Open Enrollment

2026 Benefits Open Enrollment Period

Opens: 8:00 a.m. CST Monday, November 3, 2025

Closes: 5:00 p.m. CST Friday, November 21, 2025

Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to elect or change health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts and the eyewear discount plan for the upcoming plan year. Even if you are not planning to change your benefit elections, it is a great opportunity to review your benefits and dependents. It is the employee's responsibility to be aware of open enrollment and to review benefit elections and eligible dependents.

Open Enrollment Knowledge Base Article  - provides instructions on how to review your current benefit elections and how to make changes during open enrollment

Please Note:  Medical, Dental and Avesis premiums are collected a month in advance; therefore, the premiums deductions for January coverage will be taken from the December payroll.  

When Do Changes Become Effective?

• January 1, 2026 - Medical, Dental, Avesis Vision, Health Care Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Assistance Program
• January 1, 2026 or first of the month following approval, whichever is later for Group term Basic Life, Dependent Life or Voluntary Term Life Insurance

Meetings with Benefits Office Staff

If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment with the Benefits Office staff, please call the UHR Service Center at 515-294-4800 or email benefits@iastate.edu. Appointments may be held in person or virtually via Teams. We anticipate a high volume of calls in October and November as the ISU retiree open enrollment is also going on at the same time. Please be patient, leave a message and allow 48 hours for us to return your call.  

Note:  The ISU Benefits Office new location:  1218 Warren Madden Building, 2221 Wanda Daley Dr, Ames, IA 50011