An Important Message for NCFlex Participants

February 2025

Be Sure Not to Forfeit Your Funds

FSA filing deadline is March 31 for claims dated January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024.

To ensure no money from your 2024 Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) is left behind, consider these steps.

• Review your HCFSA balance through P&A Group. Rollover money, aka Carry Forward, will show on a separate line and will not exceed $610. Carry Forward funds can be used for 2024 expenses through March 31, 2025, or for 2025 expenses. If your 2024 account has any additional funds excluding the Carry Forward section, those funds exceed the rollover limit and will be lost if not claimed by March 31 for 2024 expenses.



• Find 2024 claims you may be able to file like out-ot-pocket medical, dental or vision expenses for yourself or eligible dependents. Use EOBs (Explanation of Benefits) from your insurance portals to show your out-of-pocket responsibility, but only if you did not already use FSA funds to pay these expenses. To access your insurance portals, log into eBenefits and click the associated link in the Quick Links section. Remember, any medical expenses from 2024 will be under BlueConnect rather than Aetna.

• Consider filing claims for any over-the-counter medications you may have purchased out-of-pocket through an online retailer. If you have an online account, you may still be able to find a receipt.

• You may also be reimbursed for gas used when driving to and from medical, dental or vision appointments for you and your eligible dependents, even if the dependent is not on any other plan. To use your HCFSA funds for mileage reimbursement, complete a FSA Claim Form and include a map for each location you're claiming.

Dependent Day Care FSA (DDCFSA) participants with 2024 claims have until March 31, 2025, to file for reimbursement from their 2024 account. This includes any claims made within the 2024 DDCFSA grace period through March 15, 2025.

Find directions on how to upload your FSA claim here. Click the button below or log into the P&A mobile app to begin the process of filing your claims now. You can also fax or mail a completed claim form to P&A using the contact information on the form.

Upcoming Webinar Opportunities

Benefits Webinars:

This month, we'll discuss our Term Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Plans available through Voya. Did you know the Group Term Life Plan includes free benefits such as bereavement support and funeral planning for you or a loved one? It also includes an accelerated death benefit and disability waiver of premiums, in certain scenarios. Our AD&D Plan includes a free travel assistance benefit, whether you have the free Core Plan and/or the Voluntary Plan.

Keep in mind, if you are a university employee, you are offered a separate Term Life and AD&D product through your employer. Please check with your HR department on what you may be eligible for.

Learn about these features, as well as continuation options of these plans, during our remaining February session:

Join us to learn more about the NC 401(k) and 457 savings programs available to state employees. A representative from Empower will explain the benefits of these optional savings plans that can help you build a secondary source of retirement income to supplement your pension.

The conversation will highlight:

• Investment choices
• Differences between the two plans
• Pre-tax vs. Roth savings options
• Rolling over funds from a previous employer's retirement savings plan and more.

Worksite Wellness Webinars:



Join us for Spring into Clean Eating - Transitioning to Less Processed Foods

In need of a spring cleaning when it comes to your food choices? Join this free, online Worksite Wellness Lunch and Learn to discover what it means to "eat clean" and learn the impact a diet primarily made up of processed foods can have on your health.

Miles for Wellness Challenge 31

Register today to join other state employees in staying active and completing a virtual journey along a pollinator-inspired trail that encourages you and your coworkers to bee all you can bee. Challenge 31 will run from March 10-May 4, 2025.

A great way to manage stress and get moving, this Miles for Wellness challenge can help you incorporate movement into your daily life while fostering connections with your colleagues.

Sign up as a team now or find a team to join as an individual beginning February 17.

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, the equivalent of five miles, achieved most days. 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. For questions or more information, contact milesforwellness@nc.gov.

Prepare for Retirement No Matter Where You Are in Your Career

As an NCFlex-eligible employee, you're invited to enroll in a free, informative Retirewise workshop to learn more about saving for retirement, directly from a financial planner.

When you attend a Retirewise workshop offered through MetLife, you can expect:

• Objective information on a wide range of financial topics
• Interactive exercises
• Questions from your coworkers that may also apply to you
• A resource book that's yours to keep
• An opportunity for an optional personal consultation

There are two opportunities to attend the four-session workshop this spring. Please note that both workshops will cover the same material. If you're unable to attend a session in your workshop, you can register for both and join the same session during the other workshop. Review the dates and times of each workshop and register using the buttons below.

• Meet Tuesdays, March 4-25 from 1-2 p.m.

• Meet Fridays, March 7-28 from 12-1 p.m.