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In January, qualifying union-represented PEBB subscribers whose annual rate of pay was $68,004 or less as of November 1, 2025 may have received a $300 flexible spending arrangement (FSA) contribution from their employer. This is part of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
How employees were notified
Last fall in the October For Your Benefit newsletter, employees were informed about this benefit and who may qualify. We also mailed a them a letter at the beginning of October to let them know they may be eligible for this benefit.
The week of January 12, Navia Benefit Solutions (the FSA administrator) mailed a welcome letter to those who qualified for the contribution. Following that letter, recipients new to this benefit may also get a debit card in an unmarked envelope. They can use this debit card to spend their FSA funds on eligible expenses.
Confirmation letter error
Around January 22, some employees also received a confirmation letter from Navia. This confirmation letter was mailed in error and was only meant for recipients who actively enrolled in an FSA during annual open enrollment. The letter may cause confusion for those who only received the CBA FSA contribution. Navia plans to mail a letter to these employees to inform them of the error and correctly confirm their enrollment in the CBA FSA. We will send a follow-up message to you before that mailing with a copy of the letter and a list of recipients.
Employees may opt out of this benefit
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules do not allow a person to have both an FSA and an HSA at the same time because both are tax-preferred benefits. If an employee was awarded the CBA FSA and their spouse is enrolled in an HDHP with an HSA, the employee can request to cancel this benefit. Either you or the employee can do this by contacting Navia. If they get a debit card from Navia, please advise them to cut it up and throw it away.
Requirements to qualify
To be eligible to receive this contribution, employees must meet the following criteria:
- They are employed in a PEBB benefits-eligible position on January 1, 2026.
- They are a union-represented employee.
- Their union is part of the Health Care Coalition described in RCW 41.80.020(3).
- Their rate of pay on November 1, 2025 is $68,004 or less for a full-time equivalent position.
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If they work part-time, their position pays a salary of $68,004 or less per year as full-time. For example, if they earn $34,002 and work 20 hours per week, their full-time salary would be $68,004 and they would still qualify.
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They or their spouse are not enrolled in a consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) with a health savings account (HSA).
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They meet the other eligibility criteria as described in the Health Care Coalition Agreement, including:
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They are enrolled in a medical plan offered by the PEBB Program that is not a consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) with a health savings account (HSA);
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They have not waived PEBB Program enrollment.
For questions about this benefit
To learn more about this benefit we encourage you to check out the the PEBB CBA FSA Toolkit, which you can use to help your employees if they come to you with questions.
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