HUMAN RESOURCES

Choose Your 2026 Benefits by Friday, November 14, 2025

Welcome to 2026 Benefits Open Enrollment! Unlike previous years, your current coverage will not automatically carry over into 2026. If you are enrolled in the Premier PPO, Select PPO, Value PPO, or HMO Illinois plan, your coverage will end December 31, 2025. If you want Northwestern medical coverage for 2026, you must act during Open Enrollment. In addition, if you want a Health Care or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account for 2026, you must enroll as that coverage also does not carry over automatically. You can update your Health Savings Account elections during Open Enrollment or at any time during the year.

What is Open Enrollment?

Open Enrollment is when benefits changes and premiums for the coming year are announced and when you can make changes to, or enroll in, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, Health Care or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account, disability coverage, and the legal plan. Outside of Open Enrollment, changes can only be made if you experience a qualifying life event. Other benefits, such as 403(b) retirement plans, commuter benefits, pet insurance, PerkSpot discounts, and tuition benefits do not require action during Open Enrollment.

How to Enroll

1. Log in to the myHR Self Service Portal using your NetID and password. Problems Logging In? Or log in via your cell phone using the Benefitplace app
2. Select the Benefits tile and then click My Health Benefits Elections on the left side of the screen. If nothing happens, you will need to turn off your pop-up blocker. Pop-Up Blocker Guide
3. Click the Get Started button on the right side of screen to complete your enrollment.

Commuter, retirement 403(b) deferral changes, pet insurance enrollment or changes, and PerkSpot discounts are available at any time of the year.

Benefits Information for 2026

Updated FSA and HSA Limits

• Dependent Care FSA: $7,500
• Health Care and Limited Use FSA: $3,400
• Health Savings Account: $4,400 Employee Only / $8,750 Family

New Plan Administrators

Starting January 1, 2026, Northwestern’s medical plans will be administered by UnitedHealthcare (UHC), the PPO dental plan by Delta Dental of Illinois (Delta), and the prescription drug plan by CVS Caremark (CVS). There are no changes to the BCBSIL vision, HMO dental, life insurance, long-term disability, or legal plan administrators or premiums for 2026.

Updates for 2026

• Updated medical and prescription drug plan design and premiums can be found on the website as well as via the Medical and Rx Plans at a Glance summary.
• Telehealth services: Participants in the PPO, HSA Plus, and HSA Essential plans will have either a co-pay or coinsurance for all telehealth services. Participants in the HMO will have any cost share waived if they utilize UHC’s telehealth partners: Teladoc, Doctors on Demand, and Amwell. Contact the UHC HMO team 855-828-7715 for more information on available providers.
• Hinge Health and Teledoc for Diabetes (formerly Livongo) will continue to be included in medical plan enrollment.
• The PPO and HSA plans will not provide coverage or discounts for vision while the HMO will offer coverage for one annual eye exam.
• The fourth quarter carryover for the medical plan deductible will still occur for 2025 into 2026. Please note: No future carryovers will occur starting with plan year 2026 to 2027.
• Changes to the tuition benefits for 2026 are on the announcement page.
• Certain mental/behavioral health and substance abuse disorder providers whose network status under the Plan changes from in-network to out-of-network on January 1, 2026 may be eligible for payment under the PPO and HSA plans. For questions, schedule a one-on-one meeting with UHC or email northwestern@uhc.com.

Other Enrollment Options

• If you do not enroll during Open Enrollment, your Health Care, Limited Purpose, or Dependent Care Flexible Spending account election(s) will be $0 for 2026. You can update your Health Savings Account elections during Open Enrollment or at any time during the year.
• You may increase, decrease, or enroll in Employee Supplemental, Spouse Supplemental, and Dependent Child term life insurance benefits. Evidence of Insurability may apply; see websites for more information.
• You may enroll or waive the Legal Services benefit.
• You may enroll or waive the Long Term Disability 10% Buy-up plan.
• If you will be covering new dependents on the medical plan, be ready with verification documentation. 
• Take note! Review your current life insurance beneficiary designation by using the myHR Self Service Portal. If you do not change this beneficiary designation during Open Enrollment, you will be deemed to have agreed that this beneficiary designation is correct and that any other prior beneficiary designation, whether written or electronic, is revoked.

New Medical Plans

Northwestern will offer four medical plans to faculty and staff. All four plans pay 100% of the cost of applicable preventive care. The PPO, HSA Plus, and HSA Essential Plans utilize the same list of in-network providers and provide coverage for the same services. You will be enrolled automatically in prescription drug coverage with CVS Caremark. The Medical and Rx Plans at a Glance provides a side-by-side comparison of the plans and premiums. Plan highlights: 

• PPO: You pay a copay for certain medical services (for example, office visits with your primary care
  physician or a specialist). For most other covered medical services, this plan provides benefits based
  on coinsurance once you meet the annual deductible. If you choose this plan, you can receive
  services from any provider you choose, but you will pay less out of pocket and receive more plan
  benefits from an in-network provider.
• HSA Plus or HSA Essential: Once you meet the annual deductible, these plans provide benefits for
  covered medical services based on coinsurance. Refer to chart on the next page for plan differences.
  If you choose one of these plans, you can receive services from any provider you choose, but you will
  pay less out of pocket and receive more plan benefits from an in-network provider. You can make
  pretax contributions to a Health Savings Account with the same matching University contributions. The University match has not changed from 2025 to 2026. You can use the pretax money in the HSA to pay for eligible health care expenses or invest it.
• HMO: Once you pay any applicable copay, this plan pays the full cost of covered services you receive
  from a provider who is a member of the HMO network. You must select your in-network primary care provider with UHC before you can schedule an appointment with the provider as their name and facility number will be printed on your ID card. You must receive a referral from your primary care provider before you can see a specialist. This plan pays no benefits for services from an out-of-network provider except for emergency medical care.

HSA Plus vs. HSA Essential: Key Similarities and Difference

Similarities

• Both are High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) eligible for Northwestern’s HSA with same matching contributions.
• They use the same UHC Choice Plus PPO network and cover the same services.
• If you cover dependents: Each family member has an individual out-of-pocket maximum (OOPM). Once met, the plan pays 100% for that member, regardless of whether the full family OOPM is reached. The remaining OOPM must be met by other members before their coverage reaches 100%.

Differences

• Deductibles and OOPMs vary between plans.
• If you cover dependents: HSA Plus requires the full family deductible to be met before coinsurance begins for any member. HSA Essential allows coinsurance to begin for a member once their individual deductible is met, regardless of the overall family deductible. Remaining family members must meet the rest of the family deductible before their coinsurance begins.

Prescription Drug Coverage

CVS Caremark will be the plan administrator for the prescription drug plan. Enrollment in the prescription drug plan is automatic with enrollment in any of the medical plans. A website and phone line is available to help faculty and staff with coverage questions, including which drugs are covered on the formulary.

CVS Caremark has over 60,000 in-network pharmacies, with national providers such as Costco, Walmart, Osco, CVS, and Walgreens.

Review the prescription drug coverage website to find an in-network pharmacy, verify how your prescriptions will be covered, and learn more about how the benefit works. 

Resources

• Watch Medical Plan Overview video.
• Read Medical and Rx Plans at a Glance summary.
• Review the 2026 Benefits Guide.
• Watch recorded Open Enrollment Session.
• Register for a live Open Enrollment Information Session.
• Review Open Enrollment Brochure.
• Explore Open Enrollment FAQs.
• Visit UHC’s website, which includes an out-of-network nominating tool.
• Check if your provider is in UHC’s network.
• Verify how your prescriptions will be covered.
• See the 2026 Tobacco Surcharge website (applies to all medical plans).
• Explore the Benefits Fair website. 
• Take advantage of the Upwise decision support tool (use Northwestern email, password, and MFA to access). This optional digital tool helps you compare medical plan options. See decision support tool FAQs for more information. 

Getting Answers to Your 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

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.

Required Notices

• Patient Protection Disclosure (HMO Only)
• Medicare Part D Notice
• Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
• Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act Notice
• HIPAA Special Enrollment Notice
• HIPAA Privacy Notice
• Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act Notice
• No Surprise Act
• Summary Plan Description [2026 SPD will be available in January]
• Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC): PPO, HSA Plus, HSA Essential, and HMO.

Updates & Announcements: Benefits Changes for 2026

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.