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Union employees must select 2017 Flexible Spending Accounts soon

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Although negotiations between WVU Hospitals and Local 814 are still ongoing, union employees must choose a type of Flexible Spending Account for 2017 before the end of the 2016 plan year, according to Internal Revenue Code Section 125.

There are four types of accounts: Dental/Vision, Child Care Reimbursement, Medical Spending, and Child Care Salary Reduction. Because the terms and conditions of the collective bargaining agreement have not, yet, been agreed to by the hospital and the union, it is safest to complete an open enrollment for these accounts in case they continue into 2017.

Union employees will have nine days – Monday, Dec. 12, through Tuesday, Dec. 20 – to enroll in the WVUH Flexible Spending Accounts. Here are some details on the process:

  • During the open-enrollment period, employes will have the option of electing, changing, or dropping any of the Flexible Spending Accounts. Choices are available through Ultimate, which can be accessed via the applications section of CONNECT.
  • Any choices made during this open-enrollment period will be effective Jan. 1, 2017, and will not be able to be changed until the normal WVUH open-enrollment period for the 2018 plan year. The one exception is the Medical Spending Account. Once the contract has been ratified, employees will have the opportunity to change the contribution amounts of this account for the 2017 plan year; changes can be made during the ratification open-enrollment period.
  • Employees who elect to continue the Dental/Vision or Child Care Reimbursement account during the Flexible Spending Account open-enrollment period will not be eligible to elect Dental Insurance during the ratification open-enrollment period. They will need to wait until WVUH’s normal open-enrollment period for the 2018 plan year.
  • Employees who currently have Dental Insurance will not be eligible to elect the Dental/Vision or Child Care Reimbursement accounts during the Flexible Spending Account open enrollment or during the ratification open enrollment. They will also have to wait until WVUH’s normal open-enrollment period for the 2018 plan year.
  • Depending upon when the contract is ratified, there is the possibility that employees could be left without any type of dental coverage. If you elect to drop your Dental/Vision Reimbursement account in December 2016, you will need to wait until the ratification open-enrollment period to elect the Dental Insurance. There may be a gap in coverage if the contract isn’t ratified by the end of the year.

Representatives will be available at the times and locations below to assist union employees with the enrollment process:

Tuesday, Dec. 13: Human Resources Office, 8 a.m.-noon

Thursday, Dec. 15: Human Resources Office, 12-4 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 20: Human Resources Office, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Contact April Deberry (73081), Ralph Lambert (75448), Bobbi Ryan (77337), or Kelsey Wilson (73794) for assistance with the Flexible Spending Account open-enrollment process.