Open Enrollment 2026
November 1 – November 21, 2025
Any changes made during this time will be effective January 1, 2026.
Open Enrollment, November 1 through November 21, is your annual opportunity to review and update your current benefits. You can newly enroll in and add or remove dependents from coverage. You may modify health plans (Medical, Dental, Vision), Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care and Dependent Care), and the Group Legal Plan. All elections made during this period will be effective January 1, 2026.
What do I need to do for 2026?
- If you are enrolled in DeltaCare coverage, you must enroll in the Delta Dental Premier plan to have dental coverage in 2026.
- You must re-enroll in Flexible Spending Accounts (both Health Care and Dependent Care) and Metlife Legal to have coverage in 2026.
- All other elections will rollover into 2026 with no action including medical, Delta Dental Premier, vision, and life insurance.
Where do I make elections?
- In the Agora Portal, log into PeopleSoft Human Resource Services and navigate to Self Service > Benefits > Benefits Enrollment
Office Visit Copays
The copays for Primary Care Physician (PCP) visits, including outpatient mental health visits, will remain at $25.
However, copays for visits to specialists will increase from $25 to $40 starting January 1, 2026. Copays for acupuncture visits, chiropractic visits, and short-term rehab visits will also be $40.
Certain Prescription Copays
Copays for Generic drugs will remain the same (normally $15 or less).
Starting January 1st, copays for Preferred Brand drugs will increase from $30 to $45, and Non-Preferred Brand drugs will increase from $50 to $65. Reduced copays apply to 90-day prescriptions by mail order and will save $15, $45, or $65 respectively.
Calibrate Gatekeeper Program
Most, if not all, employers are facing significant and continuing increases in costs for GLP-1 medications. Many large employers, and even some insurance companies, are actually dropping GLP-1 coverage for weight loss. Boston College is keeping the coverage, believing that it is a benefit to many employees and hoping that it will save medical costs in the long run. However, we believe it is important to have guidelines in order to help mitigate the costs of these expensive drugs. Starting January 1st, Boston College is adopting a program sponsored by edHEALTH and OptumRx (our prescription drug company) called Calibrate.
Anyone who wishes to use GLP-1 medications for weight loss will need to participate in the Calibrate gatekeeper program in order to be approved for the drugs. Calibrate is a physician guided program employing lifestyle intervention and accountability coaching that spans two years. It’s intended to promote sustained outcomes and tapering or discontinuation of GLP-1 therapy in year two. Members are required to work with a Calibrate physician who assumes the responsibility for prescribing the weight loss medication. Note that there is a monthly cost to Boston College for each person who participates in the program, but it is an investment by Boston College that is intended to save costs in the long term.
Employees or dependents currently using GLP-1 medications for weight loss will be contacted by the Calibrate service in November and will be instructed to enroll in the program starting January 1. If someone currently using the medication does not enroll by April 1, the medication will no longer be covered. New users of GLP-1 medications will need to enroll as of January 1 in order for the medications to be covered under our plan.
Increased Copay for GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs: Effective January 1, the copay for the GLP-1 drugs for weight loss will be $150. This increased copay will not apply to GLP-1 drugs prescribed for diabetes treatment.
DeltaCare Dental Plan
Effective January 1, 2026, Delta Dental will no longer renew the DeltaCare plan. The primary reason is the increasing lack of participating providers, including Gentle Dental, a major DeltaCare provider. It is the case that nearly all of the DeltaCare providers are also providers in the Delta PPO Premier plan, which is the other plan offered by Boston College. There are also many other participating dentists in the Delta Premier plan.
Since DeltaCare will no longer be offered effective January 1, 2026, if you were enrolled for 2025 and want to continue having dental coverage for 2026, you will need to enroll in the Delta Premier plan.
The Delta Premier plan is structured differently from the DeltaCare plan. Coverage is 100% for Diagnostic and Preventive services, 80% for Restorative and other basic services, and 50% for Prosthodontic and Major Restorative services, with a calendar year maximum of $1,500 per person. Orthodontic coverage is 50% with a separate lifetime maximum of $1,500 and is only available to dependent children under age 26.
Benefit Plan Details
Medical & Dental Plans
No action is needed to keep Medical, Vision, and Delta Dental Premier coverage for 2026.
However, if you have DeltaCare coverage you MUST ENROLL in the Delta Dental Premier plan to have dental coverage in 2026.
General Information (Medical Plan Updates & Online eBenefits Enrollment Process)
Summary of Benefits and Coverage - HPHC HMO
(will be available soon)
Summary of Benefits and Coverage - HPHC PPO
(will be available soon)
Summary of Benefits and Coverage - OptumRx
EyeMed Vision Plan
Your Vision Plan coverage will automatically continue for 2026 unless you elect to Waive coverage through the Open Enrollment process.
Flexible Spending Accounts
To continue FSA Coverage for 2026, you MUST RE-ENROLL.
Announcement Memo and Plan Highlights
Health Equity/WageWorks FSA "Quick Start Guide"
Eligible Expenses for Health Care FSA
Eligible Expenses for Dependent Care FSA
MetLife Legal
To continue Legal Coverage for 2026, you MUST RE-ENROLL.
Life Insurance Annual Enrollment 2026
The Annual Enrollment period is November 1 through November 21, 2025, with changes effective January 1, 2026. During this period you can increase your Supplemental and Dependents Life Insurance coverage, if you are already participating in the plans.
Basic Life Insurance, based on annual salary (Annual Benefits Base Rate), is provided to all benefits-eligible employees and is fully paid by the University.
Supplemental & Dependents Life Insurance
No action is needed to keep current Life Insurance elections for 2026.