1. Effective Date

Your district’s Board Resolution determines the Effective Date of the plan. The Effective Date must be on the first day of a calendar month. Contribution deductions should begin the month the plan is effective (e.g. Effective Date is January 1, 2003 means deductions would begin on the first paycheck with an issue date of January 1, 2003 or later.)

The SISC Flex plan operates on a calendar year basis, January 1 through December 31. If the Effective Date is other than January 1, the initial term shall be a period shorter than a full twelve month plan year, commencing on the Effective Date and ending December 31 of the same calendar year. Also, if the plan begins on a date other than January 1, the contributions to the plan must be appropriately prorated according to the number of pay periods remaining in the year.

2. Forms – Please forward all completed/processed forms to the SISC office in a timely manner.

A. Premium Only Plan (POP) Enrollment Forms

(A POP form is only needed if a district requires employees to pay all or part of their SISC medical premium. Only the initial POP enrollment form is required, participation in the POP account is automatic for future years.)

B. Health and Dependent Care Spending Account Enrollment Forms

(To participate in the Health Care Spending or Dependent Care Account employees must complete an annual enrollment form.)

Employees must participate in one of the SISC medical plans in order to be eligible for participation in the SISC Flex plan.

The maximum amount that can be contributed each year to the Health Care Spending Account is $3,600, and a maximum of $5,000 for the Dependent Care Spending Account. If the Plan Year is less than twelve months, the maximum contributions to the plan must be appropriately prorated according to the number of pay periods remaining in the year. Example: If the Effective Date is April 1, 2003, there are nine calendars months left in the Plan year. The maximum Health Care Account contribution could be $2,700, and the maximum Dependent Care account contribution could be $3,750.

C. Claim Forms (Please download forms and instructions from the SISC website, https://sisc.kern.org)

To receive reimbursement for dependent care and medical expenses, employees must receive eligible dependent care and medical services within the Plan year, and file a claim with SISC Flex. Completed forms, along with supporting documentation, should be forwarded the SISC Flex Plan office for processing. Approved claims will typically be paid within ten (10) working days.

Additional information and forms can be found on our web page at https://sisc.kern.org. Click on the SISC tab at the left, and then select SISC Flex. Additional information includes:

• Summary Plan Description (SPD) – Please print and make as many copies as necessary to give each

  employee enrolled in the Health or Dependent Care accounts.

• Claim forms
• Calculation worksheet to estimate annual expenses
• Example of Eligible expenses

3. Payroll Coding

A. Create or establish method of payment (e.g., voluntary deduction) You may need to contact your County Office for more information. Flex account funds are maintained separately within the Flex Plan. Please set up separate deductions for each account.

B. Enter contribution/deduction amounts for each employee on a pre-tax basis.

(The only exception to this is if an employee elected to have their POP deductions on an after-tax basis.

C. Dependent Care Spending Account deductions must be reported in box 10 on employee’s W-2.

4. Monthly Reporting

On approximately the 5th of each month, the SISC Flex staff will send a Contribution Billing Report to the district listing all current plan enrollees, and their monthly election amount. Please verify the information and return the report to SISC by the 25th of each month with any changes or corrections. Any changes made to the Contribution Billing Reports shall include the effective date for each employee who is added or terminated from the plan. All changes must be supported with appropriate enrollment or change of status forms.

The POP premiums are a portion of your regular SISC Health premiums, so please continue to forward them to the SISC Health Benefits program as usual. The only difference is that the employee portion of the premium will now be coded as pre-tax. The district shall promptly forward all SISC Flex employee contributions to SISC Flex for the Health and Dependent Care accounts. Funds should be received in the SISC Flex office no later than the 8th of each month.

Please mail to:

SISC Flex

P.O. Box 1808

Bakersfield, CA 93303-1808

5. Changing Elections

SISC Flex Plan elections may only be modified if an employee has an allowable change in status. An allowable change in status is defined as one of the following:

• Change in Participant’s legal marital status, including marriage, divorce, death, legal separation or annulment.
• Termination or commencement of employment by employee.
• Change in dependent eligibility (attainment of age, student status, etc.) under the SISC Health Plan

  Death of spouse/dependent

• Birth/adoption/placement for adoption of a child
• Reduction/increase in hours of employment by employee, spouse or dependent affecting eligibility for benefits

Please refer to your district’s copy of the Plan Document and Service Agreement for additional information.

CALL THE SISC OFFICE AT (661) 636-4411 IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS