Contact

The Office of Human Resources
Gulick Hall, 1st Floor
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
(315) 781-3312

Welcome to the 2024 Open Enrollment webpage. Benefits Open Enrollment will take place between November 1st – November 17th. We will be utilizing a new benefits portal for open enrollment, Employee Navigator. Employees will receive an email from Employee Navigator the morning of November 1st with new login instructions where you will simply register and login and review and finalize your 2024 benefit elections.  

As a benefits eligible faculty or staff member, you have access to a range of quality benefit options so you can get the coverage you need for yourself and your eligible family members. Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to reassess your healthcare, life insurance, and other benefit needs - by considering how you utilized your benefits in 2023 and how your needs may change for 2024.

Benefits eligible faculty and staff are able to enroll in or make changes to their benefit elections for the upcoming calendar year during Open Enrollment.  Log into the benefit portal (company identifier is HWSCollege for new registration) to review your benefit elections from last year and to update benefit elections, dependent information and beneficiaries for calendar year 2024. Open enrollment begins on November 1st at 12:00 a.m. and closes on November 17th at 11:59 p.m. Once Open Enrollment closes you will not be able to make a benefit change until the next Open Enrollment, unless you have a qualifying life event.

If you do not elect to make any changes, your current benefit elections will remain in effect with the exception of flexible spending. Remember, health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts will default to No Contribution so it is important that you (re)elect the appropriate contribution each year.

2024 Open Enrollment Guide
2024 Open Enrollment Presentation

2024 BENEFIT HIGHLIGHTS

Human Resources is hosting several In-Person and Virtual sessions for employees to learn about benefit offerings and to ask questions. Benefit presentations will be held on the below dates and Zoom links will be emailed to the campus.

  • Monday, Nov 6th 10am (In Person - Scandling Center, Vandervort Room)
  • Thursday, Nov 9th 10am (In Person at Albright Auditorium)
  • Thursday, Nov 9th 4pm (In Person at Scandling Center, Common Room)
  • Friday, Nov. 10th 9:30am (Virtual)
  • Tuesday Nov. 14th 6pm (Virtual)

2024 Summary of Benefit/plan Changes

Hobart and William Smith Colleges are continuing to provide employees with a strong benefit package. As a benefit eligible faculty or staff member, you have access to a range of benefit options and can elect the coverage needed for you and your eligible family members. 

Below are a few highlights:

  • UPDATED: PHARMACY – Hobart and William Smith Colleges will continue with Optum as our Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM), however we are introducing an enhanced service model integrated with RXBenefits to our employees and your covered dependents.
  • NEW: SINGLE MEDICAL/PHARMACY ID CARD – For those enrolled in our Excellus health plan, you will be receiving new ID cards for 1/1/2024.  On the back of the card will also include the pharmacy details with Optum/RXBenefits.  Please be sure to provide updated ID card information to your providers and pharmacy for proper processing of claims.
  • UPDATED: NEW FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT (FSA) ADMINISTRATOR: Beginning January 1, 2024, Hobart and William Smith Colleges will transition our Flexible Spending Account administration to Lifetime Benefit Solutions (LBS).  Participants in the FSA for 2024 will receive new FSA cards with LBS.
  • PREMIUM RATE INCREASES:
    • Medical Premium Rate Increase – 8.9% Increase
    • Dental Premium Rate Increase - 8.34% Increase
    • Vision Premium Rate Decrease – 5% Decrease

For medical, dental and vision 2024 rates please click below.

2024 Faculty/Administrative Rates
2024 Administrative Hourly Rates

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) - Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts will default to No Contribution, so you must elect an appropriate contribution each year if you wish to utilize either of these.

  • Beginning January 1, 2024, Hobart and William Smith Colleges will transition our Flexible Spending Account administration to Lifetime Benefit Solutions (LBS).  Participants in the FSA for 2024 will receive new FSA cards with LBS.  For those currently enrolled in FSA today, Alera will continue to process the 2023 FSA funds including the grace period, meaning If you have a remaining balance in your 2023 FSA, you have until March 15, 2024 to incur claims and June 15, 2024 to submit claims for reimbursement with Alera. Beginning 1/1/2024, LBS will administer 2024 FSA claims for reimbursement.
  • For 2023, the FSA maximum contribution limit was $3,050. For 2024, the projected limit is $3,200 (final release of 2024 IRS limits is expected soon). Dependent care FSA annual limit remains at $5,000.

More details on open enrollment changes and offerings can be found at the link below.

MORE Information

Open Enrollment Dates
Qualifying Life Event Change
Medical Opt Out Stipend
Paid Family Leave (PFL)

VENDOR INFORMATION

Health Insurance
Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield
www.excellusbcbs.com/hws
Customer Service 800-499-1275

Pharmacy
OptumRx, serviced by RXBenefits
www.optumrx.com
RX Customer Service:  1-800-334-8134
Email: customercare@rxbenefits.com

Dental and Vision Insurance
Guardian
www.guardiananytime.com
Customer Service 800-541-7846

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Lifetime Benefit Solutions

www.lifetimebenefitsolutions.com/members/login
Customer Service: 1-800-327-7130

Insurance Enrollment
Consiliarium Group
http://www.employeenavigator.com/benefits/account/login
Customer Service 1-844-890-7955
Email: info@consiliariumgroup.com

Retirement
TIAA
www.tiaa.org
Customer Service 800-842-2252

Transamerica
www.trsretire.com/
Customer Service

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
ENI/My Balance Works
nexgeneap.com/loginv2
800-327-2255
Company ID: 8956