Frequently Asked Questions

Well-being Frequently Asked Questions

What is Choose Well?

Your caregiver benefits connect you with programs and resources to help you along your well-being journey; delivering on our Promise to: “Know me, care for me, ease my way”. You are encouraged to take personal accountability for the choices that you make across all aspects of your well-being. Whether the choices involve which benefits to elect, how to use those benefits for greatest personal impact, or daily choices for well-being, Choose Well supports you with these important life decisions.

Who is Virgin Pulse?

The Choose Well platform is powered by Virgin Pulse. Virgin Pulse is the administrator and record-keeper of the activities to track completion of the health incentive. Access the Virgin Pulse site through mychoosewell.org. Virgin Pulse also offers a free app on the iTunes Apple and Android Google Play stores, giving you the option to take it with you on the go. Sign-up for Choose Well for the first time from the website and then use the app after registering.

Is my information secure on the Choose Well platform, Virgin Pulse?

Yes. Your privacy and data security are important, and protections are in place to keep your data safe. Virgin Pulse technology and their data security processes have been thoroughly vetted by our risk and integrity team. Virgin Pulse is a global company and adheres to strict international data security regulations, including complying with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework. You may view their security standards found in their privacy policy here. Your personal health information is confidential and protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and will not be shared with your employer.

Who is eligible for the Choose Well health incentive?

Caregivers enrolled in the medical plan.

What is the Choose Well health incentive?

The Choose Well program provides a financial health incentive for participating in activities designed to help support your well-being. You can choose to earn the health incentive annually. The health incentive can be used to pay for your out-of-pocket health care expenses and reduce your medical costs.* Learn more at hrforcaregivers.org. Search for Health Incentive.*

How do I earn my 2024 Choose Well health incentive?

The goal is to earn 40,000 points to reach all four levels of the Choose Well by Nov. 10, 2023. You can earn points on the Choose Well website and app, powered by Virgin Pulse.*

Can I choose which point-earning opportunities to participate in?

Yes. You can choose which point-earning opportunities to participate in. You can mix and match earning opportunities to suit your needs, lifestyle and interests. For a full list of point earning opportunities, go to the How to Earn section of your Virgin Pulse account.

How do I know if I reached Level 4?

App: Click on Rewards. You will see your point total and level completion in the teal bar. Click on Learn How to Earn More Points for details on ways to earn your incentive.

Website: Look at the teal progress bar at the top of the main page. It will show the points total and what percentage of your health incentive that you have earned. Click on Rewards then Learn How to Earn Points for details on ways to earn your incentive.

What is Level 5?

Once you have achieved Level 4, you can choose to keep earning points. This level is hidden until you have reached level 4. When you hit 70,000 points, you have earned Level 5. You will receive a Secret Level 5 pin and bragging rights to all your coworkers.

How much can I earn for the 2024 Choose Well health incentive?

The health incentive amount varies by who you enroll in your medical plan. Learn more about the health incentive at HRforCaregivers.org. Search for Health Incentive.*

When will I receive my 2023 Health Choose Well health incentive?

Your earned health incentive will be awarded to you by the end of January. Learn more about the health incentive at HRforCaregivers.org. Search for Health Incentive.*

Does my spouse or qualified dependent need to participate in order to earn their portion of the health incentive?

No, they do not need to participate in Choose Well in order to earn their portion of the health incentive.*

Can my covered spouse or qualified dependent participate in Choose Well?

Yes, your spouse or qualified dependent covered on your medical plan can enroll in Choose Well by visiting www.mychoosewell.org and clicking on Sign Up. Once they enter their personal information, the program will recognize them as eligible to participate and create their account. They can take advantage of the valuable tools and resources, but they do not need to complete any activities in order to receive their portion of the health incentive.

Have questions about your health incentive, eligibility, Choose Well resources, or program details?

Call the Benefit Service Center at 888-615-6481.

How do I request a 2023 health incentive appeal?

You have certain rights if you believe that you were denied a benefit for which you are entitled. Caregivers who believe there was a plan administrative error, system error, technology problem or other circumstance affecting their ability to complete the health incentive activities may file an appeal by contacting Virgin Pulse at 844-930-1238. Appeals will be accepted Nov. 12, 2022 through March 31, 2023.

I don't own a smartphone/computer or an activity tracker. How can I participate?

Caregivers who don’t own a smartphone or computer, will be able to access their program through the onsite computer labs on campuses (if available) or by using other publicly available computers. Not having daily access or an activity tracker will not impede your ability to earn points and achieve the health incentive levels. Steps can also be manually entered on Virgin Pulse. The key to this program is personalization; you choose how you want to participate.

I have questions about the Choose Well platform, Virgin Pulse. How can I get help?

Need help logging in or navigating the website or app, contact Virgin Pulse member services directly by:

Telephone: 844-930-1238
Self-guided support: Check out the member support page in your Choose Well account by clicking on the green Support tab on the right-hand-side of your screen. Included are how to videos and answers to all your questions.
Chat: Click on the green Chat tab on the right-hand side of the screen to chat with a Virgin Pulse member services representative.

What accommodations are available to those with an impairment that may prevent the use of the Choose Well technology?

Reasonable alternatives (RA) are available to caregivers who are physically unable to earn points through physical activity or steps. There are short-term or long-term RA forms available depending on the members individual situation. RA forms are available through Member Services. The member completes the form and once received by VP, Member Services flags the member as eligible for RAS. The member can then manually enter workouts to earn up to 140 points per day (the same reward for daily steps). This effectively makes up for the points the member was unable to achieve by taking steps during the length of the RA period. The member will still need to achieve the level thresholds to earn rewards. The RA only supplements for the missing points for steps that members were unable to achieve during that program year. A Reasonable Alternative does not waive total participation for the entire program year. Caregivers can request a reasonable accommodation to earn the health incentive by calling Virgin Pulse at 844-930-1238.

Are translation services available?

Yes, the Choose Well technology platform hosted by Virgin Pulse offers translation services for most languages. To get help turning on this feature, call Virgin Pulse at 844-930-1238.

Learn more about each of these programs by going to mychoosewell.org.

*Caregivers covered under a collective bargaining agreement receive benefits in accordance with the terms of their contract.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

What is Public Service Loan Forgiveness?

PSLF is a loan forgiveness program for Federal Direct Loans. This program forgives the remaining loan balance after 120 qualifying payments while employed full-time* by an eligible employer such as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, government or tribal employer.
Additional information regarding PSLF can be found here.

How do I qualify?

Service within the Providence family of organizations may qualify you for PSLF while working full-time* in your present or past role(s).

To qualify you must: Be employed full-time* by a U.S. federal, state, local or tribal government or not-for-profit organization and have Direct Loans (or consolidate other federal student loans into Direct Loans) under an income-driven repayment plan.

What is the PSLF Limited Waiver and when do I need to apply by?

You have until Oct. 31, 2022 to take advantage of the PSLF limited waiver opportunity. The Department of Education issued a limited waiver that expanded eligibility for PSLF. Under the limited waiver borrowers with federal student loans may receive credit for past payments made since Oct. 1, 2007, while working full-time* for a qualifying employer.

If you have Federal Family Education (FFEL) Program loans, Perkins, or other federal student loans, you can consolidate them to a Direct Consolidation Loan and then complete the PSLF form after consolidation is complete to have your past payments counted. Private loans are not eligible. Learn more here.

Do my suspended payments count toward PSLF during the COVID-19 national emergency administrative forbearance period, which extends from March 13, 2020 through August 31, 2022?

If you have a Direct Loan and work full-time for a qualifying employer during the payment suspension (administrative forbearance), then you will receive credit toward PSLF for the period of suspension as though you made on-time monthly payments in the correct amount while on a qualifying repayment plan.
Note: In-grace, in-school, and certain deferment, forbearance, and bankruptcy statuses are not eligible for credit toward PSLF. Learn more here.

What is Tuition.io?

Tuition.io is our new benefit partner who provides a seamless digital platform to navigate PSLF to ensure success with step-by-step guidance.

You will view all your student loans in one place.
Find the best repayment plan for your situation based on financial estimates.
Access student loan coaches when you need to talk to a real person.

How do I apply for the PSLF program?

Visit https://caregiver.tuition.io/register and request an email invitation to create your account by entering your work email address.
Register your account and link your student loans.
Complete the strategy finder to find out next steps and potential savings.
Submit a PSLF form(s) for each qualifying employer. Your employer’s name, Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) and address can be found on your W-2. If you have transferred roles within the Providence family of organizations, you may have more than one current employer. Be sure to check your W-2s for this information.
Your PSLF form(s) will be sent to your employer digitally and Tuition.io will automatically send the signed PSLF form to the Department of Education. Please allow up to 6 weeks for processing.

What if I worked for other qualifying employers outside of the Providence family of organizations?

Complete a PSLF form(s) for all eligible full-time* employment since Oct. 1, 2007.
If you have transferred roles within the Providence family of organizations, you may have more than one employer. Be sure to check your W-2s for this information.
My Current Employer – use this option to complete a PSLF form(s) for each individual employer within the Providence family of organizations. (i.e., you may have worked for half your tenure with St. Joseph Health System and are now under Providence Health & Services, this will require you complete two separate PSLF forms for each organization)
A Prior Employer – use this option to complete additional PSLF form(s) for any prior employers outside of the Providence family of organizations. When completing a form for prior employment, you will be asked to provide an email address which allows your prior employer to sign the PSLF digitally and Tuition.io will automatically send the signed PSLF form to the Department of Education.

Are the amounts forgiven under the PSLF Program considered income by the Internal Revenue Service?

Amounts forgiven under the PSLF Program are not considered income by the Internal Revenue Service. Therefore, you will not have to pay federal income tax on the amount of your Direct Loans that is forgiven.

What happens to my Tuition.io account if I should voluntarily or involuntarily leave employment?

Your Tuition.io profile will be disabled, and you will no longer be able to access your account once you are no longer employed.

If I am already enrolled in the PSLF program, can I still use Tuition.io?

Yes. Even if you have already submitted your PSLF application this year, you can still enroll through Tuition.io to begin experiencing PSLF digitally through the software and receive email reminders to keep you on track.

If I do not qualify for PSLF or do not currently have student loans, can I still use Tuition.io?

Yes. Tuition.io provides all caregivers and their family members access to resources and student loan coaches even if you are not PSLF eligible or not currently do not have student loans.

Can my family members use Tuition.io for PSLF?

Unfortunately, the PSLF digital application process is not available to family members, because they must be actively employed by the Providence family of organizations.

How can I get additional support?

Tuition.io offers support in the form of technical assistance as well as one-on-one student loan coaching. Both are directly accessible from your Tuition.io account.

Call Tuition.io at (855) 353-9395 from 5 a.m.-5 p.m. PT or email support@tuition.io.

*You must meet your employer's definition of full-time status.

Back-Up Care

What are examples of when you can use back-up childcare?

You have a new baby and need care while you transition back to a normal work schedule.
Your child’s school or center is closed for breaks, teacher in-service days, or inclement weather.
You are in between childcare arrangements.
You have a change in your work schedule and need in-home childcare for evening and weekend hours. ▪ Your stay-at-home spouse or partner is called in for jury duty or has an appointment.
Your child is mildly ill and cannot attend his or her regular care program.
There is a national or local health emergency, natural disaster, or other crisis event.

What are examples of when you can use adult and elder care?

Your parent’s regular in-home care provider is out sick or on vacation.
Your teenage/adult child is mildly ill and you want someone with him/her while you are at work.
Your grandparents live out of state and need assistance.
Your parents live with your sister…and your sister has a temporary conflict and is unable to care for them.
Your mother-in-law is in the hospital and you would like someone to be with her for support.
Your spouse or partner (or other adult family member) is recovering from an illness or injury and needs assistance.

Am I eligible?

Benefits-eligible caregivers (scheduled work hours are a minimum of 20 hours per week) have access to the Bright Horizons program providing subsidized and low-cost back-up care for your children and adult/elder family members. Caregivers covered under a collective bargaining agreement receive benefits in accordance with the terms of their contract.

How many uses per year do I receive?

Back-up care provides a maximum of 10 uses annually per eligible caregiver

How much do I pay for the service?

When you make a reservation, you provide a credit or debit card. The card is charged the copayment the day after you use Back-Up Care.

Center-based care is $20 per child per day (maximum $35 per family)
In-home care for dependent adults, elders or max three children is $32 for up to four hours and $8 for each additional hour