Mandatory Open Enrollment Actions
This page will review actions that are mandatory during Open Enrollment as well as other actions that are recommended.
2025 Open Enrollment is from October 4 - October 18, 2024. During this period, employees and retirees will be able to make updates to their medical, dental, and vision plans as well as make dependent changes. The new plans will be effective January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025.
While it is always recommended to take this opportunity to review your benefit elections, no action is required unless:
You waive County medical insurance. You are required to take action during Open Enrollment to provide proof of other coverage to continue to waive.
If you participate in a Health or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA). Your FSA or HSA election amounts need to be selected each plan year.
Waiving County Medical Insurance
Employees may waive County medical insurance, if they have proof of other group coverage. If you are continuing to waive or newly electing to waive County medical insurance, you must do the following:
- Login to BenXcel during Open Enrollment (Oct. 4 - Oct. 18)
- See BenXcel Login Instructions section for additional login help
- While in the Open Enrollment tunnel, select to waive County medical insurance
- Complete the Proof of Other Group Coverage Certification questions
- Upload your Proof of Other Group Coverage documentation
- Even if this documentation is the same as last year, you must re-upload!
- Documentation may be in the form of a copy of your insurance card or a letter from the employer listing medical coverage with effective dates
You can review your MOU, based on your Bargaining Unit, for additional information on Proof of Other Group Coverage requirements.
What is considered other group coverage?
- Other Employer Sponsored Medical insurance through the employee's spouse, domestic partner, or parent
- Tricare (military medical insurance)
What is not considered other group coverage?
- Health Care Cost Sharing (such as Christian Healthcare Ministries)
- Covered California
- Medicare
- Medi-Cal is also not accepted due to Medi-Cal income guidelines (part-time employees may receive exceptions)
Electing or Re-Electing an FSA/HSA
Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA), Limited Purpose FSA (LPFSA), and Health Savings Account (HSA) elections do not roll over. If you wish to make contributions to a tax savings account for the 2024 plan year, you must do the following:
- Login to BenXcel during Open Enrollment (Oct. 4 - Oct. 18)
- See BenXcel Login Instructions section for additional login help
- While in the Open Enrollment tunnel, enroll in your tax savings account and choose your election amount
- Maximums for 2025
- FSA: $3,200 -- Rollover from 2024 to 2025: $640
- HSA: $4,300 individual / $8,550 family ($1,000 is added to limit if you are over age 55)
- DCFSA: $5,000 per household
- Maximums for 2025
Employees enrolled in the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), may be eligible for an HSA. In order to be eligible for an HSA, employees must answer additional eligibility questions.
- For employees enrolled in the HDHP and eligible for the HSA, you may receive a $750 County contribution to your HSA. This contribution is contributed over the course of the year (roughly $28 per paycheck).
- BU 31/32 have a different employer contribution amount. Refer to the 2025 Employee Benefits Brochure (pg. 37).
- If you do not want to make an employee contribution to your HSA, input $0 in the HSA election amount section in BenXcel. You will still receive the County contribution.
Other Important BenXcel Open Enrollment Information
- Review and update your demographics information.
- Mailing Address information in BenXcel is used by insurance carriers to send important documentation, including new Blue Shield ID Cards
- Add your Mobile Phone Number and Personal Email Address
- Dual Coverage is not allowed for County medical insurance
- If you and your spouse/partner work at the County, you cannot both cover each other on your medical plan.
- Dual Coverage is not allowed for Voya Life Insurance and Aflac plans (Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity)
- If you and your spouse/partner work at the County, confirm you do not have dual enrollment for these plans