Orange County NC Website
11 <br />FLEXIBLE COMPENSATION PLAN AND HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS <br />The County provides a Section 125 Flexible Compensation Plan administered by Tucker <br />Administrators, with a plan year from January 1 to December 31. This Plan consists of a) tax <br />sheltering of health and dental premiums and b) two Flexible Spending Accounts (a medical <br />spending account and dependent/child care spending account). Federal IRS regulations only <br />allow a twelve -month plan year, and a special six -month transition plan year. The Plan Year is <br />not required to be a calendar year. If the County changes to a fiscal year health plan, the <br />Flexible Spending Account plan would be adjusted to ensure compliance with IRS regulations. <br />The Spending Accounts enable employees to contribute money on a pre -tax basis to a separate <br />account to be used for certain medical expenses or dependent care. Employees and the <br />County save money because no income or Social Security taxes are deducted from <br />contributions made to the Flexible Spending Account(s). Employees may contribute a maximum <br />of $2,500 to the Medical Spending Account and $5,000 to the Dependent/Child Care Spending <br />Account in a calendar year. <br />As part of the High Deductible Plan, employees may contribute to a Health Savings Account at <br />either the Local Government Federal Credit Union or the State Employees' Credit Union. The <br />federal government limits the annual amount contributed on an employee's behalf. In 2015, the <br />maximum contributions are $3,350 (individual) or $6,650 (family). In 2014, the County <br />contributed $1,416 for each employee participating in the High Deductible Health plan for the full <br />Plan Year. This amount is pro -rated for new employees based on their hire date, at the rate of <br />$118 for each month remaining in the year. The County contribution counts towards the <br />maximum contributions above. <br />Every $100 an employee contributes to a Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account <br />saves the County $7.65 in Social Security taxes. In 2014, employees' expected contributions of <br />$309,000 to these accounts will result in approximately $23,650 tax savings for both the County <br />and employees. <br />Number of Employees Contributing to Accounts <br />Type of <br />2008 <br />2009 <br />2010 <br />2011 <br />2012 <br />2013 <br />2014 <br />Account <br />Child Care <br />Spending <br />12 <br />12 <br />12 <br />10 <br />13 <br />16 <br />14 <br />Account <br />Medical <br />Spending <br />95 <br />138 <br />178 <br />214 <br />170 <br />132 <br />142 <br />Account <br />Health Savings <br />n/a <br />n/a <br />n/a <br />n/a <br />83 <br />89 <br />73 <br />Account <br />ow <br />