Open Enrollment
Open Enrollment: Monday, October 21 through Friday, November 8, 2024.
Northwestern is committed to offering meaningful benefits for faculty and staff. Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to choose medical, dental, vision, life and disability coverage for the coming year. You are encouraged to explore the options available during Open Enrollment to ensure you have the right coverage for you and your family in 2025.
Faculty and staff who do not to make changes during Open Enrollment will have health coverage continue in 2025, but at a new premium level. Enrollments for FSA and HSA are not automatic and require enrollment every year during Open Enrollment. Of note, your response is required regarding a new requirement related to tobacco use (see below for more information.)
Postdoctoral Fellows: Postdocs should review the Postdoc Benefit Plans website for more information.
Resources:
- Review premiums for 2025
- Access online medical plan comparison tool
- Remove Tobacco Surcharge During Open Enrollment guide
- 2025 Benefits Guide
- Open Enrollment FAQs
- Price a Medication
- Benefits Highlights Brochure (mailed to home address)
- Open Enrollment System How-to
- Watch a recorded Open Enrollment presentation
- Attend the Benefits & Well-being Fair
Get Ready to Enroll
- Know your options by reviewing this message in its entirety.
- Decide who you want as your life insurance beneficiaries.
- Know who you want to cover, and if there will be new medical coverage for dependents, have verification documentation ready.
Premiums for 2025
The cost of healthcare is rising across the nation and affecting every industry, including higher education. These increases are due to several factors, including increased use of healthcare services, higher prescription drug costs, more high-cost claims, and inflation. Northwestern continues to look for ways to mitigate these increases and for 2025, we will be introducing a tobacco surcharge program as well as network re-alignment (see below for more details). With that said, premiums for 2025 have increased on average by $51 a month for the Select PPO plan.
See below for a list of full-time benefit rates for 2025.
Action Required: Tobacco Surcharge Program
For those enrolled in a Northwestern medical plan, a flat $50 per month tobacco surcharge will be applied if any covered employee, spouse/partner, or dependent used tobacco products in the past six (6) months.
All employees enrolled in Northwestern medical plans will automatically be assessed the $50 tobacco surcharge. Action is required by the employee to remove the tobacco surcharge indicator during Open Enrollment via myHR. Otherwise, the non-refundable surcharge will be applied to future paychecks. See the online FAQs for more information on the surcharge and waiver options. Additionally, a tobacco cessation program is available through BCBSIL. You may follow these steps to remove the tobacco surcharge.
Alternative Ways to Avoid the Tobacco Surcharge
Your medical plan is committed to helping you achieve your best health. All employees may be able to avoid the tobacco surcharge, even those who currently use tobacco products. See this flyer or contact us at the 800- number on the back of your ID card to learn more about BCBSIL’s tobacco cessation program and how to earn the full reward (i.e., avoid the tobacco surcharge for the full plan year). Alternatively, contact us at the 800- number on the back of your ID card and we will work with you and your doctor to find a program that will enable you to earn the full reward (i.e., avoid the tobacco surcharge for the full plan year) in light of your, and/or your dependents’, circumstances.
Provider Network Alignment
Northwestern Medicine (NM) will remain a network provider for the Value, Select, and Premier PPO plans. Starting January 1, 2025, the special NM/Tier 1 network will be merged with the in-network tier. This change will not impact those enrolled in the HMO Illinois plan since NM does not accept HMO insurance. New ID cards will be mailed to home addresses in late December, reflecting this change.
| Northwestern Medicine/In-Network Provider Coverage | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier PPO | Select PPO | Value PPO | |
| Deductible |
$500 member/ $1,500 family |
$850 member/ $2,550 family |
$2,100 member/ $4,200 family |
| Coinsurance | 10% | 20% | 20% |
| Out-of-Pocket (OOP) Maximum |
$2,400 member/ $6,600 family |
$3,000 member/ $8,000 family |
$3,000 member/ $8,000 family |
| Office Visit |
$25 physician/ $35 specialist |
$25 physician/ $35 specialist |
Deductible + 20% coinsurance |
Enhanced Life Insurance Benefits
Northwestern has partnered with MetLife to provide enhancements to the Employee Supplemental and Spouse Supplemental Life Insurance benefits!
Employee Supplemental Life Insurance
Employees may elect to have life insurance coverage up to 8x their salary. This is an increase from a maximum of 5x salary.
During Open Enrollment, faculty and staff already participating in the Employee Supplemental Life Insurance may elect to increase their enrollment by 1x without the need to complete Evidence of Insurability (EOI) to a maximum of 3x salary or $1 million in coverage, whichever is less. Any election over these limits will require EOI.
Spouse Supplemental Life Insurance
Guarantee Issue benefit limit (GI) has been increased to $50,000. This means that employees may elect coverage up to this amount without Evidence of Insurability (EOI).
During Open Enrollment, faculty and staff who already have Spouse Supplemental Life Insurance may increase coverage by $10,000, to a maximum of $50,000, without EOI. Any amount over this amount will require EOI.
One-time Enrollment Offer
During Open Enrollment, faculty and staff who are not enrolled in Employee Supplemental Life Insurance may elect 1x salary without Evidence of Insurability (EOI). Faculty and staff who are not enrolled in Spouse Supplemental Life Insurance may elect $10,000 in coverage without EOI. This one-time offer will not be available after this Open Enrollment periods.
LegalEASE Legal Plans
Northwestern is introducing a new Legal Plan Benefit through LegalEASE starting in 2025. LegalEASE offers a personalized approach, providing a concierge attorney matching system and a dedicated Member Service Advocate to assist with individual or family legal matters.
With LegalEASE Legal Plans, you and your US based eligible family members, including your spouse/domestic partner, dependent child(ren), and even parents, will have access to covered legal services. These services are provided by experienced attorneys specializing in areas such as estate planning, family law, elder law, and more.
Enroll in LegalEASE via myHR during Open Enrollment. Monthly premium is $17.10.
For more information:
- Review informational brochure
- Visit website to see what is covered
- Review the TurnSignl benefit included with LegalEASE
- Attend a live session
- Watch a recorded presentation
- Or call 800-248-9000 to learn more
Premium Decrease for LTD Buy-up Plan
Starting 1/1/2025, Northwestern’s LTD Plan will be administered by MetLife. With this change, Northwestern secured a discounted premium for the LTD Buy-up Plan. While the University pays 100% of the Core plan, which provides 50% of your last working salary up to a maximum benefit of $11,500 per month. The Buy-up plan provides 60% of your last working University salary up to a maximum benefit of $13,800 per month. Those currently enrolled in the LTD Buy-up Plan will see the new rates starting in January. New rates can be found on the LTD Plan website.
2025 Premiums
| Premier PPO | Select PPO | Value PPO | HMO IL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Time Premiums | ||||
| You Only | ||||
| Under $42,000 | $294 | $60 | $22 | $122 |
| $42,001- $75,000 | $350 | $110 | $46 | $160 |
| $75,001- $128,000 | $421 | $174 | $106 | $208 |
| $128,001- $182,000 | $516 | $256 | $167 | $264 |
| Over $182,001 | $651 | $374 | $254 | $353 |
| You + Spouse | ||||
| Under $42,000 | $660 | $136 | $51 | $277 |
| $42,001- $75,000 | $790 | $246 | $104 | $361 |
| $75,001- $128,000 | $951 | $395 | $236 | $468 |
| $128,001- $182,000 | $1,167 | $582 | $376 | $596 |
| Over $182,001 | $1,472 | $842 | $570 | $798 |
| You + Child(ren) | ||||
| Under $42,000 | $544 | $111 | $44 | $231 |
| $42,001- $75,000 | $651 | $201 | $87 | $301 |
| $75,001- $128,000 | $787 | $329 | $193 | $392 |
| $128,001- $182,000 | $965 | $479 | $308 | $497 |
| Over $182,001 | $1,216 | $693 | $469 | $666 |
| You + Spouse + Child(ren) | ||||
| Under $42,000 | $995 | $201 | $74 | $415 |
| $42,001- $75,000 | $1,186 | $367 | $156 | $542 |
| $75,001- $128,000 | $1,430 | $595 | $355 | $706 |
| $128,001- $182,000 | $1,751 | $873 | $562 | $897 |
| Over $182,001 | $2,210 | $1,265 | $852 | $1,201 |
| BCBSIL PPO Dental | Guardian DHMO Dental | BCBSIL/EyeMed Vision | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You Only | $23 | $6 | $10 |
| You + Spouse | $48 | $12 | $20 |
| You + Child(ren) | $54 | $13 | $23 |
| You + Spouse + Child(ren) | $77 | $19 | $28 |
Open Enrollment Information Sessions
Live Open Enrollment Presentations
- Tuesday, October 22 at 10 am: Registration Link
- Thursday, October 24 at 2 pm: Registration Link
Recorded Open Enrollment Presentation
How to Access Health & Welfare Open Enrollment
Note: You may not access Open Enrollment until 10/21/2024.- 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
- 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.
- Click the Enroll Now button on the right side of screen.
- A step-by-step guidee is available to assist you through the enrollment process
Do You Need to Participate in Open Enrollment?
We encourage you to review your current life beneficiaries and coverage options to ensure they meet your needs and your family’s needs in the coming year.
YES!
- If you and your covered dependents do not use tobacco products. You must make a tobacco surcharge attestation to avoid the surcharge.
- If you want an FSA or HSA, you must enroll every year. If you do not enroll, you will not receive these benefits in 2025.
NO
- If you and/or your covered dependents use tobacco products.
- If you do not want an FSA or HSA for 2025.
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
- Summary Plan Description
- Summary of Benefits and Coverage: Premier PPO, Select PPO, Value PPO, HMO Illinois