Calling all benefits-eligible Fermilab employees: Enrollment for next year’s benefits begins on Wednesday, Oct. 27, and will continue until Wednesday, Nov. 10. Open enrollment is your opportunity to make changes to your benefits coverage for the coming year. Changes made during open enrollment will be effective on Jan. 1, 2022. WDRS strives to maintain Fermilab’s benefits program as one of the significant advantages of working at Fermilab.
Attend the virtual Benefits and Wellbeing Fair
Several different resources are available to help you and your family access benefits information, beginning with a virtual Benefits and Wellbeing Fair scheduled for Oct. 5 through Oct. 26. WDRS has invited all benefits-related vendors to participate and plan to stagger their presentations over the three-week period. Use this link to access the calendar with meeting information as well as vendor tools and resources.
What’s changing for 2022:
- Medical rates – Historically Fermilab has contributed 75% to the overall cost of medical plans, and this cost-share will remain the same for 2022. Employee contributions will increase by 2% for the HDHP, PPO and HMO health plans.
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) limits – For 2022, employees may contribute pre-tax up to $5,000 in dependent care FSA accounts. Note that the DCFSA maximum increase to $10,500 that was announced in July and adopted as a result of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 applies only to the 2021 plan year.
- Health Savings Account (HSA) limits – For 2022, employees may contribute pre-tax up to the IRS limit of $3,650 (up from $3,600 in 2021) for single coverage or up to $7,300 (up from $7,200 in 2021) for coverage including dependents into the HSA, minus the employer contribution ($500 for single and $1,000 for coverages including dependents).
- Vision plan changes – In 2022, the EyeMed vision plan will allow for the purchase of new frames every 12 months instead of the current 24 months. The 2022 vision plan rates contain a modest cost increase.
What’s not changing for 2022:
- Vendors/plan designs – There will be no changes to vendors or plan designs in 2022.
- Dental rates – Dental rates will remain the same in 2022.
- Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) limits – For 2022, the health care FSA annual limit will remain $2,750.
As always, those who would like to participate in a health spending account (HSA) or dependent care flexible spending account (FSA) for 2022 must enroll or re-enroll every year.
The following is a summary of the steps needed for open enrollment:
| 2022 Open Enrollment | |
| Benefit Plan | What to do during open enrollment |
| Medical | All 2021 elections carry over to 2022 unless you change them. |
| Dental | All 2021 elections carry over to 2022 unless you change them. |
| Vision | All 2021 elections carry over to 2022 unless you change them. |
| Flexible Spending Accounts | Re-enrollment is required every year. |
| High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with Health Savings Account (HSA) | Employees enrolled in the HDHP will receive an employer contribution to their HSA and may also make their own contributions. Employees may elect to contribute up to the 2022 IRS HSA annual limit. The IRS limit includes both the employee and employer contribution. Employees enrolled in the HDHP are not required to contribute to the HSA, and HSA contributions can be changed anytime throughout the year. |
| Voluntary Life and AD&D | All 2021 elections carry over to 2022 unless you change them. Employees enrolled in coverage may increase coverage by 1x up to the guaranteed issue amount (3x annual salary or $500,000) without evidence of insurability. New or increased election amounts will require evidence of insurability (medical questionnaire). |
All benefits-eligible employees will receive an electronic open enrollment event via FermiWorks on Oct. 27. We ask that you open the event, review your current elections and beneficiaries, and decide if any changes are needed. The look and feel of the open enrollment event has been changed this year to improve the user experience and make it more helpful.
All are encouraged to attend one of the virtual open enrollment meetings to learn more about the 2022 changes. This year, we will follow an FAQ format for our open enrollment meetings. To help us prepare for all questions, please submit your questions to benefitsoffice@fnal.gov by Friday, Oct. 15. The meeting schedule is included on the open enrollment website and in the open enrollment guide.
This year, all enrollment meetings will be available via Zoom web conference only. Click here to access the Zoom web meeting information (Services log in required). Spouses and partners are invited to attend. You can also complete your 2022 open enrollment event using the Workday mobile app –- just download the app to your mobile device, indicate Fermilab as the employer, and log in just as you would on a desktop.
In compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the Summary of Benefits & Coverage for all three medical plans offered by Fermilab and the required Healthcare Exchange Notice are available on the open enrollment website.