Open Enrollment is Coming - Faculty and Staff
Dear Faculty and Staff,
Mark your calendars for Northwestern's annual Benefits Open Enrollment from Monday, October 26, 2026, through Friday, November 13, 2026.
Open Enrollment occurs once a year and allows you to enroll in, waive current coverage, or make changes to your medical, dental, vision, life insurance, flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), disability coverage, and legal plan elections. Changes are effective January 1, 2027.
Please note, you cannot make any elections or updates until the system opens on Monday, October 26, 2026. With the exception of FSA and HSA elections, all coverage elections will rollover to 2027, unless you make a change during Open Enrollment.
As mentioned in the leadership message, there are no changes to plan administrators, plan options (PPO, HSA Plus, HSA Essential, or HMO), costs of deductibles, co-pays, or out-of-pocket maximum amounts for 2027.
Outside of Open Enrollment, changes can only be made if you experience a qualifying event. Other benefits, including 403(b) retirement plans, commuter benefits, pet insurance, PerkSpot discounts, tuition benefits, and Health Savings Account elections can be updated at any time during the year.
How to Prepare for Open Enrollment
- Learn about the premiums by reviewing the Medical and Prescription Drug Plans at a Glance PDF.
- Visit the Open Enrollment website to view benefit announcements and learn what actions, if any, you need to take.
- Visit the plan websites to learn about the medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, health care and dependent care flexible savings accounts, health savings account, disability, and legal plans.
- Learn about who is eligible for coverage and proof of dependency required documentation.
- Get answers to your questions by exploring the FAQs.
Register for a Live Open Enrollment Info Session
Join the Benefits team for a one-hour overview of benefit updates, benefit plans, and the Open Enrollment process for 2027. Register for one of the sessions via Microsoft Teams:
- Monday, October 12, 2 p.m. Register for the session
- Tuesday, October 20, 11 a.m. Register for the session
- Wednesday, October 28, noon Register for the session
- Thursday, October 29, 10 a.m. Register for the session
Register for a Live Vendor Info Session
Attend a live, one-hour session with our benefit vendors to learn about the plans and get answers to your questions.
- LegalEase: Monday, October 19, 9:30 a.m. Register for the webinar
- Well-being Overview: Monday, October 19, 11 a.m. Register for the webinar
- SupportLinc EAP: Wednesday, October 21, Noon Register for the webinar
- Delta Dental: Wednesday, October 21, 2 p.m. Register for the webinar
- Inspira (FSA & HSA): Thursday, October 22, 11:30 a.m. Register for the webinar
- Care.com Benefits: Friday, October 23, 11 a.m. Register for the webinar
- UHC: Friday, October 23, Noon Register for the webinar
- MetLife (Life, LTD, Pet): Tuesday, October 27, 9 a.m. Register for the webinar
- CVS Caremark: Thursday, October 29, 1:30 p.m. Register for the webinar
Required Notices
- Patient Protection Disclosure
- 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
If you have questions about your benefits or the Open Enrollment process, please contact the askHR Service Center at 847-491-4700 or askHR@northwestern.edu.
And as mentioned previously, you cannot make any elections or updates until the system opens on Monday, October 26. Stay tuned for a reminder email once Open Enrollment officially kicks off!