2027 Benefits Open Enrollment
2027 Benefits Open Enrollment officially begins on Monday, November 2, 2026, and will run through Friday, November 13, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET. Employees will be able to take advantage of the UpWise decision tool, available in Workday, to compare plans using their individual claim history prior to making changes to their benefits in Workday.
Employees RETIRING on December 31, 2026 should NOT complete the Benefits Open Enrollment. Enrolling as a retiree in the medical plan is a separate process and will be completed at time of retirement. Please join a Thinking About Retiring webinar to learn more details. If you do receive an email prompting you to take action on your unsubmitted open enrollment elections, you may disregard.
2027 Highlights for All Employees:
- NEW for 2027: Webinars - Penn State Employee Benefits is offering a two-part webinar approach to help you learn about your benefits and prepare for Open Enrollment; some hosted by Penn State Employee Benefits, others by our benefit partners.
- NEW for 2027: Upwise - Penn State Employee Benefits is pleased to offer Upwise, a new decision-making tool for the 2027 annual benefits open enrollment period. Once available on the first day of open enrollment, use Upwise for a personalized and comprehensive benefits recommendation.
- Highmark Medical Plan Changes
- Well360 Telehealth - Highmark has removed Behavioral Health from their Well360 telehealth platform as of January 1, 2027. Urgent Care remains status quo.
- Lion Advantage HSA and Lion Advantage Flex
- Deductible amounts per IRS minimum limits change to $1,750 individual / $3,500 family
- Out-of-pocket maximums change to $3,725 individual / $7,450 family
- CVS Caremark Prescription Plan Changes
- Formulary will change to the Standard Control Formulary
- New CVS Caremark app; Health100™
- Health Savings Account (HSA) – IRS allows increased maximum contributions to Health Savings Account (HSA); $4,500 individual / $9,000 family
- Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Rollover – If you wish to utilize the rollover feature that allows $680 from your 2026 Health Care FSA to carry into 2027, you MUST elect the FSA during Benefits Open Enrollment.
- Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Increase – Remains at 2026 limit of $3,400 in 2027. If the if IRS releases updated 2027 limits prior to the start of benefits open enrollment on Monday, November 2, 2026, this amount will be reflected within Workday for employee election.
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) Increase – Remains at 2026 limit of $7,500 in 2027. If the if IRS releases updated 2027 limits prior to the start of benefits open enrollment on Monday, November 2, 2026, this amount will be reflected within Workday for employee election.
Faculty, Staff, and Postdoctoral Appointees 2027 benefits highlights:
- Health Care Contributions
- Through extensive consultation with stakeholder committees (Health Care Advisory Committee, Faculty Senate Benefits Committee, and University Staff Advisory Council) and analysis by Willis Towers Watson, health care contribution salary-based percentages will see an increase in their payroll contributions to keep pace with rising health care costs.
- Depending on base salary, participants can expect to see an increase between $4.25 and $165 in monthly payroll contributions next year.
- Use the Healthcare Calculator for an estimate of your payroll deductions.
Technical Service Employee 2027 benefits highlights:
- Health Care Contributions per Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
- You may refer to your CBA for details regarding the percent of salary changes or use the Healthcare Calculator for an estimate of your payroll deductions.