2025-26 Plan Year Benefits

Benefits Effective:
January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026

This website includes a brief overview of your benefit options and acts as a reference guide for your insurance plans. You can refer to it any time you have questions about benefits, claims, etc. Take full advantage of this resource to become familiar with benefit offerings and prepare for open enrollment.

Benefits Office Contact Information

Director of Employee Benefits & Risk Management
Rachel Cortez
raquel.cortez@hcisd.org

407 N. 77 Sunshine Strip, Harlingen, TX 78550

Phone: (956)430-9553

Employee Attendance Specialist
Veronica Castillo
veronica.castillo@hcisd.org
956-430-9766

Worker’s Compensation/FMLA Specialist
Linda Sauceda
linda.sauceda@hcisd.org

956-430-9551

First Financial Benefits Representative
Dulce Alcala
dulce.alcala@ffga.com/ dulce.alcala@hcisd.org

956-577-0199 / 281-272-7699

BENEFIT GUIDE

What is Open Enrollment?

The open enrollment period allows you to review, change or continue benefit elections every year. Keep in mind that benefit plan changes are only allowed throughout the plan year if it is during open enrollment or you have a qualified Section 125 event. During open enrollment, you can do the following:

Elect or decline coverage, in addition to changing existing coverage.
Review personal information and verify that covered dependents are named on the plan. (If there are inconsistencies between your personal and/or benefit information, you will need to notify your employer.)
Confirm that the correct dependents are selected in order to be covered for every benefit including medical, dental, vision, etc.

Open Enrollment
Open enrollment is from September 30, 2025 to November 7, 2025. Elections are effective for the plan year beginning January 1, 2026.
New Employees
You have 31 days from your actively-at-work date to make benefit elections.

Schedule new hire appointment
Mid-year Changes
You may add or cancel coverage during the plan year if you have a change in family status. You must notify the benefits department within 31 days of the change.
Eligibility
Eligible employees must be actively at work on the plan effective date for new benefits to be effective.

Section 125 Plan Information and Rules

A Section 125 Plan provides a tax-saving way to pay for eligible medical or dependent care expenses. The funds are automatically deducted from your paycheck on a pre-tax basis.

Here’s How It Works

A Section 125 Plan reduces your taxes and increases your spendable income by allowing you to deduct the cost of eligible benefits from your earnings before tax. Plus, the plan is available to you at no cost, and you’re already eligible – all you have to do is enroll.

The savings you may experience with a Section 125 Plan are outlined in the example below. For instance, you could potentially take home about $70 more each month if you participated in your employer’s Section 125 Plan – that’s a savings of $840 a year!

You cannot change your benefit elections for the plan year unless the benefits office receives notification in writing within 31 days of the status change. If the benefits office is not notified within 31 days of the status change, no benefit change can be made until the next annual open enrollment.

IRS specified changes in family status include:

Change in legal married status
Change in number of dependents
Termination or commencement of employment
Dependent satisfies or ceases to satisfy dependent eligibility requirements
Change in residence or worksite that affects eligibility for coverage

Section 125 Sample Paycheck^*

WITHOUT S125

Monthly Salary	$2,000
Less Medical Deductions	– N/A
Taxable Gross Income	$2,000
Less Taxes (Fed/State @ 20%)	-$400
Less Estimated FICA (7.65%)	-$153
Less Medical Deductions	-$250
Take Home Pay	$1,197

WITH S125

Monthly Salary	$2,000
Less Medical Deductions	-$250
Taxable Gross Income	$1,750
Less Taxes (Fed/State @ 20%)	-$350
Less Estimated FICA (7.65%)	-$133
Less Medical Deductions	– N/A
Take Home Pay	$1,267

You could save $70 per month in taxes by paying for your benefits on a pre-tax basis!

*The figures in the sample paycheck above are for illustrative purposes only.

This site contains a summary of the benefits offered by your employer. If there is a conflict between the terms of this outline of benefits and the actual contracts, the terms of the contracts will prevail.

2025-26 Plan Year Benefits

Benefits Office Contact Information

What is Open Enrollment?

Open Enrollment

New Employees

Mid-year Changes

Eligibility

Section 125 Plan Information and Rules

Here’s How It Works

Section 125 Sample Paycheck^*

WITHOUT S125

WITH S125

Additional Resources & Notices

First Financial Group of America

2025-26 Plan Year Benefits

Benefits Office Contact Information

What is Open Enrollment?

Section 125 Plan Information and Rules

Here’s How It Works

Section 125 Sample Paycheck*

WITHOUT S125

WITH S125

Additional Resources & Notices

First Financial Group of America

Section 125 Sample Paycheck^*