Changes to the 2018 State Group Health Insurance Program were approved by the Group Insurance Board on Aug. 30, 2017. Health plans will be providing additional information to all affected employees between now and the Annual Benefits Enrollment period, scheduled for Oct. 2–27, 2017. Beginning in 2018, Unity Health Insurance, Physicians Plus, and Gundersen Health Plan will be offered under the name “Quartz.” Participants in these plans will be enrolled automatically in either Quartz-UW or Quartz-Community. Most UW–Madison employees who participate in one of these plans will see Quartz-UW listed as their health plan in the online Self Service tool available Oct. 2–27. Employees can select a different plan for 2018 coverage during the Annual Benefits Enrollment period.

Beginning Sept. 5, all UW–Madison faculty and staff have the opportunity to join a new meal program, good at any of the six University Housing dining locations across campus. For a $25 annual fee, faculty and staff can get a 20 percent discount on most food items during the academic year. Members of the program must load money onto their Wiscard account and use the Wiscard for purchases to receive the discount. To sign up, visit the Dining Office in the lower level of the Gordon Dining and Event Center.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team urge you to be cautious of charity scams and do your research before giving to online charities. Charity scams often use fraudulent emails containing links or attachments that could direct you to malware-infected websites. The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) at UW–Madison offers a summary of the FTC’s guidelines for wise giving, including a link to the FTC’s advice for helping Hurricane Harvey victims.