HUMAN RESOURCES

Open Enrollment for plans starting January 1, 2026, will begin October 27, 2025 and end November 14, 2025.

Effective January 1, 2026, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) will be the administrator of all faculty and staff medical plans, and CVS Caremark will be the administrator of the prescription drug plan. 

Because of the changes for 2026, we are communicating specifically about the medical and prescription drug plans several weeks ahead of Open Enrollment so participants can thoroughly review all their choices. Please visit the FAQs to learn more about how Northwestern has responded to community feedback regarding these changes. In addition, review the tools below to learn more about the plans and to learn how to get answers to your questions.

IMPORTANT! To be covered under a Northwestern-sponsored medical plan in 2026, you must elect medical coverage during Open Enrollment period (10/27 - 11/14).

Starting January 1, 2026, Delta Dental of Illinois will be the administrator of the PPO dental plan.  Plan benefits are not changing for the PPO dental plan.  You can review the benefit and premiums on the 2026 PPO dental plan webpage.

There are no changes to the BCBSIL vision, HMO dental, life insurance, long-term disability, or legal plans for 2026.  You can review the changes to the tuition benefits for 2026 on the announcement page.

Learn About the Medical and Rx Plans

Watch the recorded New Medical Plan video (link coming soon!) at your convenience for an overview of the plan options and resources listed below.

• Medical and Rx Plans at a Glance [plan design and rates]
• Check if your provider is in UHC’s network
• UHC benefits overview website, includes tool to nominate an out-of-network provider
• Verify how your prescriptions will be covered. 
• Review the Open Enrollment brochure [in your home mailboxes soon!]
• Open Enrollment FAQs
• Tobacco Surcharge website [applies to all medical plans]

Have questions?

• Review this website and FAQs section for answers to questions from the community. 
• Send your questions to the askHR Service Center at askHR@northwestern.edu or call 847-491-4700. Please do not include any personal medical information in your message.  

Enhanced UHC Customer Support: Answer to all Your Questions

The UHC support model will allow faculty and staff to contact UHC directly in three different ways:

1. For general questions about medical coverage, contact UHC at 833-314-1787 for PPO and HSA plans, and 855-828-7715 for the HMO plan.
2. For questions about complex medical needs or ongoing treatment, you can schedule a one-on-one meeting with UHC to discuss how your treatment will be covered and transition of care questions. You may also email these questions to UHC directly at northwestern@uhc.com.
3. If your provider is not in-network, see the nomination tool on the UHC benefits website to request UHC invite them to join the network.

• If you are unable to obtain information from UHC via the dedicated phone line, a 1:1 consultation, and from the UHC email address (after at least 2 business days) you can email benefits@northwestern.edu for additional support. General questions should be sent to the askHR Service Center at askHR@northwestern.edu or 847-491-4700. 

Prescription Drug Customer Support

• For general questions about prescription drug coverage or to verify your medication is covered, contact CVS at 833-844-5348.
• You may review covered drugs and how they will be covered online by medical plan.
• All participants will receive a customized letter from CVS Caremark in December that will advise if any action is required by you or your provider based on your prescriptions.

Open Enrollment

The Open Enrollment period for plans starting January 1, 2026, will begin October 27, 2025 and end November 14, 2025. Faculty and staff may make changes to benefits outside of Open Enrollment if they experience a qualifying life event, such as marriage or birth.  Please see the Benefits Changes website for more information.

IMPORTANT! To be covered under a Northwestern-sponsored medical plan in 2026, you must elect medical coverage during Open Enrollment period (10/27 - 11/14).

There’s more to come!

The Open Enrollment Information webpage is your go-to source for announcements and updates related to your benefits enrollment. We encourage you to bookmark this page and check back periodically for updates.

Updates & Announcements: Benefits Changes for 2026