February 2023

Open Enrollment Exceptions Deadline - March 15

March 15 is the final day NCFlex will accept exceptions related to Open Enrollment benefit elections. By then, employees should have had at least two payroll periods to view benefit deductions for accuracy. Please be reminded that we cannot make exceptions to change benefits due to an employee realizing they now need different benefits. Any changes outside of Open Enrollment must be due to a Qualifying Life Event.

Exceptions are reviewed within one to three business days. Once an exception is approved, it is first sent to Benefitfocus* which makes the change in the enrollment system. NCFlex is notified the change was made and in turn, notifies the Benefit Rep who submitted the request.

Please be sure to review the enrollment system for accuracy and notify our team if something was not updated as noted in the approved exception form.

*For University exceptions, the UNC Systems Office is copied on approvals for any changes needed in the Empyrean platform.

MetLife Financial Wellness Benefits

As part of our contract with MetLife (dental provider) and as a jumbo client, the State of North Carolina has access to MetLife’s financial wellness benefits.

The benefits include a four-week financial course, financial counseling, on-demand financial education sessions that target different life stages and different groups, a financial app called UpWise, and access to Savi, which helps employees with student loans take advantage of the federal debt forgiveness programs that are very difficult to navigate.

We will begin communicating to employees about these Wellness Benefits starting the week of March 13. Be on the lookout for more information.

New Hire Benefits - Date of Coverage vs. Enrollment

New hires or newly eligible employees have 30 days from their hire/eligibility date to enroll in NCFlex benefits. NCFlex benefits become effective the first of the month after their hire date*. In some cases, an employee may need to see a provider sooner than the vendor shows them as covered.

For example, if an employee is hired on 2/24/23 and enrolls in benefits on 3/7/23 (within their 30-day window), although most benefits become effective retro back to 3/1/23, vendors only receive enrollment data on Mondays. In this example, vendors will not receive the enrollment data until 3/13/23.

If the employee has a dental or vision appointment between 3/7/23 and 3/13/23, the provider will not see that they are covered by the benefit. In these scenarios, if an employee has an appointment and needs the coverage quicker than the file will send, please reach out to our team at [email protected]. We can assist in making sure the employee has coverage for their appointment.

*For non-university employees, NCFlex Voluntary disability becomes effective the 1st of the month following the employee's enrollment date, unless they enroll on the 1st of a month, then the effective date is that day.

2023 Benefits Summary - posted

The revised Benefits Summary for 2023 has been posted to the NCFlex website under "Employee Benefits Summary". While this does not apply to all employing units, some may find it useful for recruitment purposes, new hires or as a benefits tool for employees. It gives an overview of benefits available including the State Health Plan, NCFlex plans, Leave Benefits and Retirement Benefits.

For University employees, the last page has a link to the University Benefits Summary.

Miles for Wellness Challenge 27

Registration Now Open through March 11.

https://oshr.nc.gov/miles-wellness-challenge-27

Register today to join other state employees in staying active and completing a virtual trek to 20 professional Hockey arenas across the USA. Challenge 27 will run from March 13 - May 7, 2023.

A great way to manage stress and get moving, this Miles for Wellness challenge begins in Washington, DC's Capital One Arena and will end up at our very own PNC Arena, home to the Carolina Hurricanes. Have fun with this adventure and follow the road that hockey fans everywhere take to hopefully end with a Stanley Cup win!  

Sign up as a team, or register as an individual. Individual registration begins Feb. 27.

For questions or more information, contact [email protected].

Miles for Wellness is a virtual, team-based walking initiative by and for the state employees of North Carolina. The purpose of Miles for Wellness is to encourage and support employees to increase their level of physical activity, with the goal of 10,000 steps, or the equivalent of 5 miles, achieved most days of the week. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health.

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