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  • Benefits – OE Changes

Open Enrollment Central


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Resources

  • Open Enrollment Events
  • Paying for Coverage
  • Voluntary Benefit Premiums
  • NAU PPO vs HDHPHSA
  • Summary of Benefits & Coverage
  • Benefit Plan Documents & Policies
  • Benefits Vendor Contact Information

2026 Plan Comparisons

  • Voluntary Benefits
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Life
  • Short-Term Disability
 

What’s changing

There are some updates to your benefits this year—take a moment to check them out and make sure everything still works for you and your family.  Here’s what’s changing:

  • Medical Plans: Both NAU and State of AZ plans have changes. Be sure to review the details below.
  • Health Savings Accounts (HSA): You can now contribute more—thanks to new IRS limits!
  • Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): Same deal—higher contribution limits for both the Health Care and Dependent\Day Care accounts.
  • Dental: No changes.
  • Vision: Slight increase in employee premiums.
  • Life Insurance (State of AZ): The Hartford is now the carrier for Supplemental and Dependent Life. Good news—Supplemental Life premiums are going down!
  • Short-Term Disability: State of AZ Plan: Now with The Hartford—lower premiums and updated waiting periods. NAU Plan (Unum): Premiums are decreasing here too.

Medical

Several medical plans have changes and the employee premiums for the NAU BCBSAZ PPO will be increasing. Compare Medical plans.

Image of woman adjusting medical equipment

NAU BCBSAZ PPO

The deductible is  increasing but there is no change in the out-of-pocket maximum, it remains $1,000 single/$2,000 family. Employee premiums will increase  between $15.32 and $41.37 per pay period depending on the coverage level elected.

Plan Changes & Employee Premiums Accordion Closed

Current

Deductible

In-Network

  • $450 Single\$900 Family

Out-of-Network

  • $750 Single\$1,500 Family

Per Pay Employee Premiums

  • $59.77 – Employee Only
  • $162.68 – Employee + Adult
  • $116.20 – Employee + Child
  • $241.43 – Family

January 1, 2026

Deductible

In-Network

  • $600 Single\ $1,200 Family

Out-of-Network

  • $1,200 Single\$2,400 Family

Per Pay Employee Premiums

  • $75.10 – Employee Only
  • $194.86 – Employee + Adult
  • $139.19 – Employee + Child
  • $282.81 – Family

NAU BCBSAZ High Deductible Health Plan & Health Care Saving Account

The plan deductible will be increasing to the new IRS minimums, but there are no other plan changes.  Employee contributions & NAU contributions to the Health Care Savings Account will remain the same.

 Plan Changes & HSA Contribution Limits Accordion Closed

Current

Deductible

In-Network

  • $1,650 single\$3,300 family

Out-of-Network 

  • $3,300 single\$6,600 family

January 1, 2026

Deductible

In-Network

  • $1,700 single\ $3,400 family

Out-of-Network 

  • $3,400 single\$6,800 family

2026 HSA Annual Contributions & Limits

  • Single: $4,400 – NAU contributes $820 to the annual maximum.
  • Family: $8,750 NAU contributes $1,640 to the annual maximum.
  • Catch-up amount for employees 55 or older will remain $1,000.

State of AZ PPO

The State of Arizona is replacing the Triple Choice Plan (TCP) with a new Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan for the 2026 plan year.

  • If you’re currently enrolled in TCP and don’t change plans during open enrollment, you’ll be automatically moved to the new PPO plan.
  • You can still choose between BCBSAZ and UHC networks.
  • No change in employee premiums

 Plan Changes Accordion Closed

In-Network

Deductible

  • $0 individual\ $0 family

Out-of -Pocket Maximum

  • $7,350 individual\ $14,700 family

Out-of-Network

 

  • $5,000 single\$10,00 family

 

  • $8,700 single\$17,400 family

Copayment1 or Coinsurance – apply after deductible

In-network

Out-of-Network

  •  Preventative
  • Primary Care
  • Specialist
  • Virtual Visit
  • Urgent Care
  • Emergency Room
  • In-patient Hospital
  • Out-patient Facility
  • Major Radiology
  • $0
  • $25
  • $45
  • $25
  • $80
  • $250
  • $300
  • $150
  • $100
  • 50%
  • 50%
  • 50%
  • 50%
  • 50%
  • $250
  • 0%
  • 50%
  • 50%

1 Copayments listed are per visit.

The State of AZ High Deductible Health Plan & Health Care Saving Account

The plan deductible will be increasing to the new IRS minimums, but there are no other plan changes. Employee premiums and NAU’s HSA contributions will remain the same.

Plan Changes & HSA Contribution Limits Accordion Closed

Current

Deductible

In-Network

  • $1,650 single
  • $3,300 family

Out-of-Network 

  • $3,300 single
  • $6,600 family

January 1, 2026

Deductible

In-Network

  • $1,700 single
  • $3,400 family

Out-of-Network 

  • $3,400 single
  • $6,800 family

2026 HSA Annual Contribution Limits

  • Single: $4,400 – NAU contributes $720 to the annual maximum.
  • Family: $8,750 NAU contributes $1,440 annually to the annual maximum.
  • Catch-up amount for employees 55 or older will remain $1,000.

New Administrator

Inspira is replacing Optum Bank as the new health care savings account administrator for the State of AZ HDHP\HSA. There is an optional one-time bulk transfer from Optum to Inspria.  Employees will be required to provide consent for transfer or to decline it via an online form.


Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

  • Health Care: For 2026, the maximum annual contribution for the Health Care FSA will increase to $3,300 and the maximum rollover amount is $660.
  • Dependent Care: For 2026, the maximum annual contribution for the Dependent Care FSA will increase to $7,500.

Dental

There are no plan changes and the employee premiums for both medical plans will remain the same. Compare Dental plans.


Vision

There are plan design changes to the Avesis Vision Plan.  The employee premiums will increase slightly. Review the  Avesis

Vision plan benefits

Vision Premiums Accordion Closed

Current

  • $1.75 – Employee Only
  • $5.83 – Employee + Adult
  • $5.75 – Employee + Child
  • $7.25 – Family

January 1, 2026

  • $1.83 – Employee Only
  • $6.12 – Employee + Adult
  • $6.03 – Employee + Child
  • $7.61 – Family

NAU Supplemental and Dependent Life Insurance

Carrier remains the Hartford and there are no plan design changes. Premiums remain the same.


State of AZ Supplemental and Dependent Life Insurance

  • The Hartford will replace Securian as the supplemental and dependent life vendor for the State of AZ life insurance plans. To keep your current coverage, you do not have to re-enroll.
  • You have a one-time opportunity to increase your coverage to three times your annual salary up to $500,000 during this open enrollment.
  • Premium will decrease supplemental life but premiums for dependent life will remain the same.

Claims

  • Claims that occur on or after January 1, 2026, must be reported to The Hartford.
  • Claims prior to January 1, 2026, must be reported to Securian.

NAU Short term Disability

Unum will remain as the vendor for the NAU short-term disability vendor but the premiums will decrease.


State of AZ Short- term and Long-Term Disability Insurance

The Hartford will replace MetLife as the vendor for the State of AZ short-term & long-term disability vendor.

  • For Short Term disability, the waiting period for illness, including pregnancy & maternity, will decrease to 15 days if enrolling at the time of eligibility (new hire) and to 30 days for late entrant. There is no change to the waiting period for injuries.
  • Employee premiums for short-term disability will decrease.
  • Long-term disability for the ORP retirement plan enrollees has no plan changes.

Claims

  • Claims occurring on or after January 1, 2026, must be reported to The Hartford.
  • Claims occurring prior to January 1, 2026, must be reported to MetLife.

Questions??nauhrbenefits@nau.edu

Welcome to Human Resources
Location
Building 91
Centennial Building
411 S Beaver Street
Flagstaff, Arizona 86011
Email
NAUHRContact@nau.edu
Phone
(928) 523-2223