An Important Message for NCFlex Participants

March 2024

FSA Filing Deadline is March 31 for 2023 Funds

Participants of the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) have until March 31 to submit claims dated January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.

To find out if you have unfiled claims, sign into each of your benefits accounts and review any available Explanations of Benefits (EOBs). On your EOBs, look for any out-of-pocket expenses you paid in 2023 for medical, dental and vision services. Those expenses can be filed as HCFSA claims. Visit www.shpnc.org/ebenefits, log into your enrollment system and scroll to the Quick Links section to access and review each of your benefits accounts in one easy place.

Dependent Day Care FSA (DDCFSA) participants with 2023 claims have until March 31, 2024 to file for reimbursement from their 2023 account. This includes any claims made within the 2023 DDCFSA grace period through March 15, 2024.

Find directions on how to upload your FSA claim here. Click the button below or log into the P&A mobile app to begin the process of filing your claims now. You can also fax or mail a completed claim form to P&A using the contact information on the form.

Prepare for Retirement No Matter Where You Are In Your Career

As an NCFlex-eligible employee, you're invited to enroll in a free, informative Retirewise workshop to learn more about saving for retirement directly from a financial planner.

When you attend a Retirewise workshop offered through MetLife, you can expect:

• Objective information on a wide range of financial topics
• Interactive exercises
• Questions from your coworkers that may also apply to you
• A resource book that's yours to keep
• An opportunity for an optional personal consultation

There are two opportunities to attend the four-session workshop this spring. Please note that both workshops will cover the same material. If you're unable to attend a session in your workshop, you can register for both and join the same session during the other workshop. Review the dates and times of each workshop and register using the buttons below.

• Meet Tuesdays, April 30 through May 21 from 1-2 p.m.

• Meet Fridays, May 3 through May 24 from 12 to 1 p.m.

Read More for Better Health

Exercising regularly and eating healthy aren't the only ways you can improve both your physical and mental health. Did you know that reading has many benefits for your overall health?

A few of these benefits are:

• Less stress: Experiencing high stress levels can contribute to long-term mental health issues, weight gain, increased risk of heart problems and much more. According to a 2009 study, reading for 30 minutes has the same effect as 30 minutes of practicing yoga in terms of stress reduction.
• Better sleep: Similarly to high stress levels, poor sleep can lead to a host of physical and mental health problems. In 2021, researchers observed reading habits and their possible correlation to sleep patterns. Overall, the study found that those who read a book in bed before falling asleep felt that their quality of sleep improved.
• Lower risk of cognitive decline: Just like the rest of your body, your brain needs exercise to stay healthy. This 14-year study suggests that older people who read more appear to have a reduced risk of cognitive decline compared to others who read less.
• A longer lifespan: With the aforementioned benefits, it's no surprise that a study published in 2016 found that reading books can reduce mortality by up to 20 percent.

So dust off that bestseller on your nightstand, download the Libby app or head to your local library and celebrate National Reading Month while taking care of yourself.

Is Your Mailing Address Up to Date?

Keeping your address up to date in your employer's HR/Payroll system is integral to ensuring you receive valuable communications about your benefits. NCFlex vendors rely on the address you have listed to contact you about claims, updates, replacement cards and similarly important information for any of the NCFlex benefits you're enrolled in.

For BEACON employees, please remember that if you have a mailing address listed in Fiori, that address overrides your permanent address. If your permanent address is the same as your mailing address, consider keeping only your permanent address active.

Additionally, P&A Group provides account updates to those who have Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) based on the email or physical mail preference you've chosen in the past. P&A relies on your employer's HR/Payroll system for those who prefer physical mail. However, P&A uses the email address saved in its database. To review and update your email address and preferred method of contact, log into your online account or the P&A Group mobile app. You can also call P&A Group at 1-866-916-3475.

Not sure how to update your mailing address? Reach out to your HR department for assistance.

Upcoming NCFlex Webinar Opportunities

March Webinar:

Join us to learn more about the NC 401(k) and 457 savings programs available to state employees. Empower, formerly Prudential, will explain the benefits of these optional savings plans that can help you build a secondary source of retirement income to supplement your pension.

The conversation will highlight:

• Investment choices
• Differences between the two plans
• Pre-tax vs. Roth savings options
• Rolling over funds from a previous employer's retirement savings plan and more.

April Webinar:

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are a great way to make your money go further by utilizing pre-tax deductions on eligible expenses. Join us for a closer look at the Health Care FSA and Dependent Day Care FSA.

We'll discuss:

• Eligible expenses for each account
• Using the convenience card vs. filing manual claims
• Responding to requests from P&A Group
• What happens when you separate from employment and more.

Consider inviting your spouse or family member who may help in making benefit decisions to these webinars too. Register with the buttons above or through our webinars page.

Updates for the Upwise app and MetLife+Savi Student Loan Assistance

What's new for Upwise:

We're excited to announce that the Upwise app has been renamed MetLife Personal Finance app – new name, same great features! Your information will be saved, and you will not be required to redownload the app. You will see the change reflected in the app tile and branding. 

Some actions you can take through the app:

• Take an interactive financial assessment
• Reduce your monthly bills¹ 
• Cancel unwanted subscriptions
• Build personalized budgets

What's new for MetLife+Savi Student Loan Assistance

For those interested in student loan forgiveness features through MetLife+Savi Student Loan Assistance, you can now access Savi directly via the new microsite for North Carolina state employees. MetLife+Savi Student Loan Assistance is a digital resource that can help minimize your student debt. On average borrowers save $156 per month and $20,500 in total loan forgiveness². Click here to register for an informational webinar held April 25 from 1 to 2 p.m. to learn the details on who qualifies, how the process works, and how much you could save.

1 - Facilitated by our trusted third-party partner, Billshark. If Billshark is successful in negotiating your bill, you’ll pay Billshark a one-time upfront fee of 35% of any negotiated savings (which is any bill reduction amount capped at 24 months of savings plus any one-time savings, refund or credit obtained by Billshark). Note that MetLife may receive a referral fee which does not impact your savings or Billshark fee.  

MetLife Personal Finance app is a product of MetLife Consumer Services, Inc. and is available at no cost to all individuals and regardless of any MetLife relationship or product. The Personal Finance app is for educational purposes. Each individual is advised to consult with their own attorney, accountant, and financial professional regarding their specific circumstances. MetLife does not provide legal, tax, or investment recommendations or advice.  

2 - Projections based on Savi users active between January 1-December 31, 2019.

Federal Student Loan Forgiveness, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and Income Driven Repayment plans are only available to federal student loan holders, and applying for them is always free via the federal student aid website (https://studentaid.gov/). Savi digitizes and assists with the application process but there may be a fee for some of its services. MetLife might receive a referral fee if you sign up for Savi. Rest assured that this does not have any impact on the loan forgiveness process itself, your ability to receive loan forgiveness, or the amount of such forgiveness.