Open enrollment

October 1-31, 2026

During open enrollment, eligible subscribers can change their coverage for the upcoming year. Review this webpage for your insurance benefit options so you’ll be ready to elect your benefits for 2027.

Any changes you make during open enrollment take effect January 1, 2027. Life insurance changes are effective January 1, 2027, or when MetLife approves coverage, whichever is later.

The 2027 Insurance Summary provides a high-level overview of benefits for active employees.

The 2027 Insurance Benefits Guide (coming soon) describes all PEBA-sponsored insurance benefits.

If you are satisfied with your coverage, you only need to reenroll in your MoneyPlus flexible spending accounts. Your current insurance coverage will continue in 2027. Keep in mind, you must reenroll in MoneyPlus flexible spending accounts each year.

If you’re unsure of what insurance coverage and flexible spending accounts you currently have, log in to MyBenefits to find out. While you’re logged in, take a few minutes to review your life insurance beneficiaries and make any necessary updates. View the Designating Active Member Beneficiaries flyer for more information.

Follow these steps to learn about open enrollment and make changes:

  1. Review the information on this webpage to learn what changes you can make.
  2. Download your open enrollment worksheet (available under Open enrollment resources) to plan your coverage for 2027.
  3. Log in to MyBenefits to review your coverage and make changes during open enrollment, if necessary. You can also upload any required supporting documentation in MyBenefits.

Highlights for 2027

  • Active employee, funded retiree, partially funded retiree, non-funded retiree, COBRA subscriber, survivor and former spouse health insurance premiums will not increase in 2027.
  • Rates may vary for participating optional employers. Verify rates with your benefits office.
  • State Vision Plan premiums will increase.
  • Prescriptions for GLP-1 medications will be limited to 30-day fills for SilverScript members.

Open enrollment options for active employees

  • Change from one health plan to another:
    • Standard Plan;
    • Savings Plan; or
    • TRICARE Supplement Plan.
  • Enroll yourself or any eligible dependents in health coverage.
  • Drop health coverage for yourself or any dependents.

Be sure to consider how much you will spend on medical care to determine how much you should contribute to your Medical Spending Account or Health Savings Account.

Changes to existing dental coverage can be made during open enrollment only in odd-numbered years. Your next opportunity to make a change will be October 2027 unless you have a special eligibility situation.

Be sure to consider how much you spend on dental care to determine how much you should contribute to your Medical Spending Account or Health Savings Account.

  • Enroll in or drop State Vision Plan coverage for yourself and/or your eligible dependents.

Be sure to consider how much you spend on vision care to determine how much you should contribute to your Medical Spending Account or Health Savings Account.

  • Enroll in or increase Optional Life coverage with medical evidence.
  • Enroll in or increase Dependent Life-Spouse coverage with medical evidence.
  • Drop or decrease Optional Life and Dependent Life-Spouse coverage.
  • Enroll in or cancel Dependent Life-Child coverage.

To enroll in or increase Optional Life or Dependent Life-Spouse coverage during open enrollment, you must complete an Active Notice of Election for plan year 2027, sign it and return it to your benefits administrator by October 31, 2026, and provide medical evidence. You will receive an email from MetLife that includes a link to a Statement of Health on MetLife’s MyBenefits platform.

If MetLife approves your Optional Life and/or Dependent Life-Spouse coverage, you and your benefits administrator will receive a notification. Your benefits administrator will submit the NOE(s) and approval to PEBA.

When completing an NOE for your life insurance election(s), mark your Optional Life or Dependent Life-Spouse election only. Complete a separate NOE for each life insurance election, if applicable. You should make all other open enrollment changes in MyBenefits.

  • Apply for Supplemental Long Term Disability coverage with medical evidence. As a reminder, you can apply for SLTD throughout the year with medical evidence. You can also change your benefit waiting period, which might require medical evidence.
  • Change your benefit waiting period from 180 days to 90 days for existing coverage with medical evidence.
  • Change your benefit waiting period from 90 days to 180 days for existing coverage without medical evidence.
  • Drop coverage.

Remember, you can carry over up to $680 of unused Medical Spending Account and Limited-use MSA funds into the next plan year (2028). Eligible DCSA expenses are for children who are younger than age 13 during the 2027 plan year. Be sure to take these into consideration when making your election.

If you are enrolled in the Savings Plan:

If you enroll in the Savings Plan and are not enrolled in an HSA, consider enrolling in one. If you already have an HSA, you do not need to reenroll but consider whether you would like to change your contribution amount for 2027. As a reminder, you can enroll in an HSA or change/stop your HSA contributions anytime throughout the year (but no more often than monthly).

Open enrollment options for retirees, survivors, COBRA subscribers and former spouses

  • Change from one health plan to another:
    • Medicare primary members:
      • Medicare Supplemental Plan; or
      • Carve-out Plan.
    • Non-Medicare primary members:
      • Standard Plan;
      • Savings Plan; or
      • TRICARE Supplement Plan for eligible military members.
  • Enroll yourself or any eligible dependents in health coverage.
  • Drop health coverage for yourself or any dependents.

Changes to existing dental coverage can be made during open enrollment only in odd-numbered years. Your next opportunity to make a change will be October 2027 unless you have a special eligibility situation.

  • Enroll in or drop State Vision Plan coverage for yourself and/or your eligible dependents.

How to make changes

Log in to MyBenefits to make your coverage selections during open enrollment. You will need to register if you don’t already have a MyBenefits account. View our Setting Up a New MyBenefits Account flyer and "Setting up a New MyBenefits Account" video to learn how to register.

Keep in mind, changes to existing dental coverage can be made during open enrollment in odd-numbered years only. Your next opportunity to make a change will be October 2027, or within 31 days of a special eligibility situation.

If you, as an active employee, want to enroll in or increase Optional Life or Dependent Life-Spouse coverage, you must complete an Active Notice of Election for plan year 2027, sign it and return it to your benefits administrator by October 31, 2026, and provide medical evidence. You will receive an email from MetLife that includes a link to the online Statement of Health. If MetLife approves your coverage, you and your benefits administrator will receive a notification. Your benefits administrator will submit the NOE and approval to PEBA.

Some coverage changes, including enrolling a dependent who is not currently covered under any benefit, require supporting documentation. You can upload documents through MyBenefits. Keep in mind that PEBA must receive the documents by December 1, 2026, to approve the changes.

Follow up on your open enrollment changes

At the beginning of December 2026, log in to MyBenefits to review your changes. Select Coverage to see your 2027 benefits. If you notice any errors, contact your benefits administrator immediately.

Retirees, survivors, COBRA subscribers or former spouse subscribers of a state agency, public higher education institution, public school district or charter school that participates in both insurance and retirement should contact PEBA. If you are a retiree, survivor, COBRA subscriber or former spouse subscriber of an optional employer or charter school that participates in insurance only, contact the benefits administrator at the employer with whom you have a coverage relationship.

If you miss open enrollment

Open enrollment ends October 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Once the deadline has passed, you must wait until October 2027 or until you have a special eligibility situation. Special eligibility situations occur after life events, such as getting married or having a child. Insurance changes must be made within 31 days of a qualifying event.

Questions

Review the available open enrollment resources, then talk to your benefits administrator or contact PEBA Customer Service at 803.737.6800, 888.260.9430 or on our Contact page.