The Michigan State University flexible spending account open enrollment period for the 2010 plan year will run from Nov. 2-16.

There are two types of flexible spending accounts, or FSA’s, offered to MSU faculty and staff:

• Dependent care spending accounts which allow the employee to use pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible child or dependent care expenses
• Health care spending accounts which allow the employee to use pre-tax dollars to pay for out-of-pocket medical costs such as office visit co-pays, prescription co-pays, eyeglasses and other vision costs, and many over-the-counter medications

Pre-open enrollment information and question and answer sessions about flexible spending accounts will be conducted by Meritain Health.

Those sessions will be held at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Oct. 28 in the Green Room of the MSU Union Building. Sessions also will be held at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Oct. 29 in Spartan Room C in the MSU International Center.

Renee Rivard, director of benefits at MSU, said  the FSA benefit is especially helpful to families or individuals who expect to incur non-covered or partially covered medical expenses in 2010 such as new glasses, contacts, or orthodontia work; people who take maintenance medications for diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, allergies and other conditions that require frequent, predictable prescription or over-the-counter drugs; and working parents who have one or more children under the age of 13 in day care.

Employees who miss the Nov. 2-16 open enrollment period will have to wait until next fall to enroll in the 2011 program.

To learn more about the FSA benefit at MSU, go to http://www.hr.msu.edu/fsa.

After open enrollment begins, there will also be three enrollment assistance sessions on campus where employees can ask questions and receive help enrolling online from human resources benefits staff.

The dates and times of these sessions are: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 5, Spartan Room C, MSU International Center; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 11, Green Room in the MSU Union Building; and 9 a.m.-3 p.m,. Nov. 16, Spartan Room C in the MSU International Center.

For additional information, call MSU HR Benefits at (517) 353-4434, 1-800-353-4434 or send an e-mail to benefitsinfo@hr.msu.edu.

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