Open enrollment period for health care benefits underway

Salve Regina’s open enrollment period for health care benefits – including dental, vision, AFLAC supplemental insurance, dependent day care accounts and medical flexible spending accounts – is underway.

The enrollment deadline for dependent day care and medical flexible spending accounts is Friday, May 30. The enrollment deadline for health care, dental, vision and AFLAC supplemental insurance is Tuesday, June 10.

Employees can make changes to the following benefits during the open enrollment period:

Health care

Employees can change from one plan to the other, add or delete family members, join a plan they had previously waived or drop coverage. Payroll contributions, effective July 3, will be $37 for individual, $110 for individual plus one or $143 for family for Choice and $52 for individual, $143 for individual plus one and $178 for family for Choice Plus.

The University will continue to reward those employees enrolled in United Healthcare who do not use tobacco products. In order to receive the discount, employees must submit a tobacco free affidavit by Tuesday, June 10.

Dental

Employees can change from one plan to the other, add or delete family members, join a plan they had previously waived or drop coverage. Payroll contributions for the 2014-2015 plan year will remain the same: $4 for individual or $12 for family.

Vision

Vision Service Plan provides in-network vision benefits such as frame and contact lens allowances. Payroll contributions for the 2014-2015 plan year will remain the same: $2.61 for individual, $3.79 for individual plus one or $6.79 for family.

Dependent day care account

Employees may set aside up to $5,000 on a pre-tax basis to pay for eligible dependent care expenses. New and current participants must complete enrollment paperwork by May 30.

Medical flexible spending account

Employees may set aside from $260 to $2,500 on a pre-tax basis to pay for health-related expenses not covered by their health care plan, including prescription deductibles and co-pays, eyeglasses, orthodontics and dentures. Due to U.S. Treasury and IRS changes, employees may now carry over $100 in unused funds at the end of each plan year. Employees who have a FSA payment card and will be re-enrolling in the plan should keep their current card for continued use.

AFLAC supplemental benefits

Employees may purchase or cancel a cancer plan, critical care and recovery plan, personal accident plan and/or a hospital protection plan through payroll deduction on a pre-tax basis.

All changes require some paperwork. For more information, call Claudia Cavallaro, assistant director for human resources and benefits, at (401) 341-2332.