Page 18 - Work Force November 2022

CSEA Employee Benefit Fund welcomes Erie County
Erie County has joined the CSEA Employee Benefit Fund (EBF). CSEA members employed by the county ratified an agreement earlier this year that includes an EBF dental plan.
The agreement covers members employed by Erie County, Erie Community College and Erie County Medical Center.
EBF Senior Benefit Specialist
Jim Aldrich, CSEA Labor Relations Specialist Deb Mueller, Erie County Unit President Bill Wilkinson, and Erie County Local President Denise Szymura worked hard throughout the negotiating process to ensure CSEA members would have a dental plan that meets their needs.
“The CSEA leadership of this unit, and local, were absolutely instrumental in making this a victory for members,” said Aldrich. “Their knowledge and dedication to the membership provided valuable insight throughout negotiations, presentations, and the voting process.”
The CSEA team scheduled numerous Q&A sessions before the
vote in mid-September to ensure the members could make an informed decision at the ballot box.
“Without a team effort, none of this would have been possible,” said Aldrich.
Before negotiations began, the CSEA negotiating team sent out contract surveys to the membership. These surveys helped the team determine what to prioritize at the negotiating table.
“The dental benefit available for the Erie County CSEA members was abysmal,” said Mueller. “Improving dental insurance was a top five priority among the CSEA members in their contract surveys.”
Negotiating new benefits or upgrading benefits currently in place are great ways to enhance your local government contract.
“When you consider the overall benefit of working for any employer you need to consider the wage, the benefit time, and the health-related benefits,” said Mueller. “By bringing an EBF dental plan to the Erie unit members, we were able to improve their network of participating
providers. This will significantly decrease their out-of-pocket expenses when they bring their families to the dentist.”
Having access to good benefits and knowing a team fights to maintain them is an advantage of being a CSEA member. Collective bargaining agreements that include strong benefits, like the benefits the EBF offers, add value to union membership not only for current members, but for future union members as well.
Szymura spoke of the far-reaching impact EBF will have on members.
“Whenever
a unit has the
opportunity to
better the benefits
of its members, it’s
a win for the local,”
said Szymura.
“This newly negotiated plan serves as a template for other units to use in bargaining future benefits.”
The benefit will take effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
access a debit card for use for eligible purchases and charges. Current FSA debit cards from HealthEquity/WageWorks will be deactivated, and 2023 program participants will receive a new debit card.
• The 2023 HCSA will include the maximum carryover of 2022 remaining balances. After the run-out period ends on March 31, 2023, up to $570 of funds remaining in the account will be transferred to the 2023 account for use any time during the 2023 year. Monies carried over are not included in the maximum contribution limits.
Dependent Care Advantage Account (DCAA) – Up to $5,000
per year, per household can be contributed in the DCAA through pre- tax payroll deductions for elder care, disabled dependent care or child care expenses.
About EBF:
The CSEA Employee Benefit Fund (EBF) administers negotiated dental, vision and reimbursement benefits for NYS Employees, Unified Court System employees and over 600 local government units such as counties, towns, villages, school districts and libraries. If you are not sure which EBF benefits you have, check your contract, or use our Benefit Search tool on our website.
If your contract does not yet include EBF dental, vision or reimbursement benefits, reach out to your region’s EBF Senior Benefit Specialist. From our desktop site
at cseaebf.com, select “Benefits Specialist” on the left for information about the representative in your region.
• After eligible services have been received, the employee submits for reimbursement.
• The DCAA employer contribution will continue to be available in 2023
• The 2023 DCAA will include a grace period. Any remaining funds from the 2022 plan year can be used to pay for expenses incurred between Jan. 1, 2023, and March 15, 2023.
Adoption Advantage Account (AAA) – Eligible employees may contribute up to $14,890 in the AAA for 2023 plan year. Contributions are made through pre-tax payroll deductions and may be used for expenses related to the adoption of an eligible child.
Get more information about the state’s FSA programs by calling the FSA hotline at 1-800-358-7202 or visiting https://oer.ny.gov/fsa.
Flex Spending Account Update
The Flex Spending Account (FSA)
is a negotiated state employee benefit that helps you save money by allowing you to pay certain expenses with pre-tax dollars. The Health Care Spending Account, the Dependent Care Advantage Account and the Adoption Advantage Account are benefit programs available under New York State’s FSA.
The state’s FSA Open Enrollment Campaign for the 2023 plan year
will begin Nov. 1, 2022, and end on Dec. 12, 2022. New for 2023, Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC) will be the administrator
of the FSA programs and will be handling enrollments for the 2023 plan year. The current vendor will process the remainder of 2022 plan year claims, including up to the end of the run-out period on March 31, 2023.
Because of the tax advantages of the FSA, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has strict guidelines for its use.
One of these guidelines is commonly known as the “use it or lose it” rule. Put simply, if you contribute pre-tax dollars into your FSA account and then do not have enough eligible expenses during the plan year to equal the amount you contributed, you may lose the balance remaining in your account when the plan year ends.
Here is more information about the types of Flex Spending Accounts:
Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) – Contributions to the HCSA are made through pre-tax payroll deductions and may be used for eligible health care expenses that are not covered by a health plan.
• The current maximum annual contribution to the HCSA is $2,850 for the 2023 plan year – this maximum is subject
to update by the federal
government.
• Employees will continue to
18 The Work Force
November 2022
Szymura