Human Resources: H1N1 Advisory

H1N1 ADVISORY

The following information applies to all faculty and staff employees only.

As many of you are aware, human cases of H1N1 flu have been identified in several states and countries and case counts continue to increase. The Center for Disease Control anticipates wider transmission and possibly greater impact as we reach the late fall and winter when seasonal influenza viruses may cause illness at the same time as the H1N1 virus. The health and safety of Yeshiva University staff, faculty, and students are our top concerns and we must work together to take proper precautions to reduce transmission of the virus.

The H1N1 Flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal flu viruses spread, mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus. People may become infected by touching a surface or object with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Therefore, everyone should take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the flu by following basic hygiene rules.

Prevention:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You may also use hand sanitizer. Visit http://www.einstein.yu.edu/home/EinsteinOnH1N1.asp, to review proper hand washing techniques to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth since germs are spread this way.
Use alcohol towel wipes to clean the surface of your telephone and computer keyboard. Try to avoid using another employee’s telephone or computer keyboard.

If you Become Ill:

Consult your health care provider immediately.
Do not come to work if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, runny or stuffy nose, headache, chills, fatigue and/or vomiting and diarrhea). Please follow standard office procedure on notifying your supervisor, department administrator, or department head about your absence due to illness.
If you experience the onset of flu-like symptoms during the work day, please advise your supervisor and then leave and return to work only when you have been cleared by a physician.
If you experience illness, do not return to work until your fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or signs of a fever have been absent for 24 hours (without fever reducing medications).
If you are unable to work due to the flu for more than five (5) work days, you and your doctor must complete and submit a Short Term Disability form. To obtain a form please call Geniene Jones, University Benefits Office, at 718-430-2566 or by email at Geniene.Jones@einstein.yu.edu.
If you become ill due to the flu and do not have any paid sick leave remaining for 2009, you may borrow up to seven (7) paid sick days from your 2010 allotment. If you become ill with the flu in 2010 and do not have accrued sick leave, you can borrow up to the number of paid sick leave that you will accrue in 2010. You may also opt to use any accrued vacation time or unpaid leave. Please notify your supervisor of your preference. We hope that by providing this flexibility our employees will not be deterred from taking the time to recover from flu illness while being financially secure.

Your Supervisor’s Role:

We have provided our supervisors with guidance on how to best assist employees who become ill, who are concerned about becoming ill, who need time off to care for sick members of their family and have encouraged them to remain supportive in helping you and the University community stay healthy and safe during this period of potential H1N1 flu spread. Your supervisor has the difficult task of trying to balance this expectation while also maintaining department operations. Therefore, we ask you to be patient and cooperative with your supervisor as he/she tries to manage these challenges fairly.

If, however, you have any concerns regarding this advisory or the way in which your supervisor(s) responds to your needs during this period please contact my office or a member of the Employee Engagement and Development team (see resource information listed at the end of this letter).

Flu Vaccines:

In the coming months the University will announce additional measures as they become available. Such measures may include the availability of seasonal flu vaccines or H1N1 flu vaccines in the workplace. However, in all cases, employees who become ill or want to be proactive in managing their health should seek guidance and treatment by their healthcare provider or local healthcare system.

Some of our staff, faculty, and student will be required under New York State regulations to be immunized with both the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccine because their positions or roles require them to provide patient care (insert link to authoritative source). For those of you not involved in direct patient contact we encourage you to take the necessary precaution of being inoculated with the seasonal flu vaccine and to regularly monitor our H1N1 web pages, at www.yu.edu or www.einstein.yu.edu, to keep informed of the latest public health guidance and information. Important information can also be found on the website for the Center for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov and www.flu.gov.

Update from our Empire BC/BS Health Plan:

Empire has notified us that they, like many other health plans, will be treating claims for H1N1 vaccines, services, and medications differently in an effort to assist our insured members and their families. The following is provided for your information but please check with Empire www.empireblue.com directly, or if you are insured under another plan with that health plan provider, with any questions you may have regarding coverage.

Waived member deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance. Empire will provide first-dollar coverage for the administration of the H1N1 vaccine by providers to fully-insured members, regardless of current vaccination benefit. Providers are expected to accept insurance payment in full so that no out-of-pocket costs will be incurred by members. The cost of the administration of the vaccine will not accumulate to a member’s annual maximum, preventive maximum or lifetime maximum benefits. The cost of the vaccine itself is paid for by the government.

Vaccine availability and distribution. The U.S. government has purchased more than 200 million doses of H1N1 vaccine, and the initial doses of the vaccine will be available this month. However, the production of the over 200 million doses of the vaccine will not be complete until 2010. The first wave of the vaccine is already available. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be distributing the vaccine through state health departments.

Each state is responsible for distributing vaccine to health care providers and local health departments, which are likely to include vaccination clinics, retail pharmacies and retail clinics. Empire’s network management team is working closely with their pharmacy benefit manager (NextRx) to coordinate with retail pharmacies and immunization vendors. We expect the majority of vaccines will be given through these alternative settings; however; if a member receives their vaccination through the physician's office, the normal billing process will be used and the charge paid without a member cost share when the member uses a participating provider.

Minimizing member cost for treatment. For Empire members with pharmacy benefits and who require the antiviral medications Relenza and Tamiflu for the treatment of the H1N1 virus, benefit coverage will be increased. These medications will be covered as Tier 2 formulary for all members with pharmacy benefits. This will facilitate access to treatment for members who do become ill with the H1N1 virus and require anti-viral treatment. The normal Tier 2 cost share will apply. In addition, Empire has made changes to their formulary to ensure members with pharmacy benefits are covered for these drugs without the need for prior authorization.

Your health and the health of our extended families are of paramount importance. Also, we remain concerned about the ability of the various departments to carry on their daily operations. For these reasons, we urge all employees to remain attentive and take preventative and hygienic measures to avert the spread of the H1N1 virus. We need your help to maintain a healthy campus for all employees and our students.

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