State of Connecticut Office of the State Comptroller MEMORANDUM NO. 98-38 Seal of the Office of the State Comptroller

MEMORANDUM NO. 98-38

October 9, 1998

TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES

ATTENTION: Personnel and Payroll Officers
SUBJECT: Dependent Care Assistance Program Annual Open Enrollment
  1. INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this memorandum is to (1) advise of the annual open enrollment for the Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), and (2) restate the DCAP payroll, enrollment, and election change processing procedures.

  1. ANNUAL OPEN ENROLLMENT

The open enrollment for the 1999 DCAP plan year is scheduled to occur during the month of November; the program's administrative services provider, Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company, will conduct informational sessions throughout the state for employees; the statewide schedule is attached.

Once again, the Office of the State Comptroller will be providing agencies with DCAP brochures to be distributed to employees with paychecks dated October 23, 1998. The DCAP brochure will inform employees of the open enrollment period and will include the statewide schedule of informational sessions. The brochure is the only statewide communication regarding the 1999 plan year enrollment that will be issued to employees; your cooperation is, therefore, essential in distributing the brochures to employees. Agencies will be provided with a sufficient supply of brochures to incorporate within their new employee orientation materials; new employees have thirty-one days from date of hire in which to enroll in DCAP.

Employees interested in participating will be responsible for obtaining the necessary enrollment applications and meeting all associated deadlines. Applications may be obtained at the informational sessions or by contacting Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company. Employees who fail to return the application before the deadline, will be denied participation in the program; no late applications will be accepted; no exceptions will be made.

  1. PROCESSING PROCEDURES
  1. Enrollment Procedures:

    Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company is responsible for the enrollment of eligible employees who wish to participate in DCAP. Employees are entitled to enroll in DCAP during one of the following periods:

    1. The annual open enrollment period;
    2. Within thirty-one days of the hire date; and
    3. Within thirty-one days of a change in family status which makes the employee eligible to participate.

    Please direct employees to a Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company representative at (860) 290-6633 for enrollment information and election forms.
  2. Payroll Procedures:
    As stated in Comptroller's Memorandum No. 96-62, dated December 13, 1996, the payroll processing of DCAP accounts is performed by the Comptroller's Retirement & Benefit Services Division, Employee Benefits Unit, formerly Pre-Tax Programs Unit. Agencies are not responsible for processing DCAP enrollment applications for payroll purposes; they will, however, be provided with a payroll report at the conclusion of the DCAP open enrollment period which will indicate the employees of the agency who are enrolled
  3. Election Changes:

    Once enrolled, changes in elections are allowed only under the following circumstances:

    1. Participant terminates employment;
    2. Participant experiences a family status change, such as marriage, divorce, death of a spouse or dependent, birth or adoption of a child, changes in spouse's employment status.

    Participating employees who wish to make an election change must file a Dependent Care Change Form with the Employee Benefits Unit. Dependent Care Change Forms must also be filed for terminating employees.

  1. CONCLUSION

    Your anticipated assistance in distributing the 1999 DCAP brochures and making the program accessible to your agency's employees is appreciated. The DCAP program not only assists

    employees in managing their dependent care expenses while reducing their taxable income, it saves the state money as well.

    Questions concerning DCAP may be directed to the Employee Benefits Unit at (860) 702-3543.

Very truly yours,

NANCY WYMAN, STATE COMPTROLLER

LOCATION DATE TIME
University of CT Health Center, Farmington Nov. 3 8:00am-4:30pm
Hospital Cafeteria Exit Hallway Nov. 17 8:00am-12:30pm
Nov. 30 12:30pm-4:30pm
State Office Building., Hartford Nov. 3, 5, 10, 18, 23 8:30am-12:30pm
165 Capitol Ave., N.E. Elevator Ground Floor Nov. 4, 12, 17, 19, 30 12:30pm-4:30pm
470 Capitol Ave., Hartford Nov. 17 8:30am-12:30pm
Outside Cafeteria Nov. 19 12:30pm-3:30pm
D.E.P., 79 Elm St., Hartford Nov. 6 12:30pm-4:30pm
Lobby Nov. 10 8:30am-12:30pm
25 Sigourney St., Hartford, Lobby Nov. 18 10:00am-2:00pm
55 Elm St., Hartford, 2nd Flr. Cafeteria Nov. 3 & 17 10:00am-2:00pm
Lower Fairfield Reg., Crt., 142 Silvermine Ave., Nov. 16 8:30am-12:30pm
Norwalk Gym Nov. 23 12:30pm-4:30pm
D.M.R. 4 Grasso Ctr. Armory Rd., Stratford Nov. 4 8:30am-12:30pm
Conference Room Nov. 19 12:30pm-4:30pm
Greater Bridgeport Mental Health, 1635 Central Ave. Nov. 9 & 10 9:00am-1:30pm
DuBois Ctr., 1515 Summer St., Stamford, Board Rm. Nov. 12 12:30pm-4:30pm
D.M.R. So. Ctrl, 1 Long Wharf, New Haven Nov. 17 & 18 9:00am-1:00pm
Housatonic College, 900 LaFayette Blvd., Bridgeport Nov. 9 9:00am-1:00pm
Rm. A101, 1st floor campus
D.O.L., 249 Thomaston Ave., Waterbury, Conf. Rm. Nov. 20 12:30pm-4:00pm
Southbury Training School, Southbury Nov. 10 8:30am-12:30pm
Admn. Bldg., 2nd floor library Nov. 13 12:30pm-4:00pm
Western CTUniv., White St., Danbury, Nov. 17 12:30pm-3:30pm
Student Ctr., Room 226
D.M.R., 195 Alvord Park Rd., Torrington, Conf. Rm. Nov. 5 1:00pm-4:00pm
D.M.R., 25 Creamery Rd., Cheshire, Conf. Rm. Nov. 12 1:00pm-4:00pm
D.M.R., 450 Main St., Danbury, Conf. Rm. Nov. 19 1:00pm-4:00pm
D.M.R., 80 Freight St., Waterbury, Conf. Rm. Nov. 30 1:00pm-4:00pm
UCONN Storrs Nov. 4 8:00am-10:30am
Child Development Lab, Human Dev. Ctr. Rm. 101A Nov. 12 & 19 3:30pm-5:30pm
D.M.R., 113 School St., Danielson, D. May's Office Nov. 20 1:00pm-4:00pm
E.C.S.U., Rm. 205, Student Ctr., Willimantic Nov. 9 8:30am-2:30pm
D.M.R., 90 South Park St., Willimantic, Sun Room Nov. 23 9:00am-12:30pm
Dempsey Reg. Ctr., Putnam, E.G.O. Room Nov. 6 9:00am-12:30pm
H.H. Ellis School, 613 Upper Maple St.
Danielson, Staff Lounge Nov. 5 10:00am-2:00pm
D.M.R., 401 W. Thames St., Norwich Nov. 6 9:00am-1:00pm
Uncas Bldg., Rm. 342 Nov. 9 9:00am-12:30pm
D.M.R., Oral School Rd., Mystic, Admin. Bldg. Nov. 23 8:30am-12:30pm
D.O.T., 2800 Berlin Tpke., Newington, Conf. Rm. A Nov. 23 & 24 11:00am-2:30pm
Vinal Tech. School, 60 Daniels St. Nov. 9 11:00am-3:00pm
Middletown, Faculty Rm.
Cedar Crest Hosp., Russell Rd., Newington Nov. 6 8:30pm-12:30pm
CT Valley Hosp., Middletown, Valley View Cafe Nov. 5 12:30pm-4:30pm
Nov. 16 10:00am-2:00pm
D.M.V., 4 Pearson Way, Enfield, Conf. Rm. Nov. 20 10:00am-2:00pm
Dept. of Public Safety, Midpoint Bldg. Nov. 5 10:00am-1:00pm
60 Daniels St., Middletown
(Personnell Only) Conf. Rm. 252

NW/km

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