Employer stalling on providing negotiated increases to Postdoctoral Visitors' health care spending accounts

In March of 2022, YUFA negotiated an increase to the annual spending limit of Health Care Spending Accounts (HCSAs) of Postdoctoral Visitors (PDVs). As of May 2022, Postdoctoral Visitors are now entitled to an additional $1000 in their HCSAs for a total of $2200 per calendar year.

Previously, PDVs had access to only $1200 as an annual spending limit per calendar year for the reimbursement of health, dental, vision and other medical care expenses, including premiums to eligible extended health care insurance plans.

During the initial stages of bargaining in the fall of 2021, YUFA also informed the Employer that they needed to stop the practice of “pro-rating” these monies in monthly increments of $100 and instead provide the full amount to PDVs as a lump sum in HCSAs. A visit to the dentist or an eye care specialist typically requires access to more than $100 in a month. PDVs should have access to the total annual spending limit as a lump sum in order to manage their health care needs as they see fit.

YUFA has been corresponding with Faculty Relations since May 2022 to urge that PDV contracts be updated to reflect the new HCSA annual lump sum amount of $2200 and that the reference to pro-rated monthly increments of health care monies deposited into PDV member HCSAs be eliminated. It is the Association’s position that the additional HCSA monies of $1000 recently negotiated along with all remaining monies, be immediately provided in a lump sum amount for current PDV members to access as soon as possible.

To date, Faculty Relations has not committed to providing these monies in a lump sum amount for current or future PDVs. YUFA continues to fight the Employer on this issue and we will update members as new information unfolds.

If you are a PDV with questions about your HCSA monies and/or other collective agreement entitlements, please contact YUFA at [email protected].