Welcome to 2027 Open Enrollment!

Open Enrollment is your opportunity to enroll in, update, or waive your benefits for the upcoming plan year. During this time, we encourage you to carefully review your benefit options and select the coverage that best meets your needs and, if applicable, the needs of your family.

Please note that Open Enrollment is a passive enrollment period. If you do not make any changes, your current 2026 benefit elections will automatically roll over to 2027. The exceptions are:

Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Commuter Benefits
Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions

If you wish to participate in any of these accounts for 2027, you must actively elect and submit your contribution amount during Open Enrollment. Be sure to review your elections and submit any updates before the Open Enrollment deadline!

Where do I go to enroll in Benefits? Benefits enrollment is managed through our third-party vendor, Alight. You can access the single sign-on feature through the Benefits Portal Application in Workday and select Alight US Employee Benefits. You may also click here to go directly to the Alight portal (creating a unique username and password).

Benefit Changes for 2027

● Premium Increase. There will be increases to medical and dental plan premiums. Refer to the benefits guide located below in the Document Library.

● Health Savings Account (HSA) Limits. The IRS limits for the Health Savings Account have increased to $4,400 for individuals and $8,750 for families.

● Commuter Benefits Limits. The IRS limits for Commuter Benefits have increased to $340 per month for both transit and parking.

● Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Limits. The IRS limits for Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts have increased to $3,400 for 2026. The Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account have increased to $7,500 for 2026.

What you need to know about your funds for the following carrier changes:

1. Health Care Flexible Spending Account or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account with BRI. 2025 benefit administration will run out with BRI. Employees will have until March 15, 2026, to use FSA funds from 2025 and until March 31, 2026, to submit claims incurred in 2025. There will be no funds from 2025 that will move over to HSA Bank. If employees would like to participate in the Health Care or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts for 2026, you will need to actively enroll during open enrollment and you will receive a new debit card from HSA Bank.

2. Health Savings Account with HealthEquity. We are working with HealthEquity and HSA Bank to move over funds for employees that have an outstanding balance. If you are participating in the HDHP for 2026, you will need to enroll in the Health Savings Account with HSA Bank. You will receive a packet in the mail on how to setup your account. Once your account is setup, HSA Bank will send you a debit card in the mail. Please refer to the FAQ for more information on the transition.

3. Commuter Spending Account with BRI. We are working with BRI to move over funds for employees that have an outstanding balance. If employees would like to participate in parking or transit benefits for 2026, enrollment will be held in the Alight portal on December 1st. Going forward, changes made to commuter benefits will need to happen by the 10th of the month for the upcoming month. Elections made by December 10 will be effective for January 1. Please refer to the FAQ for more information.

4. Life/ AD&D, Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Indemnity Insurances with Voya. Employees that have elected any of these lines of coverage through Voya will have no disruption to these policies. Current elections will rollover to New York Life and anyone that has completed Evidence of Insurability (EOI) with Voya, the additional approved coverage will be honored by New York Life. Please refer to the FAQ for more information.

5. Short-Term, Long-Term or Parental Leave administered through Voya. Employees who are currently on leave with Voya will continue to use Voya as their point of contact until the leave has been completed. For employees who are newly filing for a leave of absence come January 1 will do so through New York Life. Please refer to the FAQ for more information.

New for 2026!

● Benefits Microsite. This will replace the Benefits Guide, providing a convenient way to access your benefits information (include link).

● Vida KeepWell. A BCBSIL program that provides personalized weight loss support through a dedicated health coach, including support for members taking GLP-1 medications.

● Two Dental Plans. Dental coverage now offers two options: Basic, with lower paycheck costs, and Plus, which includes enhanced benefits like orthodontia; current dental participants will automatically enroll in Plus unless they choose Basic during Open Enrollment.

Things to Consider for Open Enrollment

● Update Beneficiaries. Ensure your beneficiaries are named and up to date to safeguard the right person(s). This can be done on the Alight portal. Beneficiary changes for the retirement plan are managed separately on the Empower portal.

● Update Dependent Information. Ensure all dependent social security numbers are updated, especially for employees who welcomed a newborn child this year.

● Evaluate Benefit Options. Use this opportunity to evaluate your benefit options for the upcoming year. The only other time you can make changes is if you have a qualified life event.

● Compare Health Plans. Review the different health plan options, including premiums, deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket maximums. Need some help? Use the medical plan tool in the Alight portal.

● Check Network Providers. Ensure your preferred doctors and hospitals are included in the plan’s network.

Things to Remember

● Vendor ID Cards. When you enroll in benefits for the first time, you will receive cards from some of the vendors prior to January 1. Those who are remaining in the same medical plan will not receive new medical cards. Only members changing or newly enrolling in medical coverage during open enrollment will receive new medical cards for 2026. Our Dental and Vision providers do not send cards. To use these benefits, inform your provider of the insurance carrier and provide your SSN. This information is sufficient to look up the plan information and run a claim. You can also contact MetLife (dental) and VSP (vision) directly using the details below:

MetLife Dental: 800.942.0854 Group number: 229496

Vision Services Plan (VSP): 800.877.7195 Group number: 30022223

● Health Savings Account (HSA). Those enrolled in the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) are eligible to participate in the HSA. You can change your HSA contributions at any time through the Alight portal. To do so:

1. Visit Workday and select “Benefits Portal” under “Your Top Apps” on the right-hand side of the Workday home screen.
2. Click “Alight US Employee Benefits.”
3. On the Alight portal home screen, select “Change Your Coverage” at the top.
4. Under “Most Popular”, click the “Change HSA” box.