AD&D Plan
Adoption Assistance
Counseling
Delta Dental and VSP
Vision Plan
Delta Dental and VSP
Vision Plan: GA/Fellow
SEBF Dental and Vision Plan
Discounts - SU Faculty
and Staff
Flexible Spending Account:
Dependent Care
Flexible Spending Account:
Health Care
Home and Auto Insurance
Leaves, Faculty
Leaves with Pay, Staff
Leaves without Pay, Staff
Life Insurance Plan
Long-term Care Insurance
Long-term Disability Plan
The Standard
Medical Plan & Prescription
Drug Options for Employees
and GA/Fellow
Paid Time Off
POMCO
Retirement Plan/TIAA-CREF
Tuition Benefits: Dependent
Tuition Benefits: Remitted

Benefits

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Flexible Spending Account - Health Care

SU offers employees the opportunity to contribute pre-tax dollars to a Health Care Flexible Spending Account administered by EBS-RMSCO.

Benefit Design

The Health Care Flexible Spending Account allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible health care expenses for you, your spouse, and your eligible dependents (as defined by the Internal Revenue Code and the cafeteria plan) that are not covered as eligible medical or dental expenses under any health Plan. Please note that expenses for an eligible same-sex domestic partner will not be eligible for reimbursement under an employee's Health Care Flexible Spending Account unless that partner qualifies as the employee's dependent for federal income tax purposes.

The advantage of a pre-tax Health Care Flexible Spending Account is that you do not pay any federal, state, or social security (FICA) taxes on the money you contribute to it. You can contribute from $100 to $5,000 annually to this account, automatically deducted in equal installments from your paychecks before taxes are calculated. The taxes you save and the effect on your paycheck will depend on your personal situation (e.g., your household income, tax bracket, and the amount you contribute to the account).

You must enroll annually in the Health Care Flexible Spending Account during Open Enrollment. Each year, you elect the amount of pre-tax contributions that you wish to make to the account. You are not permitted to carry forward contributions made in one plan year to a later plan year. Any remaining balance in the account at the end of the plan year will be forfeited. Therefore, it is important that you estimate your health care expenses carefully before electing your contribution amount. The plan year runs from January 1 to December 31 (see Important Note below).

If you waive dental coverage, SU will contribute $100 to this account for you in addition to any contribution that you make. Total contributions cannot exceed $5,000.

Reimbursement Process

EBS-RMSCO administers the Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts.

1. You incur eligible expenses and pay bills as you normally would.
2. You submit the claim form, receipts, and any additional required information to EBS-RMSCO to request pre-tax reimbursements from your health care account.
3. You receive reimbursement from EBS-RMSCO.
4. You will have until April 30, 2010, to submit claims for expenses incurred between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. Checks are processed once a week if expenses submitted total $25 or more. In the month of December, the $25 minimum is waived and all expenses submitted are reimbursed weekly.

Automatic reimbursement is available for prescription drug claims through Medco only. Subject to applicable COBRA rights, if you terminate or otherwise become ineligible for benefits during the year, you will have until April 30 of the following year to submit eligible expenses for reimbursements.

IMPORTANT NOTE: IRS regulations require that you use all of the money in your Health Care Flexible Spending Account for eligible expenses incurred in the plan year during which the contributions are made or you will forfeit any funds remaining in the account. Health care expenses are considered to be "incurred" when the health care service is provided, and not when you are billed or pay for the expenses.

Helpful Links

• Covered Expenses
• Over The Counter Products
• EBS-RMSCO
• Flexible Spending Account Reimbursement Form

Questions? Contact the HR Service Center at 443-4042 or e-mail hrservic@syr.edu.

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The web pages summarize your Syracuse University benefit options. Every effort has been made to ensure this information is accurate. However, the programs are governed by legal documents and insurance contracts. If there is any difference between the information on these web pages and the official documents and contracts, the official documents and contracts will rule. Our benefits are governed by current laws and operated according to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations. We will notify you if changes in plans are necessary to comply with the law or with IRS regulations.

Employees electing to participate in the SU benefit plans are bound by the terms of the governing Plan documents. If you have any questions regarding the plans, you may request a copy of the Plan document from the Plan Administrator by contacting the HR Service Center at the number indicated at the end of this page.

As is the case with all benefits offered by SU, (1) the Plan Administrator has the discretionary authority to interpret the terms of the Plan and such interpretation will be binding on all interested parties to the fullest extent permitted by law, and (2) the University reserves the right to modify or terminate the Plan at any time.