Still, have money left over from 2018 in your P & A Group flexible spending account? Remember – it’s the use it or lose rule. If you don’t use the money remaining in your account by the deadline date, you will forfeit the money. You have until March 15, 2019, to incur eligible expenses for your Health Care FSA. You had until December 31, 2018, to incur eligible expenses for your Dependent Day Care FSA.

Here are some ways to use your Health Care FSA before the end of the year:

• Acupuncture
• Contact lenses
• Contact solution (You will have to pay out of pocket and submit the receipts for reimbursement)
• Dental treatment
• Doctor’s office copays
• Eye exams
• Health Insurance Deductibles
• Hearing Aids
• Lasik Surgery
• Over The Counter medications such as cold medicine, allergy treatment, and pain relievers require prescriptions for reimbursement
• Prescription glasses
• Prescription medications
• Transportation (mileage) to and from doctor’s appointments

The UMCP Spring Break holidays this year are:

• Monday, March 18^th
• Tuesday, March 19^th
• Wednesday, March 20^th (Election Day holiday observed)

As has been our practice the last few years, and because so many of our partners hold classes and events during this time, the Universities at Shady Grove will be open normal spring semester hours these three days (as well as the weekends and weekdays before and after). USG departments should ensure that their units are open; however, staffing can be minimal. We do expect the volume and activity to be below normal, but there still will be activity here those three days.

We recognize that some staff may have already made plans for these days and others might actually prefer to take their holidays at another time (for example, during the public school spring break holiday or around Memorial Day). A student or C1 employee might actually want to work those three days as they do not earn holidays and would therefore not be paid if they do not work. Managers, please be considerate of your staff’s plans when setting a work schedule for those three days.

Managers, please use the following instructions when completing and approving timesheets: Continue reading →

Open Enrollment for the State Employee and Retiree Health Benefits will take place from October 15 through November 28, 2018, for the new plan year that begins on January 1, 2019. Please note, once the open enrollment period closes, you will not be able to make any changes to your benefits until the next open enrollment period unless there is a qualifying event such as marriage, the birth of a child etc.

Regular Status Employees:

If you are not making any changes to your current benefits, you do not have to do anything. The only exception to this rule is that if you currently have Flexible Spending Account (FSA) coverage, you must re-enroll in it to keep it active for 2019. Contact 410-669-3893 to make changes to your current plan and to re-enroll in FSA. Review the IVR instructions carefully. Your ID is your Social Security Number. For your 4 digit pin, you will enter the day and month you were born (mm/dd). To review the changes you made, you must call the above-noted number after 24 hours.

Reference Material:

• 2019 Benefits Guide
• 2019 Rate Sheet for Regular Status Employees
• Regular Status Enrollment Form (required for new enrollees only)
• 2019 Wellness Plan Activities

Please remember to submit the supporting documents to OHR before November 28, 2018 (i.e. birth certificate, marriage certificate etc.)

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