Benefit Program Considerations

If you and your spouse or grandfathered qualified domestic partner are both in benefit-eligible positions at the College and have dependent children, there are a few things you need to be aware of when making your elections for Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) and Dependent Life Insurance.

According to the rules of both plans, "no person may be covered both as an employee and a dependent and no person may be covered as a dependent of more than one employee." Thus, if you and your spouse or grandfathered qualified domestic partner are both in a benefit-eligible position your options are listed below.

Options for AD&D coverage would include:

1. Both of you would automatically be enrolled in the Basic AD&D coverage, and one of you can elect Voluntary Employee & Children AD&D coverage. The employee who does not elect the Employee & Children coverage can choose to select Voluntary Employee Only coverage. Only one of you would be covered under the Voluntary EE and Children coverage and therefore have coverage for your children. Your spouse or grandfathered qualified domestic partner would be covered under their Voluntary Employee Only coverage.

2. In addition to both of you being automatically enrolled in the Basic AD&D coverage, you can both elect Voluntary Employee Only coverage. This would mean that neither of you would have any eligible children to cover, or you are both declining to cover them. 

3. You can both decline Voluntary AD&D coverage. In this case, you would still both be automatically enrolled in the Basic AD&D coverage.

Options for Dependent Life Insurance coverage would include:

1. One employee can elect dependent life coverage and the other can decline coverage. It is important to understand that if you do so, the spouse or grandfathered qualified domestic partner who has not elected dependent life insurance is not covered as a dependent under your plan:   they are covered as an employee under the Basic Life Insurance plan, and have the opportunity to elect Supplemental Life as an employee. You would have coverage for your children only in this case.

2. You could both decline the Dependent Life coverage.

Employees who had a HCFSA in 2018 have already received a PayFlex Debit Card. Even if your HCFSA balance reaches zero by the end of the year, you should keep your debit card for use in subsequent years. The PayFlex Debit Card is only for use at retail pharmacies. You may access your PayFlex account via Aetna Navigator at:  aetnanavigator.com or at PayFlex.com.

Autopay is available to participants and will be automatic unless you cancel your participation. Autopay automatically moves an eligible medical claim from Aetna participating providers to PayFlex’s FSA system so you don’t need to submit a separate FSA claim form. Please note this feature is only available for those employees and dependents who are enrolled in a medical plan through Ithaca College. Autopay is convenient, but you should cancel your participation if you:

• are covered under another plan with coordination of benefits;
• have created an FSA for reimbursement of orthodontia expenses;
• have a domestic partner or same sex spouse whose expenses may not be FSA eligible; or
• prefer to choose what you submit to your FSA on a claim by claim basis.

You can cancel your Autopay participation by phone at 888-678-8242 or online at aetnanavigator.com. In order to cancel online please follow these steps:

• Login to aetnanavigator.com, select Flexible Spending Account and click on the Financial Center tab once you have been redirected to the PayFlex website. 
• From the drop down menu, select Health Plan Activity.  
• Click on the Health Plan Activity Options box on the left side. 
• Review and update your current automatic reimbursement settings. Then click Save. 

Eligible dependents are defined as:

• Your legal spouse or grandfathered qualified domestic partner. No new enrolments in qualified domestic partner benefits after January 1, 2015.
• Your legal children. For medical, dental, vision and hearing care this includes your natural, adopted or foster children, stepchildren, or any child for whom you have legal custody or are required to provide health insurance by a Qualified Medical Child Support Order. For Dependent Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance this includes your natural, adopted or stepchildren.

Children are eligible:

• up to age 19, for all benefits;
• between ages 19 and 25, for all benefits provided they are a full-time student;
• up to age 26, for medical insurance only regardless of student or marital status;
• age 19 or older, if unmarried and registered fully disabled.