What’s New
You will make your benefits selections for Open Enrollment in the two enrollment portals in ConnectCarolina. This year, the UNC System Enrollment Portal is where you’ll find your Vision and Dental plans — as well as your life insurance, illness plans and other insurance options. The State Enrollment Portal will ONLY be used for choosing your State Health Plan and completing your tobacco attestation. Scroll down to see your benefits plan options and to learn what else is new for Open Enrollment this year.
State Enrollment Portal
Use the State Enrollment Portal to make your State Health Plan selections and complete your tobacco attestation.
What’s New
- No rate increases for the State Health Plan for 2024 — no premium increases for the 6th year in a row with no increase in copays or deductibles!
- All employees who are currently enrolled in the State Health Plan will default to the Base (70/30) health plan for 2024; if you want the Enhanced (80/20) health plan, you MUST select enrollment in that plan in ConnectCarolina.
- ONLY currently enrolled State Health Plan members will default to the Base (70/30) plan if they do not take action to choose to the Enhanced (80/20) plan.
- If you are NOT currrently enrolled in a State Health Plan, you will not default into the Base (70/30) plan for next year (for example, if you are covered on another health insurance plan, as through a spouse’s benefits package).
- Complete the tobacco attestation to reduce your monthly premium by $60; for more information, see the Tobacco Attestation page of the HR at UNC Open Enrollment website.
- You will NOT receive a new health insurance ID card unless you make a change to your coverage during Open Enrollment; you will continue to use your 2023 ID card in 2024.
- Preferred and non-preferred insulin continues to have a $0 copay for a 30-day supply.
- Preventive Services remain free – no copay or deductible – on either plan.
- Members who select a Clear Pricing Project Provider as their Primary Care Provider will continue to enjoy a $0 copay.
- Members will continue to enjoy a reduced copay when visiting a Clear Pricing Project Specialist.
Normally these surgeries would have an out-of-pocket cost to you of over $6,000, but if eligible, all the costs associated with your surgery will be bundled together and you will pay only a copay (no deductible or coinsurance):
- Base (70/30) plan copay is $900.
- Enhanced (80/20) plan is $600.
Joint replacement bundle pricing is available for eligible members.
For more information about this program, see the Joint Replacement Program page of the State Health Plan website.
Helpful Links
See the resources below for more information about the State Health Plan:
Webinars
Active member and non-Medicare retiree webinars are scheduled from Sept. 26 through Oct. 25. These brief webinars are designed to ensure you understand your health plan options for 2024.
Visit shpnc.org to register for a date and time convenient to you.
Questions?
If you have questions about or need help with the State Health Plan or State Enrollment Portal, call the State Eligibility and Enrollment Support Center at 855-859-0966, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
UNC System Enrollment Portal
Use the UNC System Enrollment Portal for your UNC System Benefits and NCFlex selections.
What’s New
- Dental and Vision plans are now accessed through the UNC System Enrollment Portal.
- All NCFlex plans are now accessed through the UNC System Enrollment Portal.
This plan pays a benefit directly to the employee for injuries due to an accident. While health insurance pays for the treatment of an injury, this plan pays a benefit to the employee to help financially.
For more information, see the Accident Plan page of the Office of State Human Resources website.
AD&D plans will pay you or your beneficiary a benefit in the event of an accidental death or accidental dismemberment (loss of sight, hearing, limb, etc.). It is like life insurance but will only pay a claim if due to an accident. It will not pay a claim for a natural death such as cancer, heart attack, etc.
NEW for 2024
- All benefits-eligible employees will automatically be enrolled for free in $10,000 of UNC Core AD&D coverage.
- Although you no longer need to enroll to receive this free coverage, you WILL need to log in to the UNC System Enrollment Portal to designate any beneficiaries.
For more information, see the UNC Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) flyer from the Office of State Human Resources website.
Your health insurance plan covers the treatment of cancer; this Cancer & Specified Disease plan pays a cash benefit directly for the treatment of cancer or specified diseases.
For more information, see the Cancer & Specified Disease page of the Office of State Human Resources website.
The Critical Illness plan pays a lump-sum benefit directly to you in the event of a heart attack/stroke, cancer, or major organ failure. Keep in mind that pre-existing conditions during the first 12 months of coverage apply.
For more information, see the Critical Illness page of the Office of State Human Resources website.
MetLife is the dental vendor. There are three plans to choose from depending on dental needs.
NEW for 2024
- Rates for the High Option and Low Option plans will go up; rates for the Classic Option plan will not change.
- No matter what Dental Plan you elect, you can receive benefits for basic services, such as fillings, extractions, root canal therapy and treatment for gum disease, as well as diagnostic and preventive services like oral exams, cleanings and x-rays. The Classic Option and High Option plans also cover major services, such as crowns, dentures, bridges and more.
For more information, see the Dental Plan page of the Office of State Human Resources website.
FSAs can be used to set aside money on a pre-tax basis to help pay for medical expenses (copays, deductibles, coinsurance, etc.) or to help pay for child care services for children age 13 and younger.
You must re-enroll in the Health Care and/or Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) each year to continue contributions into the next year. If you do not re-enroll, your current contributions end on Dec. 31, 2023.
You can use the NCFlex Convenience Card to pay for eligible expenses for both the Health Care FSA and the Dependent Day Care FSA.
To view your current FSA, go to ncflex.padmin.com.
For more information, see the Flexible Spending Accounts page of the Office of State Human Resources website.
Health Care FSA
- Maximum annual contribution for 2024 is $3,050 per employee, and you will be able to roll over $610 going into 2025.
- Whether you choose to re-enroll or decline the plan, you can roll over up to $570 total from your 2022 and 2023 accounts into 2024 with a minimum balance of $25.
- Anything over $570 will be lost if not used by Dec. 31, 2023.
- You have until March 31, 2024, to file for reimbursement of Health Care FSA expenses incurred for the 2023 plan (Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2023).
Use the HCFSA Worksheet to calculate the amount you want to contribute to the HCFSA for out-of-pocket expenses for the upcoming plan year. Be sure to consider any rollover amount you may have. For example, if you have $200 left in your 2023 account and $500 left in your 2022 rollover, $570 of that will roll into 2024, and $130 should be used by Dec. 31, 2023 or it will be lost.
View an interactive eligibility list with the FSA Store’s Eligibility Tool. Remember, anything you contribute in 2024 cannot be used for expenses dated prior to Jan. 1, 2024.
Dependent Day Care FSA
- Maximum annual contribution for 2024 is $5,000 per household.
- You have until March 15, 2024, to incur expenses against your 2023 Dependent Day Care FSA and until March 31, 2024, to file the expenses for reimbursement.
Group Term Life insurance is pure life insurance only. There is no cash value. This plan pays a benefit for loss of life, whether accidental or natural death.
Under the Group Term Life Insurance with the UNC System, Securian is the vendor for this plan. You can review the UNC Group Term Life Insurance Summary from the UNC System.
This plan is enhancement for those covered on TRICARE, the military health plan. It can be utilized by those on TRICARE in lieu of the State Health Plan.
For more information, see the TRICARE Supplement page of the Office of State Human Resources website.
EyeMed is the vendor for this plan that has several plan options to choose from.
- If you are not currently enrolled in vision coverage, you can enroll in the Core Vision Plan at no cost.
- This coverage provides a wellness exam for $20 plus discounts on materials.
For more information, see the Vision Plan page of the Office of State Human Resources website.
Helpful Links
See the resources below for more information about the UNC System Benefits and NCFlex:
(See Supplemental Disability Programs)
Webinars
Join the Office of State Human Resources through a Microsoft Teams meeting to learn more about benefits available to you during Open Enrollment and to chat directly with an NCFlex representative. Use the Q&A box to post your questions during the meeting, and an NCFlex representative will either reply to your question in the chat or will answer during the presentation.
Visit the NCFlex Employee Sessions webpage for a list of available dates and times. Click the date of your choice from the list below to register. You do not have to register to join on the day of the event.
Questions?
If you have questions about or need help with the UNC System Enrollment Portal or NCFlex, call the UNC System Benefits Service Center at 833-862-1490, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Open Enrollment information applies only to UNC-Chapel Hill benefits-eligible permanent employees (permanent full- and part-time SHRA, EHRA Non-Faculty and Faculty working a minimum of 20 hours a week). For more information about benefits eligibility, please visit the Benefits Eligibility webpage. Eligible temporary employees working 30 hours or more per week may be eligible to enroll in the State Health Plan’s High Deductible Health Plan. Eligible temporary employees will be notified by a UNC Benefits email. Visit the Health Insurance page of the HR at UNC website for more information.