Open Enrollment set for November

Open enrollment period for WSU employees.

The annual benefits open enrollment period for eligible WSU faculty and staff begins Sunday, Nov. 1 and runs through Monday, Nov. 30. This is the one time each year changes can be made to certain benefits and coverage without the occurrence of a special event (job change, marriage, etc.). All WSU faculty and staff system-wide can participate in Open Enrollment, regardless of location.

During Open Enrollment, you can:

  • Change your medical and/or dental plans.
  • Waive or add family members to your plan.
  • Change medical premium deductions to pre- or post-tax (IRC Section 125).
  • Attest to the spouse or state-registered domestic partner premium surcharge, if notified to do so.
  • Enroll/re-enroll in the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) benefits.

No action is required if you do not want to make changes to your medical/dental coverage for yourself or your dependents, are not required to re-attest to the spousal surcharge questionnaire, and do not wish to have a FSA/DCAP account for 2021.

As of Nov. 1, most changes can be made online through the Health Care Authority (HCA) My Account web portal (medical & dental), or through the Navia Benefit Solutions website (FSA & DCAP). Online changes are encouraged, but changes can be made via hard copy form if needed; forms will be available for download at the HRS Open Enrollment website on Nov. 1, 2020. HRS is continuing to practice social distancing, so forms will only be accepted by no-contact submission (options detailed below).

Plan changes

Uniform Medical Plan is adding a new medical plan, UMP Select, which has similar coverage to UMP Classic but different deductibles and co-insurance coverage. All plans now cover one hearing instrument every 5 years. UMP is changing vision coverage to VSP providers, and the coverage for hardware will vary depending on the purchase location. UMP Plus Puget Sound is expanding its county coverage to include Chelan and Douglas counties.

More information on these changes can be found in the For Your Benefit newsletter or on the HRS Open Enrollment website.

Benefits Fairs and Presentations

HRS Benefit Services is providing presentations to help you better understand the benefit options available to you during this Open Enrollment period. These presentations will include a general benefits overview, information on the new Uniform Select plan, as well as an in-depth look at the HSA paired with CDHP plans. WSU Faculty and Staff at all locations are invited to attend these presentations by Zoom; visit the presentations portion of the HRS OE webpage for the full schedule and Zoom details.

The annual HCA Benefits Fairs will be held virtually this year. You can visit the virtual benefits fair by computer, tablet, or smartphone at any time through the end of November to access videos, webinars, downloadable content, and other information to help you choose the right benefits.

FSA/DCAP benefit

Those enrolled in a traditional plan (Classic, Value, Plus, Select, SoundChoice), or who waived medical coverage, may elect to participate in a Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA) to lower their taxable income and diffuse the impact of medical expenses. The 2021 annual election limit for FSA is increasing to $2750. You must enroll/re-enroll during Open Enrollment for each year you wish to participate. This is also the case for those who wish to have a Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) account for 2021.

2020 FSA participants may incur medical charges and submit claims under the grace period, Jan. 1-Mar. 15, 2021, provided they do not enroll in a Consumer Directed Health Plan (CDHP) for 2021. If an FSA participant is switching to a CDHP for 2021, the FSA account must be at $0 by Dec. 31 or contributions may not be made to the Health Savings Account until April 2021.

For more information or to enroll, visit the Navia Benefit Solutions website.

HSA benefit

A Health Savings Account (HSA) benefit is automatically tied to CDHP plans. WSU will make an employer contribution of $58.34 per month ($700.08 annually) for an individual or $116.67 per month ($1,400.04 annually) for those who enroll their family on their medical plan. Employees can also make pre-tax contributions to the HSA through payroll deduction. Elections can be made at any time by submitting the HSA Payroll Deduction form to HRS Benefit Services.

The overall contribution limit for the HSA will be increased to $3600 for individuals and $7200 for families for 2021, with an additional $1000 allowed for those over the age of 55. Overall contribution limits include employee and employer contributions, as well as the SmartHealth $125 wellness incentive.

More Open Enrollment information can be found on the WSU Open Enrollment site. Questions can be directed to WSU Human Resource Services at (509) 335-4521 or hrs.benefits@wsu.edu.

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