Open Enrollment for 2026 Benefits: October 31–November 14, 2025

October 28, 2025Posted in: Faculty/Staff

Open Enrollment begins on October 31.

Dear Illinois Tech Faculty and Staff,

Illinois Tech’s annual open enrollment period for benefits will run from Friday, October 31, 2025, through Friday, November 14, 2025. Changes made during open enrollment become effective January 1, 2026. I encourage you to attend the information session on Friday, October 31, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. or watch the recording of it, which will be posted on the HR website’s benefits page, to learn about benefit changes for 2026. Important information, dates, and times to keep in mind can be found below with detailed directions:

  • Open enrollment for medical insurance, health savings accounts, dental insurance, and vision insurance is done through Banner Self-Service (via portal.iit.edu). The Banner open enrollment tool will be open for elections until 11:59 p.m. (CST) on November 14, 2025.
  • Open enrollment for health and dependent care flexible spending accounts is done through WageWorks (wageworks.com). WageWorks will be open for selections until 10:59 p.m. (CST) on November 14, 2025 (it closes one hour early due to the time zone difference).
  • Open enrollment for voluntary life and AD&D insurance for yourself and eligible dependents can be done by contacting me directly at vrill@illinoistech.edu or 312.567.3353.
  • Team members from the Office of Human Resources will be available throughout Open Enrollment and until 5 p.m. (CST) on November 15, 2024, to answer any of your questions.

Open enrollment is the one time of year when benefits-eligible employees can change plans, add or drop coverage, and/or add or drop eligible dependents, unless a qualifying Life Status Changing Event takes place outside of the open enrollment period (examples of qualifying Life Status Changing Events throughout the year include, but are not limited to, birth/adoption of a child, loss of benefits coverage external from the university, change in marital status, etc.). Read on to discover more about what’s available to you and your families for 2026. You can also visit our 2026 Benefits Guide.

BENEFITS EVENTS

We are pleased to again offer vaccine clinics on-site at Mies Campus and Conviser Law Center. We are also excited to once again be having an in-person Benefits Fair at Mies Campus.

  • Benefits Fair: Thursday, October 30, from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. in The MTCC Ballroom. Click this link for more information. Visit with representatives from Blue Cross Blue Shield, Delta Dental, TIAA, Fidelity, Corporate America Family Credit Union, PNC Bank, and many other benefits and wellness partners. Stick around and chat, or swing by to grab some vendor swag (such as a BCBS phone/tablet stand). Don’t forget to enter the raffle before you leave because we have some great prizes including Yeti coolers and an autographed Chicago Bears jersey!

OPEN ENROLLMENT INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES

An information session will be held via Zoom at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 31, 2025 (meeting ID: 851 9001 2792; passcode: 508421). A recording of the presentation will be available on the HR website’s benefits page as soon as possible following the session for on-demand viewing throughout open enrollment and beyond. Those who wish to discuss individual concerns are encouraged to email me at vrill@illinoistech.edu to schedule a virtual appointment.

A benefit resources page is available: Do you need benefits information broken down, or don’t know the difference between PPOs, HDHPs, HSAs, FSAs, or DHMOs? A series of short videos on the new benefit resources HR portal page are now available to help (access to this page requires a login with Illinois Tech credentials). Videos cover the basics of all of our benefits plans, and most are three minutes in length or less!

Changes for medical, dental, and vision benefits must be made online through Banner Self-Service, accessible through your Employee Dashboard. Visit our website for instructions on how to make changes in Banner Self-Service. You can also view a short, video on how to make changes by clicking this link (passcode: 4w68=3nb). Individuals making changes are strongly encouraged to contact Jaqueline Perez at jperez81@illinoistech.edu or x73318, or myself at vrill@illinoistech.edu or x73353 to verify that the changes have been successful. If you are not making changes, no action is required.

INFORMATION UPDATE REMINDERS

  • Beneficiary Designations: Life insurance beneficiary information is housed in benefits files and can be verified by contacting Human Resources, and updated by completing a new beneficiary designation form, available on the HR website’s Life Insurance page. Retirement plan beneficiaries can be verified and updated by logging onto your retirement plan account with TIAA and/or Fidelity.
  • Addresses and emergency contacts: This information can be updated via Banner Self Service. Please take a few moments to ensure that your profile lists both a campus address, as well as local or mailing addresses.

NEW FOR 2026

  • 403(b) Retirement Plan Roth option. Beginning in 2026, employees who choose to do so will have the option to invest all or a portion of their 403(b) contributions on a Roth (after tax) basis. Additionally, individuals who are eligible for age-based catch-up contributions and whose 2025 FICA wages are $145,000 or more must make their catch-up contributions on a Roth basis. Please refer to the 403(b) Retirement Plan section of the email for additional information.
  • IRS maximums increase for Health Care and Dependent Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, and Commuter Accounts.
  • Health Care Flexible Spending: Increases to $3,400 per individual (up from $3,300).
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending: Increases to $7,500 per household (up from $5,000).
  • Health Savings Accounts (HDHP health plan members only): Increases to $4,400 for those covered under a single-level plan (up from $4,300) and to $8,750 for those on a self plus one or family-level plan (up from $8,550). The HSA Catch-Up amount for individuals age 55 and up remains at $1,000.
  • Commuter Accounts: Increase to $340 (from $325) per month for both pre-tax parking and transit accounts.

2026 CONTINUING BENEFITS

MEDICAL—BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD

  • We are continuing with the tiered network approach for both plan options. Full details are available on the HR website’s Health Benefits page.
  • Both PPO and HDHP members will see an increase in premiums. Additionally, we are adding two new salary bands for higher earning employees.
  • For High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) members on a single-level plan, the deductible for Tier 1/BCO is increasing to $1,700 from $1,650. This change is necessary to maintain the option’s status as a qualified HDHP, which is required in order to continue offering Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
  • For HDHP members, the Health Savings Account (HSA) maximum limits increase as indicated earlier in this email.
    • Illinois Tech will continue to contribute to HSAs for HDHP members at the rate of $500 for single, $1,000 for self plus one, and $1,500 for family-level plans for the 2025 plan year. Illinois Tech contributions are prorated monthly, with contributions deposited at the end of each month.
    • As a reminder, the IRS maximums for HSA accounts are combined maximums, meaning the member’s plus Illinois Tech’s contributions cannot exceed these limits.
    • On the fence about the HDHP? Try this HSA vs. PPO calculator to see which plan might work best for you. There are also in-depth videos on the Benefit Resources page (access to this page requires a login with Illinois Tech credentials).
    • HSAs and Medicare: Individuals enrolled in Medicare, or who expect to enroll in Medicare within the next six months, are prohibited from contributing to HSAs (this includes employer contributions). For additional information, please refer to the HSA Participant FAQs flier, also available on the HR website’s Health Benefits page in the “BCBS, CVS, and HSA Bank Overview and Highlights” section.
  • We will continue to offer access to Health Advocacy Solutions, powered by MyEvive. For additional information, see the HR website’s Health Benefits page.
  • All members will continue to have access to Member Rewards, Hinge Health, Livongo Whole Person, Wondr Health, MD Live, Ovia Health, the Well on Target wellness and fitness programs, a vision discount program, and Blue 365 Deals.

For complete information on both plans, including plan summaries and rates, and the additional programs listed, please visit the HR website’s Health Benefits page.

DENTAL—DELTA DENTAL

There will be no changes to the Delta Dental plan offerings. However, rates are increasing for PPO participants. For complete information on both plans, including plan summaries and rates, please visit the HR website’s Dental Benefits page.

VOLUNTARY VISION—EYEMED

There will be no changes to the EyeMed Vision plan. For complete information, including a summary and rates, please visit the HR website’s Vision Benefits page.

BASIC GROUP LIFE/AD&D INSURANCE—METLIFE

There will be no changes to the design of this plan, which covers benefits-eligible employees at two times salary up to a maximum of $500,000 (coverage reduces at milestone age years). However, the university is moving from BCBS Ancillary to Metlife. Anyone wishing to update their beneficiary information should complete the new Metlife beneficiary designation form, available on the HR website’s Life Insurance page. Beneficiary changes may be made at any time during the year.

SUPPLEMENTAL LIFE/AD&D INSURANCE—METLIFE

There will be no changes to the design of these plans; however, the university is moving from BCBS Ancillary to Metlife. Anyone with existing coverage will see no disruption. Individuals who wish to enroll for the first time themselves, enroll spouses, and/or increase their existing coverage, will need to complete a new enrollment form. Any new enrollments and any changes for employee or spouse coverage will be subject to medical underwriting. Forms requesting changes to any coverage for self, spouse, and/or dependent children must be submitted to HR via the enrollment form on the HR website’s Supplemental Life page by 5 p.m. (CST) on Friday, November 14.

DISABILITY COVERAGE (STAFF SALARY CONTINUATION AND LONG-TERM DISABILITY)—METLIFE

There will be no changes to the designs of these plans. However, the university is moving from BCBS Ancillary to Metlife. Additional information on the plans is available able on the HR website’s Staff Salary Continuation and Long Term Disability pages.

HEALTH AND DEPENDENT CARE FLEXIBLE SPENDING, AND PRE-TAX COMMUTER PROGRAMS—WAGEWORKS/HEALTH EQUITY

More information on these plans can be found on the HR website’s Flexible Spending and Commuter Program pages.

  • Flexible Spending—Your 2025 selections do NOT carry forward. If you wish to continue health and/or dependent daycare flexible spending, you MUST re-enroll for the 2026 plan year at com. WageWorks closes for open enrollment at 11 p.m. (CST) on November 14. As indicated in the “New for 2026” section of this message, the new IRS maximums for 2026 are:
    • Health Care Flexible Spending: $3,400 per year, per individual ($100 increase)
    • Dependent Care Flexible Spending: $7,500 per year, per household (up from $5,000)
  • Please note that HDHP health plan members may only open a Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Account (LPFSA), allowing funds to be used only for dental and vision expenses. HDHP members should select “HSA-Compatible” when making their 2026 FSA election. All others should select “standard coverage.”
  • Illinois Tech utilizes the WageWorks online enrollment tool for Flexible Spending Accounts, available at com. Once you log onto the WageWorks website, simply follow the prompts for Open Enrollment. If you do not remember your username or password, you can utilize the “Forgot” link and follow the steps for username or password recovery. If you continue to experience difficulty, please contact WageWorks customer service at 877.924.3967, as Illinois Tech does not have access to this information.
  • Pre-Tax Commuter Program—There will be no changes to the current plan. However, the monthly IRS limits will increase to $340 for both transit and parking pre-tax elections ($15 monthly increase from 2025). Pre-tax commuter elections can be used for transit passes and off-campus parking, and may be made at any time during the year (not limited to Open Enrollment). Orders are due by 10:59 p.m. (EST) on the 10th of the month for the following benefit month (i.e., December orders are due by 10:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 10).

403(B) RETIREMENT PLAN—TIAA and FIDELITY

As of the publication of this email, the IRS has not announced increases to regular contribution or age 50 catch-up limits for 403(b) plans for 2026. Therefore, the maximum remains at $23,500 per year for participants under age 50; $31,000 per year for those between ages 50 and 59 or age 64 or older; and $34,750 for those who are ages 60 to 63 (based on age on December 31, 2026).

If you wish to contribute the IRS maximum to the 403(b) plan and did not do so in 2025, you will need to complete a new 403(b) Plan Enrollment Form. Please note that there will be a new version of this form for 2026, which we expect to make available by December of this year.

New for 2026 is the implementation of the Roth feature for those who wish to contribute to the plan on an after-tax basis. Employees who wish to contribute all or a portion of their 403(b) on a Roth basis will need to complete a new 403(b) Plan Enrollment Form. We expect the updated form to be available by December of this year.

Additionally, anyone whose FICA wages are $145,000 or more for 2025 and who are eligible for age-based catch-up contributions may only make those contributions on a Roth basis beginning in 2026. HR will reach out to impacted individuals in December. Those individuals who wish to continue making catch-up contributions will not be required to take any action. Those who no longer wish to make catch-up contributions as a result of this change will need to complete a new 403(b) Plan Enrollment Form. We expect the updated form to be available by December of this year.

While there is a waiting period of one year for faculty and two years for staff, all benefits-eligible employees are eligible to participate on an unmatched basis beginning the first of the month following their hire date (or on their hire date if the hire date is the first of the month). Unmatched elections can be added or changed via Banner Self-Service. Those setting up contributions for the first time must also enroll with TIAA and/or Fidelity. Additional information can be found on the HR website’s Retirement Plan page.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM—TELUS Health (formerly Lifeworks)

There will be no changes to the current plan. TELUS Health remains Illinois Tech’s Employee Assistance Program. This program provides employees and their families with voluntary, confidential, and free access to short-term counseling, with operators available 24/7, 365 days a year. Online resources and toolkits cover a wide range of topics that include emotional, physical, and financial well-being, as well as work-life issues. Login for access to articles and videos and to access discounts. The phone number, website, and username/password information can be found on the HR portal’s Employee Assistance Program page (access to this page requires login with Illinois Tech credentials).

TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

There will be no changes to the current offerings. Illinois Tech continues to offer various tuition benefits to benefits-eligible employees and their families, and this includes Tuition Remission for the new Coursera degree programs through Illinois Tech. For more information on these benefits and to apply, please visit the HR website’s Tuition Assistance page.

PET INSURANCE—NATIONWIDE

We are pleased to be able to offer preferred pricing on pet insurance through Nationwide. These plans include both medical and wellness options, and reimburse up to 90 percent for veterinary bills including accidents, illnesses, and other conditions. Those interested can enroll or cancel at any time directly through Nationwide. For complete information, including a summary, FAQs, and information on how to access this benefit can be found on the HR portal’s Pet Insurance Benefits page (access to this page requires a login with Illinois Tech credentials).

PERKSPOT—PERKS AND DISCOUNTS

Illinois Tech is pleased to offer this program, which offers thousands of perks and discounts. From travel to cell phones to steaming services to groceries, there are more than 30,000 national and local offers available through Perkspot. This benefit even provides preferred pricing for home and auto plans, as well as legal insurance plans. For more information and how to register, please visit the HR portal’s Perks and Discounts page (access to this page requires a login with Illinois Tech credentials).

If you have questions regarding Open Enrollment or any of the benefits you have read about here, please reach out to me at x73353 (312.567.3353) or via email at vrill@illinoistech.edu.

Thank you,

Viktoria Rill
Senior Director, Total Rewards and People Development

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