An Important Message for NCFlex Participants

January 2026

Reminder: Check Paystub and Address

Benefit elections made during Open Enrollment for NCFlex 2026 benefits went into effect on January 1 and should be deducted from your January pay. Review your pay stub to verify all premium amounts and plans for which you enrolled. See our NCFlex summary of benefits for rates:

Contact your Human Resources office if there's an error in your benefits or deductions.

Recently moved? While in your HR portal, make sure your mailing address is accurate. Your HR portal sends your address to the enrollment platform which, in turn, sends the address to each NCFlex vendor. This helps ensure you receive important benefits information.

Staying Active in Cold Weather

January is Family Fit Lifestyle Month, but freezing temperatures and forecasts of snow flurries can make staying active in the winter harder than normal. Below are a few tips to keep the whole family moving during the colder months to promote a fit lifestyle. 

Host a dance party or other at-home sweat session. No equipment is needed to get your heart rate up and your lungs pumping. Crank up the tunes and show off your best moves, follow along to a choreographed number, or take a yoga class in your living room for a lower-intensity workout.   

Make the winter weather part of your workout. Sledding can certainly make you break a sweat, and there's plenty of bending, lunging, and squatting involved in building a snowman. Next time your area of North Carolina has the pleasure of a snow day, embrace it for a workout you can't get all year long. 

Bundle up and head outside anyway. Walking warriors and outdoor enthusiasts often say that there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. Review Harvard Health Publishing's advice on how to dress for cold weather workouts and enjoy a run, bike ride, or hike free from North Carolina's sweltering summer humidity. 

Get creative about how you get your steps. If braving the frigid temps just isn't for you, there are other ways to keep your step count up. Take the stairs instead of the elevator when at the office. Make a few laps at the mall (where purchases add extra weight). Or get a head start on spring cleaning since most household chores are a great way to focus on functional fitness. 

Want a deeper look at how to make movement more joyful no matter the weather? Watch one of our Wellness Webinars or view the slides for expert insight from LifeStyle Medical Centers' Katie Godin, RD, LDN and delicious recipes including Sweet Potato Nachos from the December Wellness Webinar. 

If your family's fitness-focused activities lead to an accident or injury this winter or any other time of year, NCFlex's Accident Plan may cover expenses incurred. Plus, state employees with Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts can use their pre-tax dollars to purchase many recovery supplies. Learn more about what's covered here.

Flexible Spending Account Updates and Reminders

Health Care FSA

• If you have elected a new amount for 2026, funds were loaded onto your convenience card effective Jan.1 and can be used immediately.
• The election you've made for 2026 should not be used for prior year expenses, but for services dated Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2026 only.
• If you have funds that rolled over from 2025, these funds will be used for 2025 claims first. These claims have a filing deadline of March 31, 2026. Remaining funds become available to use for 2026 expenses (dated Jan. 1 - Dec. 31) once any 2026 funds are depleted.
• Learn more about what's covered by viewing the NCFlex sample list of FSA eligible items and the interactive eligibility list at FSAStore.com.

Dependent Day Care FSA

• Funds elected for the 2026 plan year are not available for reimbursement until they have been payroll deducted.
• This account has a grace period instead of a rollover. You have until March 15 to use any remaining 2025 funds and until March 31 to file claims on the 2025 account (for expenses dated Jan. 1, 2025 - March 15, 2026).
• Follow IRS guidelines! If you and your spouse are both eligible to contribute to a DDCFSA, the maximum family contribution amount is $7,500 per plan year. If you are both contributing the max, contact your HR office as soon as possible to find out how to correct this.
• If you experience a change in day care needs, you can use the life event "Day Care change" within 30 days of the event to adjust the amount you contribute, cancel the plan, or start the plan.

For more information, claim forms, and how to file a claim, visit the FSA section of ncflex.org. Access your account(s) at ncflex.padmin.com or through the P&A Group MyBenefits mobile app. For questions about your account, contact P&A Group at 1-866-916-3475. 

Critical Illness and Accident Plan Participants - 1099 Forms

If you were paid a benefit of over $600 from your Critical Illness and/or Accident Plan in 2025, you will receive a 1099 from Voya. These 1099s will be mailed no later than Friday, January 31.



Please consult a tax professional as to whether the amount received is fully subject to income tax. Since the premium is deducted on a pre-tax basis, the benefit received is only subject to income tax to the extent that your unreimbursed medical expenses (for which Health Care FSA funds were not used to pay) are less than the benefit payment.

More information can be found in this article about taxation and fixed indemnity plans which discusses an IRS Memo released in 2017.

Upcoming Webinar Opportunities

Benefits Webinars:

While some tax strategies are easy to accomplish, others may take some planning. That’s why we’re pleased to offer MetLife’s Tax Strategies: The Basics and Beyond workshop where you will learn about tax planning steps, including tax basics, diversification, cutting your tax bill, and when to call a professional.

We also offer valuable real-time insights to help you understand current economic conditions. This workshop is presented by the same team that brings you Retirewise.

In February, we will also discuss our Term Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Plans through Voya. Did you know the Group Term Life Plan includes free benefits such as bereavement support and funeral planning services 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 one of our February sessions:

Worksite Wellness Webinars:



Join us for Cholesterol Management during American Heart Month!

In this free Lunch and Learn, you'll discover ways to manage cholesterol through healthy dietary and lifestyle changes. The presenter will demonstrate how to make Chocolate Covered Stuffed Dates.

Need accommodations?

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, resources are available to make Worksite Wellness and NCFlex programming accessible. Please email ncflex@nc.gov to request accommodation services. To account for scheduling and booking constraints, all requests must be made at least 14 days before an event.