Posted 1:39 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, 2025
The Benefits Open Enrollment period is October 6 – October 31, 2025! This is an annual opportunity for benefits eligible employees to enroll in or make changes to most benefits for the upcoming calendar year.
Benefits Open Enrollment is the only time you are eligible to make changes unless you have a qualifying life event, such as a family or employment status change. Below are some of the more signficant changes that will be taking place. For a full review of Benefit Open Enrollment changes, please use this LINK
Changes made during Open Enrollment will be effective January 1, 2026
State Group Health Insurance – 2026 CHANGES:
Health plan designs (health plan and high deductible health plan) will remain the same. Copayments and coinsurance levels within the plan designs will also remain the same.
- Employee Premiums (see chart below)
- Employee premiums for all plan designs will increase effective January 1, 2026.
- High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) – Deductible
- To remain compliant with the federal minimum deductible requirement for HDHPs, annual deductibles will increase to $1,700 for individual coverage and $3,400 for family coverage.
- Health Insurance Plan Carriers - There are a few name changes for some of the health insurance carriers starting January 1, 2026.
- Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative: renamed CareSource
- Dean Health Plan Medica West and Mayo Clinic Health System: renamed Medica West and Mayo Clinic Health System
- Dean Health Plan Prevea360 East: renamed Prevea360 East
- Dean Health Plan: renamed Dean Health Plan by Medica
If you are currently enrolled with any of these health insurance carriers, you will automatically remain enrolled with the renamed carrier and dependents for 2026 unless you make a change. All other health insurance plan carriers will remain in the program for 2026.
- Covered Services
- Cover continuous glucose monitors under the pharmacy benefit only.
- Expand eligible conditions for medically necessary biofeedback treatment.
State Group Health Insurance – 2026 monthly Premiums (active employees)
| 2026 Monthly Employee Premiums (without Uniform Dental) | Health Plan (WRS benefit package) | High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) (WRS benefit package) | Health Plan (non-WRS Graduate Assistant / Short-Term Academic Staff benefit package) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | Family | Individual | Family | Individual | Family | |
| Health Plan & HDHP (excludes Access Plans) | $128.00 | $318.00 | $45.00 | $111.00 | $64.00 | $159.00 |
| Access Health Plan & Access HDHP | $331.00 | $822.00 | $248.00 | $615.00 | $165.50 | $411.00 |
| Access Health Plan & Access HDHP (if required to work outside of Wisconsin) | $198.00 | $497.00 | $115.00 | $290.00 | $99.00 | $248.50 |
DENTAL INSURANCE – 2026 CHANGES:
- Employee Premiums
- Uniform Dental (individual coverage) and Select Plan: premiums will remain the same
- Uniform Dental (family coverage), Preventive, and Select Plus plans: premiums will increase
VISION INSURANCE – 2026 changes:
There will be an administrator change for 2026 but the allowance for materials will remain the same (up to $150).
- New Administrator: MetLife
- New Network: MetLife Superior network
- Employee Premiums: decrease
Your enrollment, coverage level, and dependents will remain the same from 2025 to 2026 unless you make a change during the enrollment period.
