FAQ & Support

We are thrilled to be welcoming Lake Norman to the Duke Health team. Leaders and team members from both organizations are working diligently to prepare for and support a smooth integration.

The shift differentials will align with Duke Health pay practices.  Specific information about any applicable differentials to your role can be found on the Duke HR website about Premium Pay.

We look forward to officially welcoming Lake Norman colleagues to the Duke Health team on April 1, 2025.

Your first steps will be to get your Duke Health credentials and upload your new badge photo.

Please visit the Onboarding page or review your welcome letter for a complete list of steps you need to take, important links, and additional onboarding activities that will occur in the coming weeks.

Your Lake Norman occupational health record will be transitioned to DUHS on April 1. No action is necessary unless you intend to opt out of the transition of your medical records. Visit the Onboarding page or review your welcome letter for instructions on how to opt out.

To be consistent with Duke’s compliance policies, you may be required in the future to submit additional information. Duke Health requires employees to be compliant with the flu vaccination policy, which will begin Fall of 2025.

You can contact lakenorman@duke.edu with questions about the onboarding process or submit your question here and someone from our team will follow up with you.

Please contact Duke Office of Information Technology at 919-684-2200 if you need assistance resetting your password.

Click below if you need help managing your NetID.

No, our badging system only uses legal names for compliance and regulatory requirements as well as consistency with state licenses, board certifications, payroll and benefits.

The cost of health, dental and vison insurance premiums is different between CHS/Lake Norman and Duke.  To help the Duke Health Lake Norman employees maintain a consistent take-home pay, a pay supplement will be offered to those employees who had CHS health insurance and who enroll in Duke health, dental or vision insurance. The supplements will continue until November 2025 (which will pay for December’s coverage).

*Duke does not offer employee and children therefore the selection may be employee and child if only one child or family if covering more than one child.

Open enrollment begins on March 19.

Open enrollment will be available between March 19-31. Benefits become effective April 1, 2025.

Please Note: For hourly paid Staff, Duke@Work will be unavailable for enrollment or enrollment changes, on March 26 & 27, 2025, due to payroll processing.

For employees transitioning to Duke on April 1, 2025, benefits coverage will begin on April 1st.

For employees hired by Duke Health Lake Norman Medical Center after April 1, 2025, benefits coverage begins the first day of the month following the date of hire.

Full-time employees working (30 or more hours per week) and part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week, are eligible for benefits. Part-time employees working at least 20 hours but less than 30 hours per week pay the full cost for medical coverage. (Part time employees are not eligible for the Duke Contribution towards the insurance premium).

The 2025 Benefits Decision Guide is available and provides detailed information on all the benefits you are eligible for as a Duke Health team member.

For more information, employees can contact the Duke Benefits Integration Team at benefitsintegration@duke.edu or call (919) 613-3447.

Duke offers three medical plans for employees that live in the Lake Norman area, which include two PPO plans and one HMO plan. Employees can choose the plan that best suits their needs. Information regarding the medical plans available to you, can be referenced at hr.duke.edu/benefits.

Yes, dependents such as spouses and children up to age 26, can be covered under your health insurance plan.

Yes, your children who are intellectually or physically disabled and incapable of self-support after age 26, if their disability began before they turned age 26, and they were covered under a Duke medical plan prior to age 26 are considered an eligible dependent. Duke reserves the right to request an annual review of those dependents’ health status. All the following criteria has to be met:

• The parent must apply for the waiver on or prior to the child’s 26th birthday.
• The intellectually or physical handicap must be significant and render the child incapable of independent living and self-sustaining employment,
• The handicap must be supported by medical records.
• The condition must exist on or prior to the 26th birthday.
• The parent must remain eligible.
• The parent must provide annual evidence of continued incapacity.
• There must not be a break in coverage after the 26th birthday under the parental policy.

You may enroll during the special enrollment period, on March 19^th-March 31^st. Benefits become effective April 1, 2025.

Please Note: For hourly  paid Staff, Duke@Work will be unavailable for enrollment or enrollment changes, on March 26 & 27, 2025, due to payroll processing.

Benefits are deducted monthly.

Bi-weekly staff please refer to the Benefits Payroll Deduction Schedule available online.

• 1^st pay period of every month – premiums for Dental, Vision, Supplemental Life, Voluntary Disability Plans, Personal Accident, Parking and Life For Life
• 2^nd pay period of every month-premiums for Medical, Live for Life and Flex Card elections.
• Every Pay Period– deductions for Reimbursement Account, Retirement Contributions, Personal Casualty Insurance and Duke Credit Union

Health, Dental, and Vision premiums are deducted one month in advance of coverage. Duke does not prorate premiums. Your health premiums are based on coverage in effect on last day of month. All other premiums pay for coverage for the month in which the deduction is taken. Owed premiums are take on the next available paycheck and marked as a 1x deduction.

Duke is providing a supplemental payment for the cost of health insurance for the month of April. The deductions for April coverage will show on your first pay statement as a 1x deduction but will include a benefit supplement to offset the 1x cost.

The cost of medical insurance varies based on the plan selected, the number of dependents covered, and whether you are working full-time or part-time. Full-time employees share the cost with Duke, with contributions deducted from each paycheck. Part time employees pay the full cost of the premium.

For additional plans and premiums please visit https://hr.duke.edu/benefits/medical/medical-insurance/premiums/

At Duke, we pay benefit premiums one month in advance. For example, in April, you are paying for May’s coverage. To minimize the financial impact of this transition, Duke will fully pay for the cost of April’s health insurance premium so that your first deduction will be paying for May’s coverage.

1. Find a network provider online:Blue Care / Duke Options / Duke USA Members
2. Call BCBS at 877-275-9787
3. Download the BCBS Mobile App that gives you access to your virtual ID Card, Claims status and In-Network Providers
   • Blue Connect Mobile NC app (Apple app store)
   • Blue Connect Mobile NC app (Google Play app store)

Duke’s coverage for outpatient and inpatient behavioral health and substance abuse benefits is provided through your medical plan.  If you enroll in Blue Care, Duke Options, or Duke USA you can access your behavioral health and substance abuse benefits by using your member ID.  These benefits are provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield.  You can reach out to them for assistance at 800-359-2422.

Duke also offers up to eight visits to Duke employees and their immediate family members through the Personal Assistance Service (PAS) at no cost to you. The staff of licensed professionals offer assessment, referrals, and a range of other services to assist with personal, work and family matters. For information, call (919) 416-1727.

Duke employees who work 20 hours or more per week can choose from three dental options that offer different levels of coverage and different ways of choosing a dentist. Dental A, Dental B, and the Dental PPO plan.

Dental Premiums

A list of network dentists is available at ameritas.com or by calling Ameritas, at 1-800-487-5553.

You and/or your dependent(s) will be considered a “late entrant.” As a “late entrant”, your benefits during 2026 will be limited to preventive services: two preventive routine care exams (not including X-rays), two prophylaxis (routine) cleanings, and for children under age 19, one fluoride application. No other dental or orthodontia procedures or services will be covered during the first 12 months if a member is enrolled as a late entrant.

The medical and dental ID cards are mailed out to employees approximately 7-10 business days from when you enroll in the medical and dental plans.  The vision plan does not send out ID cards to employees directly. Please refer to the information below regarding the vision plan ID cards.

Provide the primary insured’s vision identification number (the vision identification number is the insured’s Duke Unique ID number plus leading zeroes for a total of a nine digit number), patient’s name, and patient’s date of birth. UnitedHealthcare Vision does not issue identification cards to enrolled members. However, you may print a personalized ID card by completing the User information at myuhcvision.com and selecting “Print ID card” from the Member Web Portal page.

No, we will credit the deductibles and OOP maximums already paid this year and be applied to the limits of your elected Duke plans.

The cost of health, dental and vison insurance premiums is different between CHS/ Lake Norman and Duke. To help the Duke Health Lake Norman employees maintain a consistent take-home pay, a pay supplement will be offered to those employees who had CHS health insurance and who enroll in Duke health, dental or vision insurance. The supplements will continue until November 2025 (which will pay for December’s coverage).

Duke does not offer an employee and children coverage level for Dental, therefore your selection may be employee and child if covering only one child or family if covering more than one child.

No.  Each of our medical plans cover pharmacy benefits. Refer to the pharmacy benefits website for details, including links to our formulary and medication pricing tool.

Yes, you can enroll in the HCRA for the remainder of the year. Keep in mind that the IRS maximum allowed contribution for an individual is $3,300 per year and your annual election will be divided among the number of remaining pay periods in the year. Up to $660 in unused contributions can be carried over to the next plan year. Any unused amounts over $660 will be forfeited.

Expenses include, but aren’t limited to, copays, deductibles, prescription drugs, eyeglasses, contacts, dental work, and some over-the-counter medications. A more comprehensive is available at HealthEquity.com.

You may file a claim using your HealthEquity HCRA debit card, or you may submit paper claims. Using the HealthEquity debit card allows you to be reimbursed immediately and directly from your HCRA.

No. If your spouse is enrolled in a Health Savings Account (HSA), you are not eligible to participate in a Health Care Reimbursement Account.

Yes, you can enroll in the DCRA for the remainder of the year. The IRS maximum FAMILY contribution to the DCRA is $5,000. When calculating your contribution for the rest of 2025, you must include any contributions made by your spouse and contributions you have made into the Lake Norman Dependent Care Account so you don’t exceed the $5,000 allowance.

Eligible expenses include, but aren’t limited to, dependent day care, preschool centers, daycare camps, before and after school, nannies, and adult day care services.

Claims may be filed by submitting a claim form, along with your receipts to HealthEquity. You can also set up the “Pay my Provider” option to have the funds automatically transferred.

Duke offers the Faculty and Staff Retirement Plan, a qualified 403(b) plan with a range of investment options. Fidelity is the primary recordkeeper for the plan. Employees can enroll immediately upon hire, and can contribute pre-tax or after-tax (Roth) dollars or a combination of both.

Duke also offers the 457b Deferred Compensation Plan:

You are eligible to participate in the Duke 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan if your annualized compensation equals or exceeds 150% of the Social Security taxable wage base. For 2025, the minimum salary requirement is $264,150.

You are immediately 100% vested in Duke’s contribution.

Yes, Duke makes a contribution of 4% of eligible employees’ compensation each pay period, once you are age 21 and have one year of service. Employees who are transitioning to Duke from CHS/Lake Norman will have CHS/Lake Norman service counted towards the one year of service.

While employees are always encouraged to save for retirement, you are not required to participate with your own contributions to receive Duke’s contribution. The Duke contribution is not a match; eligible Lake Norman employees receive 4% of their eligible compensation each pay period. To be eligible for the Duke contribution, you must be age 21 and have one year of service.

The IRS limits the amount you can contribute to qualified plans during the year. The maximum limit that you may contributed between all qualified plans for 2025 is $23,500 or if you are 50 or older, $31,000. Please review and coordinate any contributions you have made prior to joining Duke to ensure that you do not exceed the maximum limit for the year.

You may enroll starting April 1, 2025.

1. Contribution elections are made through the Duke@Work self-service website and are available by payroll deduction only. Changes can be made anytime.
2. Elect your Investment Options via the Fidelity link found on Duke@Work. A Fidelity Mobile app is also available.
   Tier 1 Hands Free, is the Default Option, These are Target Date Funds (Life Cycle Funds) based on your date of birth and when you are likely to hit retirement age. They are diversified for you and become more conservative as you approach retirement age.
   Tier 2, Funds were selected based on their suitability for use in a diversified retirement savings portfolio and their competitive expense level. Tier 1 and 2 are monitored by the Duke IAC (Investment Advisory Committee).
   Tier 3 is a Self-Directed Brokerage Option that opens thousands of investment options. You can choose one or all three.
3. Assign your beneficiaries online through Fidelity.

• Visit our website at https://hr.duke.edu/benefits/retirement/
• Meet with a Fidelity representative for a confidential, complimentary financial consultation, to help you with enrolling, selecting your investments, and setting retirement goals.
• For assistance with rollovers contact Fidelity Investments at 1-800-343-0860
• Reach out to us – contact the Duke Benefits and Integration team with questions about your retirement plan:

• • Phone: (919) 613-3774
  • Email: benefitsintegration@duke.edu

Employees accrue paid time off based on their years of service and whether you are a salaried employee or hourly paid. For more information, please refer to https://hr.duke.edu/policy/paid-time-off/

Hourly-Paid – PTO Eligibility and Accrual

*Scheduled to work 80 hours each two-week period

**Scheduled to work at least 20 but less than 40 hours per week (or 80 hours per biweekly pay period)

***Scheduled to work less than 20 hours per week

Monthly-salaried – PTO Eligibility and Accrual

*Scheduled to work 40 hours or more each week

**Scheduled to work at least 20 but less than 40 hours per week (or 80 hours per biweekly pay period)

***Scheduled to work less than 20 hours per week

Yes, Duke recognizes your hire date with CHS/Lake Norman.

Yes, your accrued time from CHS/Lake Norman will be mapped over to Duke as indicated below:

Yes.

Additional benefits include life insurance, disability insurance, employee assistance programs, tuition reimbursement, and wellness programs.

Employees can enroll in benefits through Duke@Work.

Additional forms may be required for enrollment in certain plans.

On or after April 1, 2025, you should report any work-related accident, injury or illness as soon as it is safe and practical by completing the online Employee Injury Report at hr.duke.edu/injury.  You will need to log in with your Duke NetID and password.  See your manager or human resources representative for assistance if needed.  The online injury report is mobile-friendly and accessible at work or away from work.  Duke policy requires an injury report within 24 hours, but same-day reporting is our best practice standard.

Your injury report will be reviewed by Duke Workers’ Compensation, Employee Occupational Health & Wellness (EOHW), and Occupational & Environmental Safety (OESO), each of which will deploy resources to follow-up and assist in different ways.  Your report will also be forwarded to your supervisor or manager, whom you will identify at the bottom of the report.  You will receive a copy of your own report via email.  If you have left any mandatory questions blank on your report, you will see a red error message, allowing you to complete those questions and try again to submit the report.

Duke University (including Duke University Health System) is a licensed self-insured employer covering all its North Carolina employees, including Duke Health Lake Norman.  The Duke Workers’ Compensation staff who administer this benefit program are your Duke colleagues.  You can reach us at 919-684-6693 or view our website at Workers’ Compensation | Human Resources for more information.

If you have a work-related accident, injury, or illness as a Duke employee, we will assign a Claims Specialist who will work with you to provide workers’ compensation benefits throughout your recovery.  It is our goal to enable you to work safely during recovery and to provide the best available medical treatment.

For a work-related accident on or after April 1, 2025, initial medical care for most injuries should be obtained from the Employee Health nurse.  If you need a higher level of care, or the nurse is not available, go to the Emergency Department.  You must complete the online Employee Injury Report at hr.duke.edu/injury right away.  Once your report is received, Duke Workers’ Compensation staff will be in touch and will direct additional treatment as needed.  We may refine these procedures as we learn more about resources available in the Mooresville community.

Contact Duke Workers’ Compensation at 919-684-6693 or view our website at Workers’ Compensation | Human Resources for more information.  You may also contact Chip Kyles, Director, Workers’ Compensation at charles.kyles@duke.edu.