An Important Message for NCFlex Participants

July 2025

NCFlex Coverage Continuation

Transferring Your Employment

NCFlex benefits are sponsored by the State of North Carolina. If you transfer within state government to another agency, university, participating community college, or participating charter school, your NCFlex benefits will transfer with you. In some cases, benefits do not automatically transfer. Be sure to check with the Health Benefits Representative at your new employer to ensure your benefits are transferred correctly.

Separation of Employment or Retirement

If you leave state employment or retire, most NCFlex plans have options to continue coverage either at the same rate or a small percentage more.

Know your options before you leave. Our Continuation of Coverage guide lists each plan and the continuation options that are available.

Learn More

In June, our employee webinar session discussed continuation options that are available to you when leaving state employment. You can find the recording and slides on the NCFlex Webinars webpage.

Adventure Safely This Summer

Did you know that July is National Parks and Recreation Month? With more than 40 state parks, 10 national park sites, and four national forests in North Carolina, there's no shortage of opportunities to celebrate the season by hiking, biking, swimming, or camping. Be sure to follow the tips below to maximize your fun by staying safe and healthy on all your summer adventures

• Apply (and reapply) sunscreen. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Tips to Stay Safe in the Sun, there's no such thing as waterproof sunscreen. As a result, sunscreen should be reapplied at least every two hours and more often when you're swimming or sweating. Reminder: sunscreen SPF 15 and above is Health Care FSA eligible.

• Stay hydrated. The Mayo Clinic website states that, on average, men need about 15.5 cups of fluids each day, and women need about 11.5 cups daily. Hot, humid weather and exercise can make you sweat and increase the amount of fluids you need. Watch June's Worksite Wellness Lunch & Learn to discover foods that can help you stay hydrated, too.

• Function over fashion. Wearing the appropriate attire can be the difference between a fun day in the sun and an accident leading to injury. Consider the best clothes for whatever activities are in store. For example, wear shoes with ankle support when hiking, don't forget your helmet when biking, and be sure to wear a life vest when paddling. If an accident does occur, the NCFlex Accident Plan may be able to help. 

• Be prepared to avoid summer pests. Mosquitos and ticks are two of summer's most common pests, so wearing repellent to keep both at bay can be crucial. The NCFlex Accident Plan may also help in the event of a snake or bug bite, and Lyme disease is one of the 29 additional diseases covered by the NCFlex Cancer Plan.

• There is safety in numbers. The outdoors is inherently unpredictable, so no matter how much you've prepared, always bring a partner on all your outdoor adventures and share your plans and location with a responsible person who's staying home.

Bonus! July is also National Picnic Month.

Make your summer adventure even more fun by bringing along a nutritious meal to enjoy using EatingWell's recipe for an easy summer picnic.

Upcoming Benefits & Wellness Webinars

Next month, join us to learn more about the NCFlex Vision Plan through EyeMed. We'll discuss plan options, vision wellness, common lens enhancements and materials, and member tools and savings.



You'll also have the opportunity to join us for our monthly Wellness webinar. Click on a topic below to learn more and register for any of the enriching benefits and wellness webinars coming up.

• Tuesday, August 12 at 12 p.m. | NCFlex EyeMed Vision Webinar

• Tuesday, August 19 at 11:30 a.m. | Worksite Wellness: Subtracting Sugar from the Added Sugar Phenomenon



• Thursday, August 28 at 12 p.m. | NCFlex EyeMed Vision Webinar

Making Changes to Benefits with a Life Event

Each year during Open Enrollment, you can make changes to your NCFlex pre-tax benefits for the upcoming plan year or re-enroll in your Flexible Spending Accounts. Open Enrollment for 2026 will be held October 13-31, 2025.

Curious about making changes outside of Open Enrollment? Aside from Open Enrollment, you can only make changes to NCFlex benefits with a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) unless you are a new hire or are newly eligible. If you experience a QLE, you have 30 days to change your benefits. Non-university employees can make NCFlex benefit changes in eBenefits. Meanwhile, university employees can change NCFlex benefits by logging into Empyrean. Each platform also has a customer service number than can help you make changes. For non-university employees, the number is 855-859-0966. University employees should call 833-862-1490 for assistance.

Changes may be limited and must correspond with the event. Documentation may be required. Learn more by reviewing the NCFlex Required Documentation for Qualifying Life Events guide. Reach out to your HR team if you are unsure if your event qualifies or email us at ncflex@nc.gov.

Voya Travel Assistance

Free Benefit with NCFlex AD&D Plan* & Accident Plan

Going on vacation this summer? If you're enrolled in the NCFlex Core or Voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Plan* or the NCFlex Accident Plan, you have a travel assistance benefit available at no cost.

This benefit offers enrolled employees the following when traveling 100 miles or more from their primary residence:

• Emergency Medical Services
• Medical Assistance Services
• Travel Assistance
• Security Assistance Services

These services are available for you and your covered dependents. The customer service center and services provided on the website are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the world.

Read the Travel Assistance flyer in English or the Travel Assistance flyer in Spanish for more information about this benefit. The flyer has a section designed to be cut out and kept on hand during travel.

*Employees of the University System of North Carolina do not participate in NCFlex AD&D and have their own AD&D product. Ask your University Benefits Administrator or human resources office for details.