Benefits Administration Category

Maintenance > Human Resources > Benefits Administration > Benefit Plans Maintenance > New/

Use the tabs on this page to set up and maintain a benefit category and associated plan information.

Note: Once a benefit category has been used in a payroll, the ability to edit or delete it is disabled.

The fields on this tab define a benefit category. Some fields are common to all benefit categories, while others are specific to a category.

To see descriptions of common or category-specific fields, click the appropriate link below:

Common

Field	Description
Category Name	Required. Full name of the benefit category. This name must be unique and may contain letters and numbers. Once the category has been saved, this name cannot be changed.
Description	Detailed description of the benefit category. It may be the same as the Category Name and may contain letters and numbers.
Type	Read-only field containing the category type, i.e., Medical, Dental, selected in the Benefits Administration Category-New pop-up when the category originally is added. This entry determines the number and types of fields that display below the Payroll Dates. Note: The Type field is read-only when the page is in edit mode.
Status	Identifies the category as Active or Inactive in the system.
Coverage Options The available coverage options are determined by the Effective Date of the benefit category. All of the options that have not been assigned to the benefit category are listed in the left (Available) multi-select box. All of the options that have been assigned to the benefit category are listed in the right (Selected) list box. To assign an option to the benefit category, select it in the Available box, and click the right-arrow button to move it to the Selected box. To remove an option from the benefit category, reverse the process. Note: If the benefit category has a Last Used in Payroll date, the list boxes are disabled. Note: Once a category has been used in a payroll or assigned to an employee who has a payroll date that is equal to or later than the category effective date, the category cannot be edited. After making your selections in the multi-select list boxes, click the Save button on the Category tab.
Coverage Effective Dates	Shows the date range during which the benefit category is in effect. The current category typically shows <Open> in place of an end date. When you use the Create Event button to select a new Coverage Start Date, an end date is applied to the current benefit category. If a category contains multiple effective-dated records, gaps may not exist between effective date ranges. The start date of a category may not be changed to a date later than the first date the category was used in a payroll. Use the arrow buttons on either side of the Coverage Effective Dates field to navigate between the different effective date ranges of a category. All related plans, options and rule sets remain in sync with the date range selected. On first opening this page from the Benefits Administration Categories page, the currently effective record for the category displays.
Coverage Dates
Coverage Start Date	Required. First date the coverage for this category is effective. Note: Once this date is saved, the field is locked, and the date may be changed through the Create Event option only.
Payroll Dates
Payroll Start Date	Required. Determines the actual start of payroll deductions for the selected coverage. For a category to be eligible for selection in a cafeteria plan, the Payroll Start Date of the category must coincide with the Payroll Start Date of the associated cafeteria plan. Note: Once this date is saved, the field is locked, and the date may be changed through the Create Event option only.
Payroll End Date	Last date payroll deductions are taken for the selected coverage.
Last Used in Payroll	Read-only. Last date the category was used in a payroll. This date is read-only. The payroll post date updates it.

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Field	Description
Calculation Limits
YTD Limit Start Month	Payroll and position budgeting calculations determine year based on YTD Limit Start Month and compare with period end date; for example, if January is selected as the YTD Limit Start Month, the year is January 1 - December 31. For the period end date year of January 1 - December 31, the calculation sums all benefits and deductions tied to the plan and determines whether they are at the maximum limits.
Single HDHP Coverage	Required. Contribution limit for an employee with self coverage in a high deductible health plan (HDHP).
Family HDHP Coverage	Required. Contribution limit for an employee with family coverage in an HDHP. Note: The employer contributions on the Cost Entry page are annual maximum contributions for employers; therefore, separate plans are not required for employee and employer contributions when the frequencies differ, thus allowing the utilization of the annual plan maximum on the category page
Over 55 Catch-up	Catch-up contribution limit for an employee 55 years old or older.
Bank Account
Require for Enrollment	Determines whether employees are required to us the Default Bank selected for employee HSA accounts.
Allow Override of Bank
Default Bank	Required if Allow Override of Bank is not selected, default bank to be used for employee HSAs. On the selection of a bank, the Routing Number fills in automatically.
Routing Number	Routing number of the Default Bank. This number fills in automatically on the selection of a Default Bank.
Default Account Type	Required if Allow Override of Bank is not selected, the default account type, Savings or Checking, for the HSAs.

Notes

When an event is created on a health savings account, the values of the HDHP and FSA tabs are copied to the new event.
Changes to the HDHP and FSA tabs for one event on a health savings account do not affect other events for the same category.
An event and category for a health savings account may be deleted with HDHP and FSA plans selected.

Life, Disability Insurance

Field	Description
General
Track Beneficiary Information	Determines whether to track data related to beneficiaries of the policy. A checked or unchecked box carries forward as is when a new effective-dated category is created through the Create Event function.

Medical, Dental, Vision

Field	Description
General
Use in Cafeteria Plan	Tells whether category is eligible for selection in a cafeteria plan.
Medicare Reduction Applies	Determines whether to reduce costs if an employee or dependent is eligible for Medicare.
Medicare Notification Age	Enabled only if Track Covered Dependents is checked, tells the age when a dependent no longer is eligible for Medicare. This entry may trigger a change in rates.
COBRA Applies	Determines whether COBRA applies to this category.
COBRA Admin Percentage	If applicable, fee percentage to administer COBRA processing. This percentage is added to an employee's cost.
Non-Waivable Plan	Identifies plans in this category as non-waivable.
Dependent Tracking
Track Covered Dependents	Determines whether to track information related to dependents covered by this benefit category.
Dependent Child Age Limit	Enabled only if Track Covered Dependents is checked, maximum age a child may be covered as a dependent.
Dependent Child in School Age Limit	Enabled only if Track Covered Dependents is checked, maximum age a dependent child in school may be covered, if the associated benefit plans allow for additional coverage of students.
Medicare Notification Age	Enabled only if Track Covered Dependents is checked, tells the age when a dependent no longer is eligible for Medicare. This entry may trigger a change in rates.
Calculation Limits
YTD Limit Start Month	Payroll and position budgeting calculations determine year based on YTD Limit Start Month and compare with period end date; for example, if January is selected as the YTD Limit Start Month, the year is January 1 - December 31. For the period end date year of January 1 - December 31, the calculation sums all benefits and deductions tied to the plan and determines whether they are at the maximum limits.

Medical, Dependent Care Reimbursement

Field	Description
Dependent Tracking
Track Covered Dependents	Determines whether to track information related to dependents covered by this benefit category.
Dependent Child Age Limit	Enabled only if Track Covered Dependents is checked, maximum age a child may be covered as a dependent.
Dependent Child in School Age Limit	Enabled only if Track Covered Dependents is checked, maximum age a dependent child in school may be covered, if the associated benefit plans allow for additional coverage of students.
Calculation Limits
YTD Limit Start Month	Payroll and position budgeting calculations determine year based on YTD Limit Start Month and compare with period end date; for example, if January is selected as the YTD Limit Start Month, the year is January 1 - December 31. For the period end date year of January 1 - December 31, the calculation sums all benefits and deductions tied to the plan and determines whether they are at the maximum limits.
Minimum Annual Contribution	Determine contribution limits specific to medical and dependent care reimbursements.
Maximum Annual Contribution
Pay Period Limit	Tells the system whether to verify that a contribution limit is being met per pay period. Note: This feature may be used to prevent the election of the maximum yearly amount when enrolling well into a plan year, then using the benefit and leaving the job soon after.

Pension, Deferred Compensation

Field	Description
General
Track Beneficiary Information	Determines whether to track data related to beneficiaries of the policy. A checked or unchecked box carries forward as is when a new effective-dated category is created through the Create Event function.
Calculation Limits
YTD Limit Start Month	Payroll and position budgeting calculations determine year based on YTD Limit Start Month and compare with period end date; for example, if January is selected as the YTD Limit Start Month, the year is January 1 - December 31. For the period end date year of January 1 - December 31, the calculation sums all benefits and deductions tied to the plan and determines whether they are at the maximum limits.
Annual Total Limit	Annual dollar limit for benefits and deductions combined.
Annual Employer Limit	Annual dollar limit for benefits in the plan category.
Annual Employee Limit	Annual dollar limit for deductions in the plan category.
Allow Over-Age Catch-Up	Determines whether employees older than 50 may make additional contributions.
Additional Limit	Enabled if Allow Over-Age Catch-Up is checked, maximum additional dollar amount an employee may contribute or defer.
Allow Last Year's Catch-Up	Determines whether an employee may make additional contributions in the last three years before retirement. These contributions are applied to years the employee did not contribute the full, allowable amount.
Annual Additional Limit	Enabled if Allow Over-Age Catch-Up is checked, maximum yearly amount an employee may contribute in the last three years before retirement.
Retirement Tracking (Retirement button on Benefits Administration Category tab)
Track Interest	Determines whether actual retirement balances are tracked for employees.
Interest for Current Year (Complete)	Enabled if Track Interest is checked, information used for attaining an accurate look at retirement balances. When you calculate and apply interest for a full fiscal or calendar year on the Calculate Retirement Benefit Interest page in Retirement Benefit Tracking, the percentage entered in the Interest for Current Year (Complete) field is used. When you calculate and apply interest for any portion of a fiscal or calendar year on the Calculate Retirement Benefit Interest page, the percentage entered in the Interest for Current Year (Partial) field is used. To have interest calculated on every check payment date, check the Prorate Partial-Year Payments box. When you check Apply Interest for Prior Years on the Calculate Retirement Benefit Interest page, the percentage entered in the Interest for Prior Years field is used.
Interest for Current Year (Partial)
Prorate Partial-Year Payments
Interest for Prior Years
Vesting Date Type	Enabled if Track Interest is checked, date type on which the vesting schedule is based. A vesting schedule accurately portrays the employer's portion of an employee's retirement payment. Click in the field to select from a drop-down list of the following date types: Accrual Date, Benefit Date, Hire Dateand Seniority Date. This selection enables the Vesting Schedule button.

For the selected benefit category and effective-dated period, plans that already have been set up display in this centrally located grid, sorted alphabetically by Plan Name, with columns displaying their descriptions, plan years and providers. Validated plans show check marks in the Validated column; invalidated ones show red Xs.

Note: Validating a benefit plan: A benefit plan cannot be assigned to an employee unless it has been validated. For a benefit plan to be validated, all rule sets associated with it may not contain overlapping dates or gaps in dates.

Use this tab to specify opt-out amounts for selected benefit categories when the employee is enrolled in a benefit credit category.

Columns

Column	Description
Eligibility	Eligibility status for the employees. Enter all eligibility statuses that are assigned to employees. If you do not use the concept of eligibility, make only one entry here. For a given eligibility, only one opt out credit may be specified for a pay group. Note: The combination of Eligibility and Pay Group must be unique.
Pay Group	Employee pay groups that receive opt out payments. Multiple opt out credits may be specified for a pay group (one for each pay group). Note: The combination of Pay Group and Eligibility must be unique.
Frequency	How often credits or deductions are taken.
Number of Payments	Total number of payments withheld for the plan year for the corresponding pay group.
Hours Code	Required, though not used for benefit credits.
Credit Amount	Annual amount.

Note: When you create an event for a category that includes an opt out, the opt out data from the previous event carries forward to the new effective date.