University of Pennsylvania Open Enrollment 2026: Key Changes and Information

The annual open enrollment period for benefits at the University of Pennsylvania will commence on April 20 and conclude on May 8. During this timeframe, faculty, staff, and postdoctoral scholars can modify their selections related to health plans, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts for the 2026-2027 academic year. The Human Resources department is offering resources both online and in-person at the Benefits Fair to facilitate informed decision-making.

Effective July 1, 2026, Penn will introduce a working spouse contribution. Employees whose spouses have access to medical coverage elsewhere but are enrolled in Penn's plans will incur a $100 monthly charge, which can be deducted either pre-tax or post-tax for NRSA postdocs. However, this fee will not apply to individuals covered by Medicare, Tricare, or Medicaid.

Enrollment steps require eligible members to confirm or waive the working spouse contribution through the Workday system. If no action is taken, the default monthly charge will be applied automatically. Detailed FAQs are available on Penn’s HR website to assist employees with this process and ensure compliance with new regulations.

Participants who wish to continue their Flexible Spending Account (FSA) coverage must actively re-elect their health or dependent care FSAs for the new plan year. Without re-election, contributions reset to zero, with no further enrollment possible outside of a qualifying event. Notably, the Dependent Care FSA maximum contribution will rise to $7,500, and the rollover limit for Health Care FSA will modestly increase to $680.

Enhancements to Penn’s benefit offerings include new voluntary options such as legal services through Corestream’s administration of Penn Benefits Extras. Behavioral health services will transition to the Independence Behavioral Health Network, which is expanding to include many existing providers to ensure a seamless changeover.

The upcoming plan year also features a $125 increase in health plan deductibles, addressing healthcare cost pressures. While medical and certain dental rates will rise, other dental and vision rates will remain stable. Curalinc will continue to provide confidential counseling services through Penn’s Employee Assistance Program. All plan changes are to be implemented on July 1, 2026, with details and rates accessible on the institution’s HR webpage.