Flexible Group Benefits Plan Re-Enrolment
Management and Professional Staff
Employees enrol into the MaPS Flexible Group Benefits Plan when they are first hired.
- Flex Option choices are in place until the next re-enrolment period.
- Re-enrolment periods are every two years effective January 1 of each odd year (January 1, 2025, January 1, 2027, January 1, 2029, etc.).
The rates for all benefits including price tags for Health and Dental are reviewed annually and you will be notified of any changes. While rates and price tags may change annually, you can only change Flex Options and spending account allocations every two years.
Re-Enrolment Period: November 22 - December 5, 2024
During this re-enrolment period, you have the opportunity to update your basic and voluntary benefit coverage through the My UCalgary self-service re-enrolment tool. Once you receive a notification on November 22, 2024, follow the steps in self-service and submit your choices. Your choices are effective January 1, 2025 and remain in place until the next re-enrolment period, unless you experience a qualified Life Event.
Price tags and flex credits are changing effective January 1, 2025. New rates are found on the MaPS Group Premiums page. It is important to review this information to understand how it impacts your spending accounts and payroll deductions. You can use this Worksheet to calculate credits before you re-enrol. To determine your current options, review your "Benefits Summary" on My UCalgary, All About Me, under My Benefits, Benefit details.
If you do not re-enrol or do not finalize the re-enrolment process, you will remain in your current benefit option choices, and all of your excess credits will be placed in your Health Spending Account, regardless of your prior allocations. You will not have the opportunity to update your allocations until the next re-enrolment period. To finalize your submission at the end of the re-enrolment process, you must hit “Submit” and then “OK” to generate a confirmation email. If you do not receive this confirmation email, your elections will not be updated.
If you want any excess credits allocated to your Wellness Spending Account, you must allocate your credits in the re-enrolment tool, even if you do not change your other option choices.
You can go into the re-enrolment tool as many times as you like during the re-enrolment period but your choices will be updated based on your final submission/confirmation email.
If you need help, register for an information session or follow these re-enrolment guides:
The re-enrolment tool will be open for you to make new Flex Option selections on November 22, 2024. You will receive an email notification on November 2 announcing that the self-service tool is available. The re-enrolment period is from November 22 to December 5, 2024. You can make as many changes as you wish until it closes at 11:59 pm on December 5. Your selections will be updated for January 1, 2025 based on the latest submission and confirmation statement you receive.
If you did not receive the re-enrolment notification please check your junk email folder. If it is not there, you can access the tool directly by logging into My UCalgary, selecting “All about me” and under My benefits select “Benefit details”, then “Benefits Enrolment”. After navigating to the “Benefits Enrolment” screen, please follow the instructions in the tool. Hit “Submit” and then press “OK” to finalize your elections and receive your confirmation email.
No, coverage will not change under any of the options.
Yes. To partially offset overall cost increases, additional credits are being provided for January 1, 2025:
- Single $2,734.63
- Couple $4,960.82
- Family $5,480.67
Price tags have increased for all Health and Dental options. This impacts your excess credits and you may incur payroll deductions, depending on your options. It is important to review your benefit choices and allocate any excess flex credits to a Health and/or Wellness Spending Account in the re-enrolment tool.
Yes, Health and Dental price tags are increasing, and Life Insurance and Long Term Disability are decreasing. Each year the cost of the plan is reviewed by the university and adjusted, as required, to ensure adequate funding to maintain the current benefits plan coverage. This year, due to increased claims, inflation and changes in our demographics, the price tags are changing. Details are on the MaPS Group Premium webpage and are summarized as follows:
Basic Life Insurance (100% employee paid) - premiums are increasing for all 3 options. The maximum impact for Option 1 is an increase of $1.20 per month, for Option 2 an increase of $2.38 and for Option 3 an increase of $3.82.
Long Term Disability (100% employee paid) - premiums are reducing for all 3 options. The maximum reduction for Option 1 is $4.51 per month and for Option 2 $5.18 and for Option 3 $5.26. Note, Limited Term MaPS have different rates.
Employee and Spousal Optional Life (100% employee paid) - no change
Basic and Voluntary Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Critical Illness - no change
Health – 17% - 28% depending on the option choice selected
Dental – 6% - 9% increase depending on the option choice selected
NOTE: If Flex Credits are not sufficient enough to cover the cost of the Health and Dental options you have selected, a payroll deduction will be incurred.
The university provides flex credits to each MaPS based on dependent status. The university’s contribution to Flex Credits will increase for 2025. Flex credits are used to pay for your Health and Dental options.
- If your Health and Dental options cost more than your flex credits, you will be responsible to pay the difference through payroll deductions.
- If your Health and Dental options cost less than your flex credits, credits remaining can be allocated either to a Health Spending Account, or a Wellness Spending Account, or a portion to both.
You continue to pay the premium for Basic Life, Long Term Disability and optional benefits and the university pays the premium for Basic Accidental Death and Dismemberment.
Flex credits will be deposited for January 1, 2025. Your option selections will be updated as soon as possible during the first week of January and are effective January 1, 2025.
To ensure that claims are paid based on your new health and dental option choices, Health Spending Account claims payments will be pended during this time and all claims will be paid as quickly as possible retroactive to January 1. Please contact Alberta Blue Cross 403-234-9666 if you changed your options and incurred a health or dental claim in the first week of January that may not have been paid based on your new option.
If you have any payroll deductions, the first deduction for the new Flex Options effective January 1 will be January 24, 2025.
No. You can choose to remain under your current Flex Options or you can select new options to better fit your current situation. If you decide to remain under your current Flex Options, your available excess credits will change because annual flex credits and price tags are changing.
Important: If you do not allocate excess credits at re-enrolment, your credits will default to your Health Spending Account. You MUST follow the re-enrolment process if you want to allocate any available excess credits to your Wellness Spending Account. Be sure to finalize your submission fully. You will know it is finalized when you receive a confirmation email.
No. You are able to select any Flex Option at re-enrolment. However, you will be required to provide evidence of medical insurability for Life and/or Long Term Disability to move to a higher option. For example, if moving from Option 1 to Option 2 medical evidence is required. The cost of providing medical evidence of insurability is your responsibility. Medical evidence of insurability is not required for Life and/or Long Term Disability if you move down (e.g. move from Flex Option 3 to 2). If medical evidence is required, after January 1, the benefits team will send you the appropriate forms. You will remain in your current options until approval is granted by the insurer.
It depends. If you select a higher Life and/or Long Term Disability Flex Option compared to your current coverage (e.g. move up from Flex Option 1 to 2), you will be required provide medical evidence of insurability. Your new higher Flex Option selection is only effective once the insurance carrier has approved and confirmed your coverage. Medical evidence of insurability is not required for Life and/or Long Term Disability if you select a lower Option (e.g. move down from Flex Option 3 to 2). Medical evidence is required for some optional benefits.
Important: If you do not allocate available excess credits at re-enrolment, your credits will automatically default to a Health Spending Account. You MUST follow the re-enrolment process to completion if you want to allocate any available excess credits to the Wellness Spending Account.
If you do not re-enrol or finalize your re-enrolment through self-service by the deadline, you will be defaulted into your current option selections. However, if you default and/or decide to remain under your current Flex Options, your available excess credits will change given that both flex credits and price tags are changing effective January 1, 2025. If you do not have enough flex credits to pay for your options, payroll deductions are effective January 1, 2025.
No. If you do not allocate excess credits at re-enrolment, they will automatically default to a Health Spending Account. You MUST follow the re-enrolment self-service process to completion if you want to allocate any available excess credits to the Wellness Spending Account.
Once the current re-enrolment period closes, the next opportunity to change your Flex Options is at the next re-enrolment, unless you experience a qualified Life Event at which time you can select a different Option(s) within 31 days of the event by navigating to My UCalgary portal > All about me > My benefits > Benefits self service > Benefits > Life events and choosing the appropriate qualified Life Event.
A qualified Life Event is
- Adding a dependent through marriage, common-law relationship, or the birth/adoption of a child
- Losing a spouse through death or divorce, only if this results in a change in your dependent status (for example, from family to couple, or couple to single)
- Your spouse has a substantial gain/loss of coverage through their own employer’s group plan
You have 31 days from the date of your qualified Life Event to select new options by navigating to My UCalgary portal > All about me > My benefits > Benefits self service > Benefits > Life events and choose the appropriate qualified Life Event. You don’t have to make a new choice, but if you feel that the options you’ve chosen are no longer best for your new situation, you can make a new selection. Regardless, you must update your dependents in self-service.
Spending account credits are granted on a “use it or lose it” basis. If you experience a qualified life event that impacts your credits they will be adjusted. Unspent credits at the time of the life event will be forfeited and replaced with a new pro-rated amount based on your new status.
Change in Dependent Status only:
You are not able to change your option selections, but you are able to change your dependent status (for example, family to couple or couple to single) upon:
- a dependent losing eligibility (for example, a dependent reaches the age of 25 and is no longer covered)
If you select different Health and/or Dental Options, a new Alberta Blue Cross Identification (ID) card will be emailed to your UCalgary email address. Please destroy your old card(s) once you receive your new ID card. Your existing ID card will continue to work while you wait to receive your new one. If you do not receive your new card by the end of January, please contact Alberta Blue Cross directly. Your new card will be effective January 1, 2025.
Orthodontic claims history will transfer to your new Dental option selection. The individual will continue to receive coverage up to the applicable lifetime benefit maximum if you select a Dental option with Orthodontic coverage.
Your HSA and/or WSA plan allows you to carry forward any unused credits up to one year after the year in which the credits were allocated. This means that if you have eligible credits remaining after your claims have been reimbursed for 2024, you can use them to reimburse any claims incurred in 2025. All 2023 HSA/WSA credits must be used by December 31, 2024; any remaining 2023 credits will be forfeited on January 1, 2025.
No. If you are already enrolled and approved for voluntary benefits (Optional Life, Voluntary AD&D and/or Voluntary Critical Illness), coverage will continue at re-enrolment unless you instruct otherwise.
Yes. You can apply for any of the voluntary benefits (Optional Life, Voluntary AD&D, and/or Voluntary Critical Illness) for yourself, your spouse and/or your dependent children at re-enrolment subject to providing medical evidence of insurability as required. The cost of providing medical evidence of insurability is your responsibility. Coverage is only effective once the insurance carrier (Manulife Financial or SSQ) has approved and confirmed your coverage.
If you are eligible to re-enrol, you will be notified by letter to your home address with instructions.
If you have questions, please contact UService at 403.210.9300 or hr@ucalgary.ca.
Go to My UCalgary, under All About Me, My Benefits, and click on Benefit details and Benefit Summary. Current option choices are listed. In addition, the enrolment tool indicates your current option level. You can also review your Alberta Blue Cross ID card. The card will indicate our Policy 18953 and provide a section number which will be either A## or B##. The first number following A or B represents your health option and the second number represents your dental option.