath makes when it comes to our clients’ eligible employees. Without a doubt, you have provided guidance amid uncertainty, direction in the height of chaos, and compassion in a world that needs it. -Stacey Solomon
Online W-2 Information
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES REGARDING ONLINE W-2 INFORMATION
SourcePointe is required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide all employees with a Form W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) to report the employee’s compensation and tax withholding amounts for the calendar year, on or before January 31st of the following year. SourcePointe employees may choose to receive their W-2 statement electronically via the Employee Self-Service portal (preferred), or receive a paper copy mailed to the home address on file with Human Resources. Employees may update their W-2 address via the SourcePointe employee portal. Benefits of receiving an online Form W-2 include: • Secure, electronic access to W-2 at any time • Email notification when online W-2 is available • Immediate access once W-2 has been generated Please read the following disclosure notice in its entirety, and follow the instructions to provide the required consent if you wish to receive your W-2 online. Disclosure Notice: Employee Consent (Opt-in): If an employee does not consent to receive an electronic version of the Form W-2, a paper copy will be mailed to the employee’s home address on file with Human Resources. (The “default” setting is for employees to receive paper W-2 forms via USPS mail.) Scope and Duration of Consent: Consent for online W-2 delivery is effective immediately and for all subsequent tax years unless consent is withdrawn or employment ends. Employees will receive an email notification each year when online W-2 forms are available for access. Procedure for Obtaining Printed W-2s After Consent is Given: After giving consent, an employee may still request a paper Form W-2 by contacting SourcePointe’s Payroll Department. The request for a paper W-2 form will not terminate consent to receive W-2s electronically in the future. Withdrawal of Consent (Opt-out): An employee may withdraw consent at any time. Consent withdrawn by employees is effective only for W-2 forms not yet issued and does not apply to previously issued W-2s. To withdraw your consent, you must send a written request to payroll@sourcepointe.com. Separation of Service: Employees who have separated service and who have previously opted to access their W-2 electronically will receive a paper Form W-2, mailed to the last home address on record with Human Resources. To ensure timely delivery of W-2s former employees must notify Payroll of any address change after employment has ended. Updating Information: All employees are responsible for ensuring their address is correct for tax reporting purposes. Employees may update their address/communication information via the SourcePointe Employee Self-Service Portal. Hardware and Software Requirements: The hardware and software required to access, print, and retain online W-2s include Internet connection and an up to date web browser. (We recommend Google Chrome.) Inaccessible W-2s or Technical Problems: If an employee has consented to receive an online Form W-2 and encounters technical difficulties, the employee should contact the SourcePointe IT Helpdesk at support@sourcepointe.com. Instructions for Online W-2 Election via Employee Self-Service (Prism): 1. Click here to log into the SourcePointe Self-Service Portal 2. On your dashboard click “Taxes" and select the "W-2" tab 3. Review the terms and conditions 4. Check the grey box to give consent and click "Enroll"
Whose License Is It?
DirectPath works extremely hard every year to ensure that all educators are properly licensed and appointed. We take great pride in making sure DirectPath educators are ready to go before every case to which they are assigned, and we spend on average $2,500.00 per educator to maintain compliance. DirectPath wants to provide you with some tips to make sure you remain compliant with all the various State Departments of Insurance. Every insurance license that is purchased on your behalf belongs to you and only you! After your case assignment ends, you can use your new license and seek business and insurance appointments in any state in which you hold a license. This can be a great benefit for all the DirectPath educators who choose to work other business throughout the year. As you maintain your license, there are some very important rules to make sure you follow so you don’t end up with late fees, fines or license terminations. 1. Any address change (Residential, Business or Mailing) MUST be reported to every State in which you hold a license within 30 days of the change. Fines for late reporting can be over $200.00 and would not be covered by DirectPath. This can easily be reported through NIPR.com at no cost. 2. Any felony and most misdemeanors MUST be reported within 30 days and disclosed to every State in which you hold a license. Failure to report this can result in termination of a license and other fines. It can also prevent you from being able to renew the license in the future. This can be reported through NIPR.com at no cost. 3. Respond to any State Department of Insurance questions or individual rules. For example, the State of New York will send out a notice that you need to comply with their State Cyber Security rules. Failure to complete the requested steps may result in termination of your license. Feel free to email licensing@directpathhealth.com if you need instructions on what to do. 4. Continuing education is your responsibility. DirectPath has partnered with WebCE to help facilitate completion of your CE and save 10% of every purchase. You have an account created using the email you provided to DirectPath and a temporary password of directpath2020. Please email licensing@directpathhealth.com for any assistance. 5. Having an active Resident license is required for your employment with DirectPath. The license must be active prior to signing any contracts with DirectPath and must be active prior to accepting any cases. There is no room for error on this process. These are the most common items that occur during the off season that require your attention. We at DirectPath are here for all your compliance and licensing related questions, and we look forward to working with everyone again soon! Stay Safe and Healthy! - Ryan Lundquist
DirectPath proudly stood with 1700+ businesses to increase voter paricipation in our elections.
Dennis Law, Benefits Educator
Kay Johnson, Benefits Educator
Stacey Solomon, Director, Educator Services
Tiny Pygmy Possums Discovered on Kangaroo Island After Fears Bushfires Had Wiped Them Out
Good News Break
‘Frankie the Adventure Goat’ Has Traveled Over 60,000 Miles Across America in Epic Road Trip
How Phoenix Feeds The Hungry With Fresh Food While Saving Local Businesses and Farms
Photographer Captures Picture of Stunning ‘Ice Ball’ Phenomenon on Finnish Beach
As you know, each year our internal teams take the spring to evaluate the successes and challenges of Q4. This means assessing each department within DirectPath on how we can be better for our clients and their employees. Your valuable feedback on the survey is taken into account when looking into each aspect of how we can improve. Because you are the feet of Engagement, we want to improve the road that you run on during that time. Our goal is to give you the tools so we can impact in a positive way those making health care decisions for their families. If you ever have suggestions or improvements you would like to add, feel free to email greenlight@directpathhealth.com at any time. Although we can’t implement every suggestion, we take them all seriously and will always strive to meet our collective goals in the best way possible. As a reminder, Newsletters are sent out each quarter with updates to policy and procedures. Keep an eye on your inbox each quarter. You will also start seeing more information related to offer letters and GPS curriculum by mid-to-late spring. We already have some new courses coming your way for the summer of 2021! -Jesika Cater
Employer Testimonials
If you have never been appointed with Trustmark: Click here for the link to nomoreforms Instructions You should follow the instructions on the attachment to become appointed with commissions going to DirectPath. Please note: You have not completed the process until you are given a confirmation code. If you have been appointed with Trustmark: Sign into “nomoreforms” as listed in the Trustmark instructions. If you aren’t sure if you were ever appointed, you can try to complete the nomoreforms process and the system will tell you whether or not you are already registered. You should click “forgot password” if you have completed nomoreforms in the past but cannot remember your password. Once you log in you should see your appointment status and who is set up to receive commissions.
If you have never been appointed with Unum: Click here for the link to the UNUM Instructions Please note: You will receive your broker number once you have been appointed. If you have been appointed with Unum: Call AskUnum at 1.800.275.8686. If you are appointed, check to see if you need to complete any additional background information for your resident state. If you are in good standing, ask for your Broker ID.
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Andrea Brown, Benefits Educator
Cecile Rhodes, Benefits Educator
Tommie Coleman, Benefits Educator
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Kim Chatman and son
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