October 9, 2020 As fall approaches, Human Resources is making plans for annual Open Enrollment which will occur from October 15th through November 4th. There will be minimal changes in employee benefits for the 2021 plan year. Please review the information below as you prepare for Open Enrollment: A new voluntary benefit for Identity Theft Protection will be available from Norton-Lifelock. Everyday activities such as shopping, online banking, and browsing on the internet can expose your personal information, making you more vulnerable to cybercrime. This benefit can help protect your identity and provide additional security for your devices. Employees should visit HR Connection to confirm benefits elections, review premium rates for the 2021 plan year, verify dependents, and make changes, if applicable. In an effort to mitigate the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, current benefits elections will be carried over into next year for medical, dental, vision and voluntary insurance plans. Action is required if you want to contribute to a healthcare flexible spending account, dependent care flexible spending account, or a health savings account for the 2021 plan year. Your current tax-favored account amounts will not rollover. You must elect a new contribution amount for 2021. IRS regulations prohibit any coverage changes after open enrollment ends, except for mid-year changes made within 30 days of a qualifying life event. Any exception, without a qualifying life event, could jeopardize all employees’ ability to deduct medical, dental and vision premiums on a pre-tax basis, as well as pre-tax contributions to flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts. You will receive additional information about plan changes and new benefit offerings in the coming weeks. Additionally, there will be virtual meetings and tutorials to assist you in making your benefits elections. We encourage you to review the information you receive and make the necessary changes to your benefits during open enrollment from October 15th to November 4th.
