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Open Enrollment

For the 2024 plan year
Insurance Open Enrollment Period: Oct. 9-27, 2023

 

All benefits-eligible employees must take action.

 

Effective date of changes: Jan. 1, 2024
 

Page updated: Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. More information will be added as it becomes available.

During Open Enrollment, eligible employees will be able to enroll in or update their benefits.

What's new for 2024

Where you go to enroll

During open enrollment, you will need to take action in both systems:

eBenefits:  You will only use eBenefits (Benefitfocus) to make your 2024 elections for health coverage through the State Health Plan. You will use the UNC System Benefits (Empyrean) platform to make all other 2024 benefit elections, including all NCFlex and UNC System benefits.

UNC System Benefits (Empyrean):  You will use the UNC System Benefits (Empyrean) platform to make all other 2024 benefit elections, including all NCFlex and UNC System benefits.

 

Plan Updates

No significant changes to health plan design. Review the plan summaries on the State Health Plan's website for the most up-to-date plan details. 

Review the changes to NCFlex plans below.

What you need to know about enrolling in 2024 benefits

When open enrollment begins Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, you will use two enrollment platforms.

eBenefits (BenefitFocus)

You will need to log in to this platform to enroll/make changes to your elections for:

  • Health through the State Health Plan

In addition, you will go here to answer your tobacco attestation if you elect to enroll for health coverage under the State Health Plan and want to receive the wellness premium credit.

Once you log in to the site, select “Get Started” on the home page and follow the prompts. After you make your choices, and they are displayed for you to review and print, you must scroll down to the bottom and click “Save Changes” or your choices will not be recorded.

Using a preferred browser (Chrome or Firefox), click the button below and enter your NinerNET credentials. 

Log Into eBenefits

 

UNC System Benefits (Empyrean)

You will go here to enroll in/make changes to your elections for:

  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Accident
  • Flexible Spending Accounts
  • UNC Life Insurance
  • UNC Voluntary Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)
  • UNC Supplemental Disability
  • Cancer and Specified Disease
  • Critical Illness
  • TRICARE Supplement coverage

Once you log in to the site, you will see a pending event (i.e., Open Enrollment). Click “Continue” and follow the prompts. After you make your enrollment choices, and they are displayed for you to review, you must scroll down and click “Submit My Elections.” One last pop-up message will appear and you must click “Accept” or your choices will not be recorded.

Log Into UNC System Benefits

 

State Health Plan

The State Health Plan will maintain its current employee premium rates for the 2023 plan year and will continue to offer two Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans administered through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina — the Base PPO Plan (70/30) and the Enhanced PPO Plan (80/20).

As in prior years, all members in the State Health Plan will be automatically enrolled in the Base PPO Plan (70/30) for 2024. Those who wish to enroll in the Enhanced PPO Plan (80/20) instead of the Base PPO Plan (70/30) for 2024 will need to take action during open enrollment.

Click on the links below for more information about plan benefits, opportunities to attend online enrollment meetings, and tobacco attestation information to receive the $60 tobacco wellness credit.

A note for State Health Plan members who are tobacco users:


Employees who are tobacco users and want to earn their monthly premium credit for 2024 don’t have to wait until open enrollment this fall. They can take action now to save money throughout 2024!

Starting July 1, 2023, tobacco users can attend a tobacco cessation counseling session at their primary care provider’s (PCP) office for free to earn a lower premium for 2024. They have until Nov. 30, 2023, to take action. (Note: If employees combine their tobacco cessation visit with another service, there may be a copay.) This convenient employee option means there’s no need to wait for Open Enrollment in October to secure their monthly premium credit for 2024.

Here’s how it works: 

  • After employees visit a PCP for their tobacco cessation session, the provider will submit a claim on their behalf. To ensure they receive credit for their visit, employees can upload their office visit summary to the “Document Center” located in eBenefits, the State Health Plan’s enrollment system. They should make sure to request a copy of their summary during their visit.
  • During open enrollment, they will need to attest during the online enrollment process. This step is critical to ensure employees receive the lower premium for 2024.
  • This month, employees who took no action on tobacco attestation last year will receive the following postcard reminder regarding 2024 Open Enrollment.
  • This action is ONLY for tobacco users who want to reduce their monthly premium by $60 per month in 2024. If employees are NOT tobacco users, they will simply attest to that online during Open Enrollment, Oct. 9-27, 2023.
  • More information on tobacco attestation.

NCFlex

NCFlex will maintain its current benefit offerings for the 2024 plan year; however, some plans may have experienced rate changes. If you do not enroll for the first time or make a plan change, your current NCFlex benefits will roll over, except for the Flexible Spending Spending Accounts (health care and dependent care), which require re-enrollment. For the 2024 plan year, the Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA) annual limit is $3,050 with a $610 rollover balance. The Dependent Care FSA annual limit will remain the same at $5,000.

Overview of NCFlex changes
 

Dental Some rates for the NCFlex Dental Plan will increase in 2024. Rates for the High Option and Low Option plans will go up. The rates for the Classic Option plan will not change. 
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) The Health Care FSA maximum annual contribution is increasing to $3,050.
Critical Illness Insurance There are some enhancements to covered illnesses and an increased benefit for Carcinoma in Situ. 
Accident Plans
The names for the two Accident Plan options are changing. 
  • The Low Option is now called the Classic Option 
  • The High Option is now called the Enhanced Option.
There are no changes to plan design. 
 
In addition, contact information for Voya Travel Assistance is changing. In 2024, you will visit imglobal.com/member or call 317 659 5841 (Referral Code: VOYATRAVEL).

UNC System Benefits Plans

The UNC System has partnered with Securian Financial to provide a consolidated life insurance plan that offers coverage for employees, spouses or domestic partners, and dependent children. This includes the UNC Life Insurance and UNC Voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment plans. More information on these plans be found on the UNC System webpage.

Any elections you made through the UNC System Benefits (Empyrean) enrollment platform last year—UNC life insurance, UNC voluntary AD&D, UNC supplemental disability—will remain in effect for 2024 unless you decide to make a change during Open Enrollment. 

How to Enroll

  1. Start reviewing your benefit options now. If you plan to enroll dependents, allow yourself enough time to gather any required documentation, such as dependents’ Social Security numbers and dates of birth. 
  2. Beginning Monday, Oct. 9, log onto both benefit platforms using your NinerNET credentials. 
    1. eBenefits (BenefitFocus)
      1. Update your State Health Plan enrollment from Base PPO (70/30) to Enhanced PPO (80/20) if you do not want to stay in the Base PPO (70/30) Plan.
      2. Complete the Tobacco Attestation as part of your State Health Plan enrollment in eBenefits. For tobacco users to receive the $60 wellness credit, you must follow the instructions for the Tobacco Cessation counseling requirement.
      3. Verify your dependents. If you are enrolling dependents for the first time, make sure you have their Social Security numbers, and approved documentation. For a complete list of approved documents go to List of Required Documentation for Dependent Eligibility.
    2. UNC System Benefits (Empyrean) 
      1. Review and update your beneficiaries if applicable for the Life, AD&D, Cancer, and Critical Illness plans.
      2. Enroll in or change any NCFlex plans (dental, vision, accident, cancer, critical illness, or TRICARE supplement) if needed.
      3. Enroll or re-enroll in the Flexible Spending Account for health care and/or dependent care.
      4. To enroll in any UNC Income Protection plans (UNC voluntary life, UNC voluntary AD&D, UNC supplemental disability plans) log in to the UNC Empyrean platform.
  3. Save your enrollment changes.
  4. Review and print your annual enrollment confirmation statements to confirm that you have made your elections. 

Events

Resources

Questions?

  • eBenefits (Benefitfocus): During the Open Enrollment period of Oct. 9-27, the Eligibility and Enrollment Support Center will have extended hours to help you with any enrollment questions you may have. Call 855-859-0966, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m., ET, and Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., ET.
  • UNC System Benefits (Empyrean): Call the University of North Carolina Benefits Service Center at 833-862-1490, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., ET.
  • Additional Questions: Contact the UNC Charlotte Benefits Office: Benefits@charlotte.edu or 704-687-8134