Open Enrollment

The enrollment period is always a good time to review your current benefit selections, and your covered dependents, to make sure your benefits are meeting your needs. Whether you have to do anything during Open Enrollment depends on if you want to change any of your benefits:

"I don’t want to change my benefits."

The Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is the only employee benefit that you will lose in 2025 if you do not re-enroll. Your other benefits will stay the same if left untouched.

"I want to make changes to my benefits."

Browse the benefit tabs below to learn more specifics about each of the benefits and changes you can make.

Remember, some benefits can be added or updated throughout the year and you don’t have to wait for Open Enrollment:

• Additional Employee and Spouse Life Insurance: if you wish to enroll or increase the amount of coverage throughout the year, you will need to provide medical evidence of insurability (proof of good health)
• Retirement Savings: enroll in the Optional Retirement Plan or 457 Plan, change your contribution to a voluntary plan, meet with a retirement planner, and update beneficiaries
• Health Savings Account (HSA): change your contribution, as long as you are in the Medica HSA medical plan. Email benefits@umn.edu to get started.
• Voluntary Short-Term Disability coverage: enroll in short-term disability, subject to underwriting.
• Wellbeing Program: all full-time and part-time employees can now create an account with Virgin Pulse throughout the year, regardless of health insurance coverage. Employees enrolled in a University medical plan can still earn a discount of $500-750 on insurance rates for the following year.
• Financial Counseling and the Employee Assistance Program are always available to eligible employees.

Visit the How to Enroll walkthrough webpage for a step-by-step guide to benefit enrollment in MyU.

If you add new dependents, the Office of Human Resources will email you instructions for submitting the proper documentation to verify eligibility. Use the matrix to determine what documents are acceptable to confirm your dependent’s eligibility.

You have about four weeks to provide proper documentation. If documentation isn’t received by the deadline, your dependents will be removed from benefits coverage.

If you have additional questions, they may be covered in the Frequently Asked Questions.

The University offers five medical plan options, some are designed to save you money and others to give you more flexibility. The plans available to you are based on where you live or work. Learn more about the medical plan options and 2025 rates at z.umn.edu/medicalbenefits, or watch the recorded "Tips for Choosing a U of M Health Plan" webinar below.

The plans cover the same set of health care services, so you’ll want to pay attention to differences in provider networks, biweekly rates, and the out-of-pocket amounts that you pay up front, such as copays, deductibles, and coinsurance. Questions to consider as you review your options include:

• Does the plan meet the needs of you and your family? Some plans require everyone in the family to use the same healthcare network.
• Is your current doctor within the network?
• Do you want to choose a plan based on where you work or where you live?
• Are the associated costs—such as copays, deductibles, and rates—worthwhile given the benefits of the plan?
• Did you earn the wellbeing incentive for 2025? Keep in mind that if you change tiers, your incentive amount also changes.

Other resources:

• The 2025 Medical Plan Comparison gives you a side-by-side look at how each plan option covers medical services including everything from office visits to lab and x-ray services to prescription drugs to hospital services and more.
• Visit the Medica website to search for providers and more information to help you select a medical plan or call Customer Service at 952-992-1814 or 877-252-5558; TTY users, please call 711.

HSAs

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is available to any member of the Medica HSA medical plan. Unlike Flexible Spending Account (FSA) funds, HSA funds roll over from year to year and can be used into retirement.

The University will contribute $750 for employee-only coverage, and $1,500 for coverage with dependents into the HSA in 2025. The amount is contributed over the number of pay periods remaining in the year. In addition, employees can contribute up to $3,550 for employee-only or $7,050 for dependent coverage per year.

Why is the deductible increasing for the Medica HSA medical plan, but not any other plans?
The deductible for the HSA medical plan is changing to $1,650 for employee-only coverage and $3,300 for family coverage. This is because the IRS announced new minimum HSA deductibles for 2025. In order for the University to continue to offer the HSA medical plan, the deductible has to increase to the IRS minimum.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) allow you to use pre-tax dollars on routine expenses using either a Health Care FSA or a Dependent Care FSA.

To have an FSA in 2025, you must enroll during Open Enrollment, regardless of whether or not you currently have an FSA. FSAs do not automatically renew.

FSA basics, like eligible expenses, procedures for reimbursement, and more can be found on the Flexible Spending Account page.

Choosing your FSA Contribution:

Do you have questions about how to choose the right amount to contribute to an FSA? Make a strong decision using these guiding questions:

What does my household’s year look like as of now? 
Take a look at your household’s calendar and budget. What health and dependent care needs do you anticipate having in 2025, based on the information you have now? Compare your household’s needs to examples of eligible FSA expenses at z.umn.edu/flexspending.

What life changes would allow me to change my FSA election(s) during the year?
From your daycare closing, to your work hours changing, to a birth, adoption, or marriage in your family, there are many reasons you could change your FSA dollar amount throughout the year. It is possible, but the change must be a specific circumstance known as a Life Event, and it requires supporting documentation.

During Open Enrollment, you may join a dental plan, change your plan, cancel your existing coverage, and add or remove dependents. You can choose a dental plan based on where you live or work, and see if your preferred providers and services are in-network. At the University, dental insurance is provided by Delta Dental. 

The University offers two dental plan options. Learn more about the dental plan options and 2025 rates at z.umn.edu/dentalbenefits. See the Dental Plan Availability and Comparison for the coverage levels by plan and Minnesota county.

Research the plans to see which one meets the needs of you and your family. Since the plans cover the same types of dental care services, you’ll want to pay attention to out-of-pocket costs and whether your current dentist is in your plan’s network. 

Questions? Search providers and services or speak to a live Delta Dental representative using Delta Dental’s UMN web portal.

Life insurance protects your family from a loss of income in the event of your death. Your University employment gives several life insurance options, all provided by Securian Financial. All full-time, benefits-eligible employees are automatically signed up for basic life insurance. Part-time employees (50% to 74% time) are eligible for basic life insurance but need to enroll and pay a premium. 

Every year during Open Enrollment, you can enroll in or cancel existing child life insurance coverage. You also have the chance to decrease or cancel your life insurance coverage by requesting a paper form by emailing benefits@umn.edu. The new insurance amount will be effective on January 1, 2025.

If you wish to enroll again or increase the amount of additional coverage for you or your spouse, this is not part of Open Enrollment and you will need to provide medical evidence of insurability (proof of good health).

If you’re away from work due to illness and injury, bills could start piling up. Disability coverage can provide continued income if you are unable to work for an extended period of time, allowing you to pay bills and loans. Starting January 1, 2025, disability benefits, which include voluntary short-term disability, voluntary long-term disability, and academic disability, will be provided by MetLife.

Depending on your position at the University, different disability benefits are available for you. Use this University Disability Programs overview to determine your benefit options. Note that voluntary short-term and long-term disability require enrollment, and academic disability does not.

Voluntary short-term disability: During Open Enrollment, you can increase your existing short-term disability coverage by $100 or $200 without evidence of good health, not to exceed the maximum, or cancel your existing coverage. Rates are also slightly decreasing for 2025! You can view rates and get more information at z.umn.edu/shortdisability.

If you do not have existing coverage and want to apply, or to add more than $200 in coverage, use this separate Voluntary Disability Enrollment Form rather than the MyU Portal.

Voluntary Long-Term Disability: During Open Enrollment, you can begin, decrease, increase, or cancel long-term disability insurance coverage if you are a Civil Service or Labor-Represented employee or Faculty and P&A working 50-67% time.

To learn more about enrolling in long-term disability coverage, or increasing existing coverage, view rules and restrictions at z.umn.edu/longdisability.

The new insurance amount will be effective on January 1, 2025.

Retirees may enroll in medical and dental benefits through the University. Dental plans for all retirees are the same as those for active employees, but the retiree will pay the whole monthly premium. Learn more about your options below or download the Enrollment Guide for Retirees and Disabled Participants (PDF).

Retiree Medical Plans Age 65+

During Open Enrollment, you may change or cancel coverage using this form. If you are satisfied with your current retiree benefits and do not want to make a change, you do not need to fill out and return the form.

The University provides a number of plan offerings from which to choose—you can check out additional resources on the OHR webpage for medical programs for retirees over age 65, and compare plan offerings in the Retiree Guide.

Retiree Medical Plans Under Age 65

Medical plans for retirees under 65 are the same as those for active employees, though the retiree will pay the whole monthly premium.

During Open Enrollment, you may change or cancel coverage using this form.

Social Security

Learn about Social Security benefits, including Medicare registration, as you plan your retirement. Get started with these materials:

• Social Security in Retirement
• Plan for Retirement

Senior LinkAge

The state of Minnesota provides free resources for retirees, including more information on Medicare, on the Senior LinkAge website. You can also call the Senior LinkAge Line at 1-800-333-2433 to discuss Medicare plans.

• 2025 Guide for Employees Eligible for Federal Benefits (PDF)