2012 Annual Report available

NYSUT Member Benefits Trust Chairperson Lee Cutler's Annual Report highlights the major occurrences that took place in Member Benefits in 2011 and what's new in 2012. Click on the graphic below to view the Annual Report.

Spring 2012 issue of Member Benefits e-newsletter available

NYSUT Member Benefits launched a new electronic newsletter earlier this year to provide helpful information to our members while keeping them aware of the endorsed programs and services that we offer.

The Spring 2012 issue of Member Benefits E-Direct contains notes from Member Benefits Trust Director Lynette Metz, tips to protect you and your family against fraud, and a variety of other articles designed to make you better-informed consumers.

Please click here to view this e-newsletter in a special magazine format that allows you a variety of viewing options, such as being able to turn the pages side to side and view the content as large as you would like. This publication also includes embedded links that will allow you to learn more information about our various endorsed programs and services.

If you would like to share or print this publication, you will need to set up a free account through Issuu.com. Click on the "share" or "print" icon on the bottom of the e-newsletter; you will then be directed to "log in" or "sign up" to create a free account through Issuu.

Remember that we welcome your feedback about this publication and how we can continue to improve it in the future.

New Level Term Life offering

We are proud to announce that NYSUT members can now enroll in a new endorsed Level Term Life insurance program. The Member Benefits Trust-endorsed Level Term Life insurance program offered by The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York provides Level Term Life insurance coverage for you and your family.

Your age determines the length of coverage that you may apply for under the coverage. Terms are available for 10-year, 15-year and 20-year periods.

You or your spouse or certified domestic partner can apply for coverage up to $1 million. Applicants must be under age 55 to be eligible for the 20-year plan, under age 60 for the 15-year plan and under age 65 for the 10-year plan. Your individual premium is scheduled to remain level for the initial term of the plan.

Click here to get started.

Are your pets protected?

We are proud to announce that NYSUT members can now enroll in a new endorsed pet insurance program.

The Member Benefits Corporation-endorsed pet insurance program offered by VPI® Pet Insurance offers a variety of coverage options for dogs, cats, birds, and exotic pets.

While it's difficult to anticipate accidents and illnesses when it comes to these special members of the family, it is important to be prepared for them. It's also helpful to have some assistance when it comes to routine care for your pet.

Click here to learn more.   

Special MAP Prize Drawing

Special MAP Prize Drawing launches!

Our free MAP Alert email service helps thousands of NYSUT members stay informed about all of the endorsed programs and services that NYSUT Member Benefits offers. We believe so strongly in our MAP Alert service that we have launched a special prize drawing to encourage greater participation.

All current and new MAP members who open at least one MAP Alert before August 15, 2012 are eligible to win the following prizes:

• Grand Prize -- Bose Home Theater System
  
• First Prize -- iPad
  
• Second Prize -- Kindle Fire
  
• Third Prize -- Set of Bose Noise-Canceling Headphones
  
• Fourth Prize -- $50 Powell's Books Gift Card

You will receive one entry in the drawing for every MAP Alert that you open and read before August 15. Winners will be announced on August 16 on this website!

If you are not already a MAP member, click here to join this free service.

Stay tuned to upcoming MAP Alerts and this webpage for more information!

About MAP:
Our MAP Alert service is a way for NYSUT members to always be the first to know about what's going in Member Benefits. MAP members are also eligible to win a number of great prizes. MAP Alerts are sent approximately once every three weeks and we will not share your email address with outside interests. We oversee the frequency of email communications; you have our word that we will not bombard you with emails!

Exclusions:
Please note that you must be a NYSUT member to be eligible to win any of the prizes in this contest. Only one prize per winner. Current or retired NYSUT employees, NYSUT Member Benefits vendors, or their family members are not eligible to win. If you have any questions, please contact Member Benefits at 800-626-8101.

MetLife agrees to sell MetLife Bank’s deposits to GE

General Electric’s (GE) finance unit, GE Capital, announced that its wholly-owned bank affiliate, GE Capital Financial Inc. (GE Capital’s bank), has agreed to purchase approximately $7.5 billion in deposits from MetLife Bank – including the NYSUT Member Benefits Corporation-endorsed Preferred Savings Plus accounts. While the sale is subject to regulatory approval, the transaction is expected to close around mid-2012.

Until that time, MetLife Bank has assured us that business will continue as normal – which includes the ability to open new accounts and contact the MetLife Call Center for customer service. There should be no interruption to any MetLife Bank services.

NYSUT Member Benefits will discuss the possibility of the continued endorsement of the banking program with GE Capital, which we expect to be able to continue with the same terms and benefits for our members. Our goal is to continue to offer our members access to banking products with preferred interest rates and exceptional customer service. We will continue to update our progress on the Member Benefits website at memberbenefits.nysut.org.

In addition to the sale of MetLife Bank’s deposits, MetLife Bank also announced that it will be shutting down its home mortgage-origination department. While MetLife Bank will continue to service current home-loan clients and offer reverse mortgages, it will no longer be offering new traditional mortgages. Therefore, we have terminated our endorsement of MetLife Bank’s home financing solutions that were part of the Preferred Savings Plus Program.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the sale, please contact Member Benefits at 800-626-8101. 

Defensive Driving now offered online

If you are licensed in New York, you can now take the NYSUT Member Benefits Corporation-endorsed Defensive Driving course, sponsored by the National Safety Council, online. NYSUT members receive a savings of almost $20 on the online course registration fee.

Learn more.

Important Information for Laid-off Members

NYSUT Member Benefits recognizes the many personal and financial challenges faced by NYSUT members experiencing job layoffs, salary cuts and other financial difficulties. We sympathize with our laid-off members and are committed to helping you during this challenging time.

Please be reassured that if you are laid off, your membership in NYSUT will continue at no charge. Delegates at the 2009 NYSUT Representative Assembly unanimously approved a policy that says members experiencing layoff due to events beyond their control remain NYSUT members for at least two years at no charge or until you are re-employed in a job that affords you NYSUT membership. That two-year period can be extended at the request of the local union. The policy furthers NYSUT's mission of supporting all members -- particularly those in need.

Your continued membership in NYSUT at no charge ensures your ability to participate in NYSUT Member Benefits-endorsed programs and NYSUT Social Services. View NYSUT's Handbook for Laid-Off and Retrenched Employees for complete details about the options available to you along with a variety of helpful tips and other information.

Please make sure to notify your local union president as soon as you are laid off so that he or she can make the necessary arrangements for you, including notifying NYSUT of your change in status. If you currently use payroll deduction to pay for Member Benefits-endorsed voluntary programs, you will receive a letter from program vendors detailing how to make payments without payroll deduction.

Special Offers
NYSUT Member Benefits has also enlisted the assistance of our endorsed vendors to offer discounts or special accommodations for members facing economic hardships:

1. The law firm of Feldman, Kramer & Monaco, P.C. -- the provider of the Member Benefits Trust-endorsed Legal Service Plan -- is committed to assisting members who may encounter situations due to being laid off such as difficulty making mortgage payments, bankruptcy and other stressful situations. Therefore, the firm will waive the plan's annual fee for members laid off at the end of the current school year. Numerous benefits are included in the Legal Service Plan and can be found on this website under Legal Service Plan "Features." View the Legal Service Plan for details about the options available to you. To access the free plan, laid-off members should contact Member Benefits at 800-626-8101 for more information on eligibility for this special offer.

2. Any member, spouse or certified domestic partner insured under the Member Benefits Trust-endorsed Term Life Insurance Plan can reduce his or her term life insurance coverage and their premium for any reason (this applies to both members currently employed and those who have been laid off). As a one-time offer, if you reduce your coverage, you have the ability to reinstate the coverage amount up to $200,000 within 12 months of the reduction with no medical underwriting. To take advantage of this option, please contact the plan administrator, Marsh U.S. Consumer, toll-free at 888-386-9788.

Remember, we are here to help you during this difficult time and encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you.

Online discounts

Shop smart, save online, and stock up on the hottest gifts. Click on one of the links below to get started.

Working Advantage

Motivano SmartSavings Online Discount Marketplace

Have a "Great Escape" with Member Benefits!

Lake George in August... what could be more relaxing than cooling off while floating away in the lazy river? If it's thrills you seek, then Six Flags Great Escape has them -- including the new Alpine Freefalls, a nordic-themed multi-level water attraction. Or, maybe you're more into tackling the Sasquatch and its 192-foot drop tower?

Are you into winning prizes? Test your skills at games of chance and maybe win some prizes in the midway. And, we promise to dig into our closet and find a few goodies & giveaways while we're at it!

Tickets are only $46.50 per person!

Includes the following:

• Admission to The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom (normally $49.99 per person at the gate)
  
  
• Free Parking (normally $15)
  
  
• All-You-Can-Eat Catered Lunch featuring the "Sasquatch Smorgasbord" -- including Finger-Licking Fried Chicken, Fire-Grilled Hamburgers & Hot Dogs, Tossed Salad, Baked Ziti, Roasted Potatoes, Potato Chips and don't forget the fixings, soft drinks, and a dessert (not available with a regular priced ticket)
  
  
• Souvenir Drink Cup that you can refill throughout the park all day long, and if you have kids, this is a real money saver! (normally $17 at the park)
  
  

So come one, come all! Bring your relatives and neighbors too. Trust us, you'll look like a real hero! And we promise not to tell them how much you're saving...

Quick Facts:
Date: Saturday, August 11, 2012
Price: $46.50
Park Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Lunch: 12:30 to 2 p.m.

The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom is home to more than 135 rides and attractions, including thrill rides, family rides and a full water park. Put aside those fears and take a ride on The Comet -- rated as one of the world's top roller coasters -- or take on the 192-foot drop tower of the Sasquatch. Splashwater Kingdom Water Park features 10 white water attractions and is included with the price of admission.

New this year is the introduction of Alpine Freefalls, a nordic-themed multi-level water attraction that is two thrilling slides in one. This 60-foot water attraction includes Cliffhanger, the park's first free fall speed slide with Skybox technology plummeting riders six stories into six inches of water, along with the four-lane Twisted Racer, the Northeast's first-of-its-kind mat racer -- winding riders through enclosed tunnels before a drag race to the finish.

Check back to this page soon for more details about this event, including registration information. If you have any questions, please call 800-626-8101.

Budget Truck Rental Discounts

Next time you need to rent a truck, use your Member Benefits advantage! NYSUT members can receive a 20% discount off local and one-way truck rentals. Click here to find out how!

Web site comments

We know many of you have been visiting this site. Improvements and enhancements are being worked on, but we'd like to hear what you think of our site. Drop us an e-mail at benefits@nysutmail.org

Get assistance with the Legal Service Plan

Real estate sales and purchases, refinances, traffic violations, pre-nuptial agreements, uncontested divorce or separation, wills, health care proxies, living wills - they all require legal assistance.

The Legal Service Plan endorsed by NYSUT Member Benefits Trust can help you with these matters and much more. The Plan is preventive in nature, with the goal of resolving issues before they become big legal hassles.

With a nationwide panel of participating attorneys, discounted rates, and several no-cost benefits, the plan has been of assistance to countless NYSUT members. Learn more.

NMB Privacy & Legal Info

NYSUT Member Benefits Legal & Privacy Information

1. Privacy and Treatment of Information or Data Transmitted to Member Benefits
 
Personal information transmitted to Member Benefits will be treated in accordance with NYSUT's Privacy Policy. In addition, please refer to NYSUT Member Benefits Trust's HIPAA Privacy Notice for information on how your medical information may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.
 
2. Information Sharing
 
Member Benefits shares your personal information only with providers of our endorsed programs. Our contracts with these providers require them to keep the information strictly confidential and allow them to use the information to offer and verify eligibility for the endorsed programs. We do not sell or rent member information to telemarketers, mailing list brokers, or any other companies that are not offering Member Benefits-endorsed services or benefits. In addition, like most organizations, we also hire companies to assist with mailings that require access to members' names and addresses.
 
You can request that we not share your information with providers for the purpose of receiving Member Benefits-endorsed program offerings in the mail.

Alternatively, you can request that we not share your information with providers for the purposes of verifying your eligibility to participate in a program and receiving Member Benefits-endorsed program offerings in the mail. Please note that if both requests are made, you will be precluded from participating in any Member Benefits-endorsed insurance program, including any that you participate in currently.*

To make one of the above requests, you can:

- Call us at 800-626-8101, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Fax us at 518-213-6413
- Use this secure link [click here], which will encrypt your message to protect your privacy, or
- Write to us at NYSUT Member Benefits, 800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, NY 12110-2455.

Please include your name and NYSUT ID# (found on your NYSUT membership card). Be sure to indicate whether you want us to not share your personal information for the purposes of eligibility verification and not receiving offers in the mail, or just to not receive offer mailings. You should then stop receiving provider mailings in about 6-8 weeks.

* The Long-Term Care and WrapPlan II Flexible Premium Adjustable Life programs require that Member Benefits provides your personal information at the time of application and in order to purchase them via payroll or pension deduction. If paying for them via direct bill, following application and acceptance, it is not required that Member Benefits continues to share your personal information with the providers of these endorsed programs.

3. Summary Plan Description

The Member Benefits website’s description of NYSUT Member Benefits Trust-endorsed programs is NOT a Summary Plan Description (SPD). The 2012 Summary of Material Modifications (SMM) updates the SPD. Participants of the programs can obtain a SPD by clicking here and the SMM by clicking here or by contacting NYSUT Member Benefits using one of the contact methods listed in number two above.

One-time offer for term life insureds

Any member or spouse (or certified domestic partner) insured under the Member Benefits Trust-endorsed Term Life Insurance Plan can reduce their term life insurance coverage, and their premium, for any reason.

Here’s the special one-time offer: If you reduce your coverage, you have the ability to reinstate the coverage amount up to $200,000 within 12 months of the reduction with no medical underwriting. The waiver of underwriting for an increase amount of up to $200,000 is a one-time-only offer.

To take advantage, call the plan administrator, Marsh Affinity Group Services, toll-free at 888-386-9788.

Join MAP and you may be the next winner!

The NYSUT Member Benefits MAP (Member Alert Program) email blast service is a convenient way to stay informed about the many programs and services available to you. A MAP Alert could be an announcement of a new endorsed program, change in an existing program, reminder about a program, or a brief survey.

You can even win great prizes through MAP.

Michelle Grasso, a UUP member, recently won a TomTom GPS through the MAP quarterly raffle prize.  

Jennifer Knight, a member of the Oneida TA, recently won a $100 American Express gift card through the MAP survey raffle prize.

Joan Roth, a member of the Rockland Assoc. of Management, recently won a TomTom GPS through the MAP quarterly raffle prize.

What are you waiting for?

Click here to read more about the MAP program and access a link to our secure online sign-up form.

Announcing a new all-inclusive discount travel program

NYSUT Member Benefits Corporation recently endorsed TripMark.travel for your personal and business travel needs. Use this all-inclusive travel program when planning your next vacation, flight, cruise or other travel and take advantage of great deals. Book online or through travel agents. Group travel is also available.  

Learn more.

Looking for savings on hotel and vacation rentals?

NYSUT members can save on rates at more than 7,000 participating hotels, resort condos, villas, homes, and cottages through Wyndham Hotels & Endless Vacation Rentals.

Whether you are looking for an upscale hotel, all-inclusive resort or something more cost-effective, Wyndham Hotel Group has the right hotel for you at the right price. With Endless Vacation Rentals by Wyndham Worldwide, members receive a discount off the best available rate at more than 200,000 vacation rentals in 100 countries.

Click here to learn more.

MetLife Auto & Home

Personal Property and Liability Insurance

NYSUT Member Benefits Trust endorses personal property and liability coverage through MetLife Auto & Home, which offers special group rates not available to individual MetLife policyholders. Insurance policies include auto, home, renters, boat, personal excess liability (umbrella), fire, motorcycle, landlord’s rental dwelling, snowmobile, and recreational vehicle.

Use this toll-free number for getting a premium quote, customer service or claims reporting/information: 866-NYSUT-22 (866-697-8822)  

Hours for customer service and premium quotes:
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., ET 
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., ET
Claims reporting is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For more information, please visit the MetLife Auto & Home website.

MetLife® Auto & Home is a brand of Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company and its Affiliates, Warwick, RI.

MetLife Auto & Home is a NYSUT Member Benefits Trust (Member Benefits)-endorsed program. Member Benefits has an endorsement arrangement of 5.5% of total premiums for this program. All such payments to Member Benefits are used solely to defray the costs of administering its various programs and, where appropriate, to enhance them. Member Benefits acts as your advocate; please contact Member Benefits at 800-626-8101 if you experience a problem with any endorsed program.

Agency fee payers to NYSUT are eligible to participate in NYSUT Member Benefits-endorsed programs.    

Met Auto & Home Disclosure

MetLife Auto & Home is a brand of Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company and its affiliates:  Metropolitan Casualty Insurance Company, Metropolitan Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Company (CA Certificate of Authority: 6730, Warwick, RI), Metropolitan General Insurance Company, Metropolitan Group Property and Casualty Insurance Company (CA COA: 6393; Warwick, RI) and Metropolitan Lloyds Insurance Company of Texas, all with administrative home offices at 700 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886. Coverage, rates and discounts are available in most states to those who qualify.  

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For more information, please visit MetLife Auto & Home.

MetLife Testimonial

  Personal Property and Liability Insurance

NYSUT Member Benefits Trust endorses personal property and liability coverage through MetLife Auto & Home, which offers special group rates not available to individual MetLife policyholders. Insurance policies include auto, home, renters, boat, personal excess liability (umbrella), fire, motorcycle, landlord’s rental dwelling, snowmobile, and recreational vehicle.

Use this toll-free number for getting a premium quote, customer service or claims reporting/information: 866-NYSUT-22 (866-697-8822)

Hours for customer service and premium quotes:
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., ET 
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., ET
Claims reporting is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For more information, please visit the MetLife Auto & Home website.

MetLife® Auto & Home is a brand of Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company and its Affiliates, Warwick, RI.

MetLife Auto & Home is a NYSUT Member Benefits Trust (Member Benefits)-endorsed program. Member Benefits has an endorsement arrangement of 5.5% of total premiums for this program. All such payments to Member Benefits are used solely to defray the costs of administering its various programs and, where appropriate, to enhance them. Member Benefits acts as your advocate; please contact Member Benefits at 800-626-8101 if you experience a problem with any endorsed program.

Agency fee payers to NYSUT are eligible to participate in NYSUT Member Benefits-endorsed programs.