Open enrollment (SEBB)

Important changes to benefits and plans

There are many important changes for 2026. See everything that is changing.

Resources

• View premiums: School employees | SEBB Continuation Coverage
• Find info about medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Log in to Benefits 24/7.
• Contact the plans.
• Attend a benefits fair.
• Visit the virtual benefits fair.
• Read the October Intercom newsletter
• Find your form: Employees or SEBB Continuation Coverage

UMP Plus closing – not available in 2026

Both UMP Plus plans: UMP Plus–Puget Sound Hight Value Network and UMP Plus–UW Medicine ACN will not be available in 2026.

Members enrolled in these plans must choose a new plan by November 24, 2025. If they do not, they and any enrolled dependents will be enrolled in UMP Achieve 2. Learn more.

Employer-paid long-term disability monthly benefit increase

• Employer-paid LTD: The monthly maximum benefit for employer-paid long-term disability insurance is increasing to $450, effective January 1, 2026. There is no cost for this coverage.
• Employee-paid LTD rates will decrease by 2 percent.

Learn about your LTD benefit.

Flexible spending arrangements contribution increase

• The annual maximum contribution for FSAs increased to $3,400.
• The carryover amount is up to $680.

FSA contribution for eligible employees: Employees who make $40,000 or less as of June 30, 2025, may be eligible to receive an FSA contribution of $200 in January.

Learn about FSAs.

Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) contribution increase

The annual maximum contribution for DCAP will increase to:

• $7,500 for a single person or married couple filing a joint income tax return.
• $3,750 for each married person if filing separate income tax returns.

Learn about DCAP.

Deductible for UMP High Deductible

The IRS raised the minimum deductible for high deductible health plans to $1,700 for single subscribers and $3,400 for families.

This affects UMP High Deductible.

Health savings account annual maximum contribution increase

The IRS raised the health savings account annual maximum contribution to $4,400 for single subscribers and $8,750 for families.

Plan information

You are not required to stay in the same plan every year. You can change plans during open enrollment.

Compare medical plans

Compare up to three medical plans side-by-side with the Online Medical Benefits Comparison Tool or Medical Benefits Comparison.

What medical plans are available to me?

Employees

View school employee medical plans by county. In most cases, you must live or work in the medical plan's service area to join the plan. All subscribers will be offered a selection of plans based on their county of residence or the county where their employment location is based. If you work in a district that crosses county lines, identify all counties your school district is in to see all the plan options available to you.

Be sure to contact the medical plans you're interested in to ask about provider availability in your county.

SEBB Continuation Coverage subscribers

In most cases, you must live in a medical plan's service area to join the plan. See SEBB Continuation Coverage medical plans available by county. If you move out of your plan's service area and your plan is no longer available, you must change your plan. If you do not, the SEBB Program will enroll you in one. Be sure to contact the medical plans you're interested in to ask about provider availability in your county.

Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC)

Summaries of Benefits and Coverage are required under the federal Affordable Care Act to help members understand plan benefits and medical terms. View the SBCs for:

• School employee plans
• SEBB Continuation Coverage plans

Compare dental plans

The SEBB Program offers three dental plans:

• Uniform Dental Plan
• DeltaCare
• Willamette Dental

Use the Dental Benefits Comparison to view them side-by-side or visit Compare dental plans.

There are some differences between them that are important to keep in mind.

• There is one preferred-provider organization (PPO) plan, Uniform Dental Plan (administered by Delta Dental of Washington). You can see any provider without a referral. You can see providers outside of the network but will pay more out of pocket.
• There are two managed-care plans: DeltaCare (administered by Delta Dental of Washington) and Willamette Dental. These plans require you choose a primary care dentist from within their network. You need a referral from the primary care dentist to see a specialist.

Compare vision plans

The SEBB Program offers three vision plans:

• Davis Vision by MetLife
• EyeMed
• MetLife Vision

Use the Vision Benefits Comparison to view them side-by-side or visit Vision plans and benefits.

Find providers

Use the plans' provider directories to check if your current providers are in the plans' networks. You can also call the plan's customer service to ask about a provider's network status.

Costs

Find monthly premiums for:

Employees

You will pay a premium for medical coverage, and if you choose to keep your employee-paid LTD insurance, you will pay that premium. There are no employee premiums for dental and vision coverage, basic life, basic AD&D, and employer-paid LTD insurance. These benefits are paid for by your employer. You may also buy supplemental life and supplemental AD&D insurance for yourself and your dependents.

• Employee monthly premiums 2026
• Supplemental life and AD&D insurance premiums
• Employee-paid LTD insurance premiums

Continuation coverage subscribers

• SEBB Continuation Coverage monthly premiums 2026
• Life and AD&D insurance premiums

Next steps

• If your plan will no longer be available in 2026, you need to choose a new plan.
• You may need to respond to the spouse or state-registered domestic partner coverage premium surcharge. You will receive a letter if you need to respond.
• If you have a DCAP or FSA, you need to enroll in these benefits for 2026. Learn more about FSAs and DCAP.

How do I make changes?

Use Benefits 24/7 or a form. Find your form: Employees or SEBB Continuation Coverage. Make your changes using Benefits 24/7 by 11:59 p.m. on November 24, 2025.

If you use a form:

• Employees: Your payroll or benefits office must receive your forms by November 24.
• Continuation coverage subscribers: The SEBB Program must receive your forms by November 24.

What changes can I make?

Open enrollment is your chance to:

• Change your medical, dental, or vision plans.
• Add or remove a dependent from your coverage. If you enroll a dependent, you must provide proof of your dependent's eligibility with your enrollment form before we can enroll them. Check the list of acceptable documents.
• Reattest to the spouse or state-registered domestic partner coverage premium surcharge.
• Enroll in an FSA, Limited Purpose FSA, and the DCAP through Navia Benefit Solutions. You must enroll again in these benefits every year you want to participate.
• Waive your enrollment (employees only) in medical coverage, if you have other employer-based group medical coverage, a TRICARE plan, or Original Medicare (Parts A and B only).
  • You cannot waive employee coverage for PEBB retiree insurance coverage, which includes Premera Medicare Supplement Plan F or G, UnitedHealthcare PEBB Balance and PEBB Complete, Kaiser Permanente NW Senior Advantage with Part D, Kaiser Permanente WA Medicare Advantage with Part D, or UMP Classic Medicare with Part D (PDP).
• Enroll in medical coverage (employees only) if you previously waived SEBB medical for other employer-based group medical, a TRICARE plan, or Original Medicare (Parts A and B only).

How to return your form

If you use a form, return it as instructed below.

Employees

Return your form to your payroll or benefits office. They must receive it by November 24.

SEBB Continuation Coverage subscribers

Return your form to the SEBB Program one of the following ways:

• Secure message using HCA Support. After signing in, select the Retiree/Continuation coverage option.
• Mail it to the SEBB Program
  Washington State Health Care Authority
  PO Box 42720
  Olympia, WA 98504-2720
• Fax it to 360-725-0771
• Bring it to the HCA Olympia office.
  626 8th Avenue SE
  Olympia, WA 98501

The SEBB Program must receive your forms by November 24.

Do I need to attest to the premium surcharges?

If you cover your spouse or state-registered domestic partner, you may need to respond to the spouse or state-registered domestic partner coverage premium surcharge. You will receive a letter if you need to respond. Learn more about the premium surcharges.