FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Have a general question about your benefits? Check out the frequently asked questions below. Questions about all topic areas are listed below. Use the filter feature to define your question search by topic.

If you have additional questions, contact the Hess Benefits Center at Empyrean for health and security benefits or the Hess Benefits Center at Fidelity for pension and savings benefits.

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Cash Accumulation Formula Pension Plan

As it has for all company practices, the Board of Directors initiated a thorough review of all U.S. benefits programs to be sure that they are appropriate now that we are a much smaller, E&P company. We considered value to employees, attractiveness to recruits and cost.

Our analysis showed that our peers, and many companies outside of our industry, have moved away from traditional final average pay pension plans like ours to plans that are similar to the Hess Cash Accumulation Formula Pension Plan. Also known as cash balance pension plans, these plans are typically easy to understand because the earned value is visible from day one and the money can be taken with you when you leave the company. Offering this new formula to employees hired on or after January 1, 2017, will save millions of dollars over time. More importantly, it positions Hess to reaffirm and strengthen its commitment to existing employees (hired before January 1, 2017) to provide a pension benefit based on the Traditional Formula while providing a sustainable pension benefit to new and future employees (hired on or after January 1, 2017) under the Cash Accumulation Formula.

Hess wanted to honor the commitment we made to you when you joined the company and preserve the benefit.
No. We considered that approach, but our analysis showed that very few, if any, employees hired before January 1, 2017, would benefit from the new plan (and no one would after a relatively short time) and there may be legal risk should someone make a poor choice that could not be reversed later.

Traditional Formula Pension Plan

No changes are being made to the Traditional Formula Pension Plan for employees hired before January 1, 2017.
Go to the Hess Benefits Center at Fidelity and use the online pension calculator. You can change different variables, such as when you take the benefit, form of payment and how much, if any, you wish to leave for a loved one.
If you leave and return to Hess on or after January 1, 2017, your pension benefit would be based on the Cash Accumulation Formula. You may have also earned a pension benefit under the Traditional Formula.
No, a lump-sum payment is not available with the Traditional Formula Pension Plan. For more on your payment options, please see the Understand Your Payment Options section here.
Employees with a Hess hire date prior to December 31, 2016, coverage who localize on or after January 1, 2017, will participate in the Traditional Formula Pension Plan.
We have no plans to do so. We conducted a thorough analysis and are satisfied with the decision to leave the plan in place without making any changes. However, as with all benefit plans, Hess reserves the right to change, amend or terminate the Pension Plan in the future.

Health Savings Account

Medical

Yes. The Hess Medical Plan is a qualified high deductible plan, which means it meets IRS requirements and can be paired with a Health Savings Account (HSA). A high deductible plan is a cost-effective medical plan with a deductible that is higher than traditional medical plans, such as a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) or Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Usually your share of the cost of coverage (the monthly contribution cost or premium) is lower, but you have to pay more health care costs yourself (your deductible) before the plan starts to pay its share (co-insurance) — except for preventive services. A high deductible plan can be combined with an HSA, which allows you to pay for certain medical expenses with tax-free dollars.

A high deductible plan provides value through:

  • Lower premiums compared to traditional medical plans
  • Preferred provider networks with discounted pricing
  • A before-tax savings opportunity called a Health Savings Account (HSA)

For more information about HSAs, please see the Health Savings Account section of this FAQ.

No. The family deductible is “aggregate,” which means all of your family’s expenses are added together to reach the deductible. Once the deductible is met, the plan will start sharing the cost for all of your family members. If only one family member has medical expenses, however, that one family member must satisfy the full family deductible before the plan pays benefits.
You don’t have to meet a deductible for most preventive services. The medical plan pays 100 percent. You also don’t have to meet a deductible for preventive prescription drugs. The plan pays 100 percent for generic preventive prescription drugs, and it pays 85 percent for brand-name preventive drugs.
Preventive services include routine annual exams, cancer screenings (such as mammography and colonoscopy), immunizations, blood pressure screening, cholesterol screening, alcohol misuse screening, type 2 diabetes screening and diet counseling, as well as similar services.
The deductible applies to all other services that are not preventive. You must meet the annual deductible in full before benefits are payable. Once you meet your deductible, the Hess Medical Plan pays 85 percent for in-network services and 65 percent for out-of-network services.
In-network services are those performed by a provider (like a doctor or hospital) who is in the medical plan’s network. Network providers contract for discounted pricing. You save money using in-network providers compared to using out-of-network providers that do not offer discounts.
Out-of-network services are those performed by a provider who is not in the plan’s network. Out-of-network providers do not provide discounted pricing. You will spend more money using out-of-network providers compared to in-network providers.
When you use an out-of-network provider, the Hess Medical Plan administered by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield will pay co-insurance based on Anthem’s maximum allowed amount. You are responsible for any portion of the provider’s charge that exceeds this amount. For example, if you have met your deductible, the plan will pay 65 percent of the maximum allowed amount charge for out-of-network care. If your out-of-network provider charges $600 for a procedure and Anthem’s maximum allowed amount charge for the procedure is $500, you would pay 35 percent of the maximum allowed amount charge (35% x $500 = $175) plus the $100 that exceeds the maximum allowed amount, for a total of $275.
Learn more about network providers online at anthem.com or by calling Anthem at 1-800-854-1834. You can find more information about how benefits are paid when you use in- and out-of-network providers here.
Hess uses the National BlueCard PPO network for medical and Blue View Vision network for vision.
  • Medical: National BlueCard PPO
  • Vision: Blue View Vision
  • Pharmacy: National Plus
  • Delta Dental:
    • Delta Dental PPO (generally offers lowest contracted rates and greatest cost savings)
    • Delta Dental Premier (offers contracted rates that help you save).
Yes, you can enroll in dental if you’re not enrolled in medical since dental is a separate election. However, vision is included with medical, so you would need to elect medical to get vision coverage through Hess.
No. Pre-existing conditions are covered under the Hess Medical Plan.
You can enroll your spouse or domestic partner in a Hess Medical Plan regardless of whether he or she has coverage available through his or her employer’s plan. Unlike many other companies, Hess does not charge a penalty or higher premium rates for spouses or domestic partners if they are eligible under their employer plan.
In a true life-threatening emergency, emergency services provided by an out-of-network hospital emergency room will be processed at the in-network level. In a non-emergency or urgent care situation, check to see if the hospital is in network by calling Anthem before receiving care. If you use an out-of-network hospital for a non-emergency, the charges will be processed at the out-of-network benefit level. Keep in mind that you would be responsible for any charges above the maximum allowed amount established by Anthem. For more information, see the Summary of Benefits and Coverage.
You should go to the ER if you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, such as lots of pain or bleeding, a broken bone, trouble breathing, sudden or worsening symptoms or risk of death. If you need urgent care for such things as cuts and scrapes, colds, bronchitis, strep throat or other infections, visit a retail clinic or urgent care center. Go to anthem.com to find an in-network facility. Review the ER vs Urgent Care flyer as a reference to know where to go for certain types of care.
Hess offers a variety of resources including Health Advocate and the Employee Assistance Program.
You will automatically receive medical coverage for 30 calendar days after your termination date. After that period, you have the opportunity to enroll in COBRA, which can extend your medical coverage for up to 18 months. If you elect COBRA, you will have to pay the full cost of coverage (there will be no company subsidy).
LiveHealth Online is a service provided by Anthem where you can access a board-certified doctor at any time of day, wherever you are. You can have face-to-face conversations with a doctor on your computer or mobile device. It’s medical advice the moment you need it. And it costs the same or less than you’d pay for a regular doctor visit.

Security

No, unless you were disabled for three months. You only get full pay for the first three months of maternity leave if you are disabled and approved for the full three months of leave. The leave administrator will approve eight weeks of disability for maternity leave (regardless of the type of delivery). You can also take an additional eight weeks of Paid Family Leave for child-bonding time at 100 percent of pay. For more information on Paid Family Leave, click here.
Correct. You only have to call the leave administrator on the sixth day out.

Adoption Assistance

You are eligible to participate in the program if you are a regular full-time employee working 30 or more hours per week. If both you and your spouse work at Hess, only one of you can request reimbursement for adoption-related expenses under this program.
You are eligible to participate in the program from your first day of work at Hess.

To receive reimbursement under this program, the child you adopt must be under age 18 and not your stepchild.

You can also adopt someone of any age who is physically or mentally unable to care for him or herself.

You can receive up to $15,000 per adoption, tax-free for up to two successful adoptions.

Any expenses reimbursed in an unsuccessful adoption before a successful adoption count toward the $15,000 reimbursement limit. The limit is reset after a successful adoption.

Necessary and reasonable expenses for the primary purpose of adoption are eligible for reimbursement through the program. These include:

  • Application fees
  • Home suitability studies
  • Agency and placement fees
  • Legal fees and court costs
  • Immigration, immunization and translation fees
  • Parent, child and family adoption counseling
Yes. To be eligible for reimbursement, expenses must have been incurred and the adoption must be finalized while you are employed by Hess.
If you leave Hess, any eligible expenses incurred but not reimbursed prior to your last day at work are not eligible for reimbursement.
No. Any reimbursements you received prior to leaving Hess are yours to keep.

When the adoption is finalized, complete the Adoption Assistance Program Expense Reimbursement Request Form and submit it to:

WINFertility, Inc.
Greenwich American Center
One American Lane, Terrace Level
Greenwich, CT 06831
Attn: WINFertilitySpecialty Services

Or email to: WINSpecialtyServices@Win-Healthcare.com

Along with the form, you’ll need to submit copies of bills or receipts that substantiate the nature and amount of each expense incurred. For more information, see the Adoption Assistance Program Overview.

It depends. No federal taxes will be taken out of the reimbursement, but state and local taxes may apply.

Yes, there are. Hess intends that benefits you receive through the Adoption Assistance Program not be considered income for federal income tax purposes, to the extent permissible under Internal Revenue Code section 137. The IRS adjusts the tax credits and income limits periodically. You should consult with a professional tax advisor regarding the latest published figures. Please note that state and local taxes may also apply to benefits you receive through this program.

You are responsible for understanding the tax treatment of benefits you receive through the program and for claiming any applicable income exclusion by filing a Form 8839 along with your federal income tax return.

Consult your tax advisor for information about the tax consequences and help in filing Form 8839.

Consult your tax advisor for information about the tax consequences of reimbursements you receive from the program and help in filing Form 8839.

Wellness

Virgin Pulse is our wellness administrator with an intuitive platform (portal and mobile app) to help you build healthy habits, achieve your wellness goals and improve your well-being.

Any Hess employee who works in the U.S. is eligible to participate and can benefit from the wellness program. You’ll have access to powerup.hess.com and the Virgin Pulse app. However, you must be enrolled in the Hess Medical Plan to receive an additional contribution to your HSA as your reward for reaching the required points in the program.

If your spouse or domestic partner is enrolled in the Hess Medical Plan, he or she is eligible to earn POWER UP points toward an additional HSA contribution. If he or she reaches 500 points, you’ll receive an additional $500 (for a total of $1,000) to spend or save in your HSA.

No, you do not need to re-register if you have already registered at powerup.hess.com or through the Virgin Pulse mobile app.

If your spouse or domestic partner is participating in POWER UP, he or she can register at join.virginpulse.com/hess. After signing up, he or she can access the POWER UP portal at iam.virginpulse.com.

The deadline for earning enough POWER UP points to qualify for the additional HSA contribution from Hess in 2025 is August 31, 2024.

Yes. The $500 HSA contribution you’ll receive from Hess in 2025 for reaching 1000 points is in addition to the contribution Hess makes to your account each year. And, if your spouse or domestic partner is enrolled in the Hess Medical Plan and earns 500 POWER UP points, you will receive an additional $500 HSA contribution for a total of $1,000 from Hess.

No. You must be enrolled in the Hess Medical Plan and have an active HSA in order to receive the HSA contribution.

You must first register on powerup.hess.com. Once you’ve logged in, and if you have not received a fitness tracker subsidy before, you will automatically receive a subsidy. Once you’ve logged in, the promotion for the discounted fitness tracker will automatically show up on your homepage (and on the Benefits page) unless you’ve received a fitness tracker subsidy before. You can apply the subsidy to the purchase of any available fitness tracker from Virgin Pulse’s store.

No. You are limited in using the subsidy for fitness trackers only.

From your member portal on powerup.hess.com, click More at the top, then click Devices & Apps. From there, you can search for a compatible device or app and follow the instructions to sync.

A health assessment examines lifestyle habits through a series of questions about your health, activity and nutrition. It can show you areas that may be holding you back from achieving your wellness goals. You’ll earn 200 points when you complete your health assessment at powerup.hess.com or on the Virgin Pulse app. You can also complete a health assessment by calling Virgin Pulse at 1-888-671-9395.

You have the option to have a biometric screening done onsite (if offered at your office location), through your doctor or at a Patient Service Center. A biometric screening provides you with a snapshot of your current health, including measurements for cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure and body mass index (BMI). Complete your biometric screening and you’ll earn 200 points. From powerup.hess.com > Benefits page, click “Quest Biometric Screenings” and follow the instructions to schedule your screening. Be sure to upload any necessary forms to the portal by the July 31 deadline.

This website provides highlights of the Hess Corporation benefits plans and programs for 2024. If there is any discrepancy between the information provided on this website and the official plan documents, the official plan documents will govern. Hess reserves the right to amend or terminate the plans at its discretion at any time.