重口味SM

Wellness Incentive

Regardless of the medical insurance plan you choose, an additional annualized incentive of $250 for single coverage, or $500 for all other coverage levels is being offered for employees who complete the wellness activities as described in the 重口味SMPortal under Wellness by November 26th, 2025.  Incentives will be distributed through either (1) additional deposit to your HSA account for those enrolled in the HDHP OR (2) through an equivalent reduction to your medical benefit payroll deduction for those enrolled in the PPO $400 plan in 2026. The additional incentive to your HSA will be split into two deposits. You will receive the first half of the incentive in January 2026 and the second half in July 2026.

Opting Out of Medical Insurance

• Full-time benefit eligible employees who do not enroll in one of the university's medical plans must show proof of alternative medical coverage AND complete the wellness activities in the 重口味SMPortal under Wellness in order to be eligible for the medical opt out payment.
• If you have already provided proof of alternate coverage and your medical insurance has not changed, you do NOT need to resubmit your documentation. However, you must complete your wellness activities for the 2026 Open Enrollment by November 26, 2025.
• The university will begin the process of discontinuing the $1,200 annual medical opt out payment in 2026. To help adjust to this change, employees who earn a base salary less than $100,000.00 can continue to receive a credit for up to three years, before it is fully discontinued in 2029. Details are listed in the table below.

Spousal Exclusion from Medical Plans

The university will enact a spousal exclusion for its medical plans only, beginning in the 2026 plan year. If your spouse is currently eligible for medical insurance coverage through their employer, they will no longer be eligible to enroll in a Wilkes medical insurance plan. Should your spouse not have access to medical insurance through an employer and you choose to enroll them in medical benefits, you will receive an email with further instructions on providing appropriate documentation at the conclusion of the open enrollment period.

Dependent children will continue to be eligible for medical benefits. Employees may still enroll both dependent children and spouses in dental and vision benefits.

High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP $2000)

• Will continue to be offered as an option for plan year 2026 with an associated Health Savings Account (HSA)
• No changes to plan design
• 1.625 to 26% premium rate increase based on annual salary (see chart below)
• Employees who enroll in the High Deductible Health Care Plan will receive a deposit from the University into their HSA in the amount of $750 for single coverage, or $1,500 for all other coverage levels
• Employees may choose to also fund their HSAs through pre-tax payroll deductions, up to the 2026 annual maximums of $4,400 single and $8,750 for all other coverage levels. These maximums include both employer and employee contributions to the account.

PPO $400 (with and without wellness incentive)

• Will continue to be offered as an option for plan year 2026
• No changes to plan design
• 1.625 to 26% premium rate increase based on annual salary (see chart below)

Mental Well-Being for HDHP $2000 and PPO $400

• Highmark has partnered with Spring Health to provide a Mental Well-Being solution, which includes a 24/7 virtual care program with tools, coaching, and clinical mental health support for members 6 years of age or older. Please refer to the Open Enrollment Presentation for more information.

Telemedicine

• Your telemedicine benefit will remain with HealthiestYou

Other Spending Account Options

IF YOU DO NOT RE-ENROLL, YOUR SPENDING ACCOUNT ELECTIONS WILL NOT ROLL OVER TO PLAN YEAR 2026. Be sure to log in to Maxwell Health to reaffirm your spending account elections!

Dental Insurance

• No changes to provider or plan design
• 3.7% premium rate increase 

Vision Insurance

• No changes to provider or plan design
• 1.3% premium rate increase

Voluntary Cancer Insurance through Sun Life

• No changes to provider or plan design
• No premium rate changes for any tier