2023 VCU HR Benefits and Well-Being Fair 

The 2023 Benefits and Well-Being Fair will take place on May 2, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  For more information about the event, view the 2023 Benefits and Well-Being page.  

2023 Open enrollment for state employee health coverage and flexible spending accounts 

The Open Enrollment period for health coverage and flexible spending accounts will be May 1 to May 15. For more information about the plans, view the open enrollment page.   

TimelyCare for mental and emotional health support

TimelyCare is available to all employees and offers 24/7 resources for mental/emotional health, including on-call virtual mental health support and self care tools.    

Optional life insurance premium changes

Securian has adjusted optional life insurance premium charges for participants who had birthdays during 2022 that placed them in a new premium category. New premium amounts for participating employees and/or spouses are now reflected in the payroll deductions of affected employees.  To review Optional Life premiums by age category, see the plan brochure.

New benefits resources for postdoctoral employees 

Postdoctoral employees eligible for state benefits can find information and the 2023 Benefits Guide on the Postdoctoral Employees page. For help selecting benefits, check out ALEX for VCU, the interactive benefits counselor. 

Retirement savings limits increase for 2023 

Elective deferral limits for the VCU 403(b)/TDA plan and the Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP) increased for 2023.  Read more at Retirement tax-savings limits.

Long-term care insurance premium rate increase 

Genworth, the insurer and third-party administrator for the Commonwealth of Virginia Voluntary Long Term Care Insurance Program offered by the Virginia Retirement System (VRS), has announced a premium rate increase recently approved by the Virginia State Corporation Commission. The increase affects participants who enrolled in the program between 2010 and 2016 (Group Policy Form Series 7046), for whom the 10-year premium rate guarantee expired in 2020. Participants should consult their letters from Genworth for details about options.  Participants with questions may consult Genworth's informationalwebsite or contact Genworth at 855-706-9543.

IRS 1095 forms for health plan participants

The Office of Health Benefits (OHB) at the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management mailed 1095-C forms for 2022 to state employee health plan participants during the weeks of January 24 and January 31, 2023.  Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance states that the forms are not required in order to file a tax return and should not be filed with a tax return. See "Questions and Answers about Health Care Information Forms for Individuals" on the IRS website for more details.

VCU Human Resources does not receive copies of these forms. If you did not receive your 1095 form and would like to request a duplicate, send a request to OHB at ohb@dhrm.virginia.gov including your health plan member ID number and a current mailing address. Replacement forms are issued within 7-10 days. 

Health Plan Reimbursement of COVID-19 At-Home Tests 

Faculty and staff who participate in the state health benefits program are eligible for reimbursement of costs for eligible over-the-counter diagnostic COVID-19 tests purchased January 15, 2022 or later during the declared federal Coronavirus Public Health Emergency (through May 11, 2023). Each individual covered on an employee's health plan can receive up to eight over-the-counter COVID-19 tests each month. If you purchase a test kit that includes two rapid tests, those will count as two of the eight covered tests. For reimbursement information, see:

• COVA Care and COVA High Deductible Health Plan flyer (PDF)
• COVA HealthAware flyer (PDF)
• Optima Health Vantage HMO information
• Kaiser Permanente HMO flyer (PDF)

For questions, contact your health plan company directly using the contact information on your member ID card.

VCU benefits announcements will come only from VCU emails or social media accounts

VCU Human Resources is aware that some employees have received email solicitations or social media contacts that attempt to represent themselves as official communications from VCU about employee benefits. VCU announcements about employee benefits will come only from VCU email addresses or through official VCU social media channels. VCU's approved retirement plan service providers are Virginia Retirement System, TIAA, and Fidelity Investments. Communications from these approved retirement plan service providers will include their logos and references to specific programs in which VCU employees participate. Communications from other parties are not authorized by VCU.