Open Enrollment will be live within the Employee Self Service platform - 12:01 am, December 3 and through 11:59 pm, December 17. This is your annual opportunity to make changes to your benefits package.
Logging in from an In-Network Computer
Once logged in with your Universal ID and Password, hit Benefits, Open Enrollment 2015. When Open Enrollment launches you will be "Welcomed" with a brief paragraph reminding you to elect a set amount of pre-tax dollars in your 2015 Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
Logging in from and External Computer
You can enroll in your benefits from any computer. Visit ess.nslijweb.com, login with your Universal ID, Password and ESS Key. Once logged in, hit Personal Information - Self Service - Benefits - Open Enrollment 2015.
First Action: Flexible Spending Accounts
To emphasize the importance of understanding your FSAs, the Benefits Team has moved them to the top of the list. To learn more about the value of Healthcare and Dependent Care FSAs, visit WageWorks or do a quick review on HealthPort-HR-Benefits-Open Enrollment Kit 2015.
What' Next?
Once you have set aside your pre-tax dollars for your FSAs, you will experience the following options on ESS during Open Enrollment: You can rollover, update or waive any of the benefits listed below.
Medical: Hit the next "Enroll" button and up pops a brief explanation on your medical plan choices, followed by what you currently have, and the rates. Scroll lower and you will have the ability to change your dependent coverage.
Hit Update or Discard and move on to the next.
Medical is followed by Spousal Surcharge Question (which you can keep as is or updated), and a line indicating how many (if any) Wellness Pledges you have satisfied.
Dental and Vision: Dental options follow. Same deal - a brief description, followed by what you currently have, the rates and dependent coverage.
Hit Update or Discard and move on to the next.
Disability: The Short- and Long-Term Disability sections gives you the opportunity to "Buy-Up". If you do select to buy-up, your choice will prompt The Hartford to send you an Evidence of Insurability form (EOI or proof of good health). This form must be cleared before your Buy-Up Disability is active.
Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment: As in Disability you can "Buy-Up" your Life Insurance but you will have to provide EOI to Aetna. This is referred to as Supplemental Life Insurance.
Spouse and Child Life Insurance: This area will allow you to insure your dependents at different levels of coverage.
Confidential and Complete
ESS will save your information as you go through and make your choices. Even if you have hit the Submit Button, you can still change your mind over the course of OE. A message runs throughout telling you "Enrollment will not be complete until you Submit your choices." Don't let this throw you - you have until December 17 to change your mind!
7 comments:
I think it's so sad that NSLIJ does not allow us to roll over our unspent HSA into an account that will benefit us when we retire - it's almost like we are being penalized for being healthy!
Please reconsider - I don't want to have to "spend up" the HSA on useless items, just to use it up!
In response to December 4 at 6:21 am - I am assuming the comment is in regards to the Healthcare Flexible Spending Account: if so, as in 2014 you will have a 3 month grace period to deplete your account in its entirety for 2014. Refer to the Blog posted in November 6, 2013: "Better Late Than Never", or just search Healthcare FSA, for more information on the Blog. It is advised that all employees who enrolled in FSAs take a good look at their estimated healthcare and dependent care costs - prior to enrolling during Open Enrollment
Hello,
Will this grace period of 3 months also apply to the upcoming open enrollment?
ie. Will I be able to seek reimbursement on my 2015 FSA or DCFSA account for an expense that occurs in January, February, or March of 2016?
Thank you!
In response to December 6 at 11:14 pm- The 3 month grace period for in 2015 and 2016 is for you Healthcare Flexible Spending Account only. You will loose any dependent care account money - should you not use it by December 31.
Why can I not enroll a domestic partner under my insurance?
In response to Dec 10 at 12:42pm - In previous years you were able to enroll your same-sex domestic partner in the health system’s benefits. Post the U.S. Supreme Court ruling stating that the federal Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional, the health system reacted by requiring all same-sex domestic partners be legally married in order to be claimed as a dependent /spouse under the health system’s benefit plan.
Unless you and your partner have been legally married you will no longer be able to claim your partner as a dependent when enrolling in your 2014 benefits plan.
To further clarify the Domestic Partner response above: the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June of 2013 - so you would not have be unable to enroll in 2014 benefits and moving forward.
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