Open enrollment (PEBB)

Important changes to benefits and plans

There are many important changes to 2026 benefits and plans. See everything that's changing.

Resources

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

UMP Plus closing – not available in 2026

Both UMP Plus plans: UMP Plus–Puget Sound High 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 Classic. Learn more.

Employer-paid long-term disability monthly benefit increase

(Contact your payroll or benefits office to see if your employer offers PEBB LTD insurance.)

• Employer-paid LTD: The monthly maximum benefit for employer-paid long-term disability (LTD) insurance is increasing to $450, effective January 1, 2026. There is no cost for this coverage.
• Employee-paid LTD rates will decrease by 6 percent.

Learn about your LTD benefit.

Deductible for consumer-directed health plans (CDHP)

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

This affects Kaiser Permanente NW CDHP, Kaiser Permanente WA CDHP, and UMP CDHP.

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.

Flexible spending arrangements contribution increase

Available to state agency and higher-education employees. Learn about FSAs.

• The annual maximum contribution for FSAs increased to $3,300.
  
  (If the IRS announces an additional increase in the maximum contribution limit before the end of open enrollment, the PEBB Program will adopt those changes for 2026.)
• The carryover amount is up to $660.

FSA contribution for represented employees: Represented employees who make $68,004 or less per year may be eligible to receive an FSA contribution of $300 in January.

Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) annual contribution increase

Available to state agency and higher-education employees. Learn about DCAP.

The annual maximum contribution for DCAP will increase to:

• $7,000 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.

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.

You can also use the Medical Benefits Comparison.

Medical plan service areas

In most cases, you must live in a medical plan's service area to join the plan.

Be sure to call the plans you are interested in to ask about provider availability in your county. If you move out of your plan's service area, you may need to change plans. You must report your new address no later than 60 days after your move.

View plans available to:

• Employees
• PEBB Continuation Coverage subscribers

Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC)

Summaries of Benefits and Coverage (SBCs) are required under the federal Affordable Care Act to help members understand plan benefits and medical terms. SBCs are not available for Medicare plans. View the SBCs for:

• Employee medical plans
• PEBB Continuation Coverage medical plans

Compare dental plans

The PEBB Program offers three dental plans:

• Uniform Dental Plan
• DeltaCare
• Willamette Dental

Use the Dental Benefits Comparison to compare them.

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

• There is one preferred-provider organization (PPO), 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 referrals from the primary care dentist to see a specialist.

Compare vision plans

The PEBB Program offers three vision plans:

• Davis Vision by MetLife
• EyeMed
• MetLife Vision

Use the Vision Benefits Comparison to compare them.

Find providers

Check the plans' provider portals 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. There are no employee premiums for dental, vision, basic life, basic AD&D, and employer-paid LTD insurance. These benefits are paid for by your employer. If you choose to keep your employee-paid LTD insurance, you will pay that premium. You may also buy supplemental life and supplemental AD&D insurance for yourself and your dependents.

Employees who work for a city, county, port, tribal government, water district, hospital, etc., need to contact their payroll or benefits office to find their monthly premiums.

• Employee monthly premiums 2026
• Life and AD&D insurance premiums
• Long-term disability (LTD) insurance premiums

Continuation coverage subscribers

• PEBB Continuation Coverage monthly premiums 2026
• Life and AD&D insurance premiums
• Long-term disability (LTD) insurance premiums

Next steps

• If your medical 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?

To make changes, use Benefits 24/7 or a form. Find your form: Employees or PEBB Continuation Coverage.

Make your changes using Benefits 24/7 or Workday 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.
• PEBB Continuation Coverage subscribers: The PEBB Program must receive your forms by November 24.

Note: Pierce County, WSU, and UW employees must use Workday.

What changes can I make?

Open enrollment is your chance to:

• Change medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Add or remove a dependent from your health plan coverage. If you enroll a dependent, you must provide proof of your dependent's eligibility with your enrollment form before your dependent can be enrolled on your account. Check the list of acceptable documents.
• Reattest to the spouse or state-registered domestic partner coverage premium surcharge. Note: This does not apply to subscribers enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B.
• Enroll in an FSA, or DCAP through Navia Benefit Solutions, and choose your election amounts (available only to state agency and higher-education employees). You must enroll again in these benefits every year you want to participate.
• Waive enrollment (employees only) in medical coverage if you have or are enrolling in other employer-based group medical coverage, a TRICARE plan, or Original Medicare (Parts A and B only).
  • You cannot waive PEBB employee medical for PEBB retiree insurance coverage, which includes Premera Medicare Supplement Plan F or Plan 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 employee medical coverage if you previously waived 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 no later than November 24.

PEBB Continuation Coverage subscribers

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

• Secure message using HCA Support. After signing in, select the Retiree/Continuation coverage option.
• Mail it to the PEBB Program.
  
  Washington State Health Care Authority
  
  PEBB Program
  
  PO Box 42684
  
  Olympia, WA 98504-2684
• Fax it to 360-725-0771.
• Bring it to the HCA Olympia office.
  
  626 8th Avenue SE
  
  Olympia, WA 98501

The PEBB Program must receive your form 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 about the premium surcharges.