Open Enrollment

What is open enrollment?

Benefits Open Enrollment is the annual period of time that benefits-eligible employees have an opportunity to evaluate their health care needs for the upcoming plan year. Additionally, employees may add or remove eligible dependents from coverage as appropriate and verify their beneficiaries are up to date.

New Addition to Open Enrollment

On March 31, CMU announced a new partnership with Gift of Life Michigan that allows employees to join the National Donor Registry for organ, eye and tissue donation through the benefit enrollment process. During open enrollment, you will have the option to learn more, to register, or to opt out of further notifications about the Donor Registry. This is a completely voluntary choice, information for those choosing to register will be sent to Donate Life and will not be retained in CMU records. The choice to register – or to not register - will not affect your employment in any way.

2026-27 open enrollment

The annual benefits open enrollment period will be held Monday, April 20 through Friday, May 1, at 5:00 p.m. EST. Elections made during open enrollment will go into effect on July 1, 2026 (for a July 1 - June 30 plan year).

Dependents added to coverage may require proof of dependent eligibility. Employees with dependents requiring eligibility verification will be contacted by iVerifyPro in May 2026.

Staff, Fixed-Term Faculty, Medical Faculty and Post-Doc Research Fellows

Spring: Medical and Prescription, Dental, Vision, FSA, HSA, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance (if eligible)

Regular Faculty

Fall: Medical and Prescription (MESSA)
Spring: Dental, Vision, FSA, HSA, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance

2026-27 important benefits open enrollment information

You MUST re-elect the following benefits through the CMU Choices online enrollment system:
- Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

For all other benefits, your current elections will automatically be re-enrolled for 2026-27 in the same plan and coverage level. Covered dependents will continue with coverage, if still eligible. No coverage elections will remain no coverage.

The maximum contribution amount for Health Care FSA will increase to $3,400, and the rollover limit from the 2025-26 plan year to 2026-27 will increase to $680.

The maximum contribution amount for Dependent Day Care FSA will increase to $7,500.