Yesterday MCEA representatives participated in the bimonthly meeting of the Joint Employee Benefits Committee (JEBC). The Committee meets every two months to oversee implementation of MCPS benefit plans. Key updates included:
* HEALTH PLAN OPEN ENROLLMENT SEASON - is coming, October 26 - November 13. This is the time when you can switch between health plans, or change your coverage, to be effective January 1st. Because our health benefits are guaranteed by our contract, there are no changes in benefits. There will be three Health Information Fairs: 10/27 at Blake HS, 11/3 at CESC, and 11/10 at Clarksburg HS - all from 3 - 5pm.
* FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS - Members will also be able to enroll in the medical and child care FSA plans for 2010. Our contract continues to provide a $100 match for the first $100 you set aside in a medical FSA. Usage of the new FSA debit card continues to increase, making use of the accounts even easier. 90% of FSA debit card transactions are now verified automatically, reducing the need to keep receipts. Watch for more information. FSA accounts are an easy way to save real money on your health care and child care expenses.
* DEPENDENT ELIGIBILITY AUDIT - Last year, MCPS required all health plan participants to verify eligibility of their dependents. While the paperwork was a hassle, the result was that 970 ineligible dependents were withdrawn or dropped from the plan, saving the Benefit Trust Fund an estimate $4.85 million. (The cost of the audit was about $300,000). That savings means that the premiums for health insurance for next year will not increase as fast as they would have otherwise.
Tom Israel, MCEA Executive Director
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