During the FY 2026 Benefit Choice period, employees will need to access the MyBenefits portal if they would like to make any changes.
Benefit Fairs:
Benefit Fairs will be offered this year from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on three separate occasions listed below. CMS will have two identical presentations at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Representatives from the State of Illinois insurance vendors will be in attendance.
- May 22 at the iHotel - 1900 S. 1St Street, Champaign, in the Quad Room and Technology Room
- May 15 at the UIC Student Services Building - 1200 W Harrison St., Chicago, in rooms A, B, & C
- May 23 at the UIS Student Union - 2551 Richard Wright Dr, Springfield, in rooms 224, 225 & 226
For additional dates and locations, please see the back of the FY26 Benefits Choice Booklet that can be found here: Benefit Choice Fairs. There are also two virtual recordings available. To attend these recordings, refer to the back of the FY26 Benefits Choice booklet for login information.
Changes for FY2026:
- Full-time premiums are increasing effective July 1. Please see the changes in the Benefit Choice Option Book
- Part-time premiums are increasing as of July 1. New premiums will be available in MyBenefits on May 1.
- Depending on the plan, some co-payments are increasing.
- Depending on the plan, out-of-pocket maximums are increasing.
- Health Alliance HMO is no longer an option for health insurance coverage. If you are currently enrolled in Health Alliance, you must choose another option. Failure to do so will result in you and any dependents being enrolled in the Quality Care Health Plan.
- Please review that your current health plan is still available in your home and/or work county. There have been some changes to plan offerings. In the Benefits Choice Options Booklet, please review the coverage map. You MUST make a new election if your current plan is no longer available. It is your responsibility to verify what Health Plans are available in your area and to ensure your providers are available in the network you choose.
- The MCAP maximum contribution is increasing to $3300. The rollover of unused FY26 funds will be capped at $660.
- HSA maximum employee contributions are increasing. They are:
Individual, under age 55 - $3750.00
Family, under age 55 - $7450.00
Individual, age 55 and over - $4750.00
Family, age 55 and over - $8450.00
- HSA maximum employer contributions are:
Individual, under age 55 - $550.00
Family, under age 55 - $1100.00
Individual, age 55 and over - $550.00
Family, age 55 and over - $1100.00
Reminders for FY2026:
- If you do not want to make changes to your health, dental, or life insurance coverage, you do not need to do anything.
- The exception is the enrollment or re-enrollment in the Medical Care Assistance Plan (MCAP), Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP), and Health Savings Account (HSA). MCAP, DCAP, and HSA are the only plans that require re-enrollment every year. For HSA accounts, you will need to set up an account with Optum Financial.
- If you were previously enrolled in CDHP/HSA and elected the employer contribution, that election will automatically be re-enrolled each year. However, you must make your employee contribution elections for the next plan year.
- Documentation is required to add dependents to health insurance.
- Submit the required documentation by either uploading the document(s) as one combined file at MyBenefits.illinois.gov, OR by mailing a paper copy by the due date of June 12, 2025.
- Scan the documents into an allowable file type: (PDF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, or TIFF)
- Log in at MyBenefits.illinois.gov, go to the Your Benefits box, select Self-Service Tools, then Upload Required Documents.
- Check to ensure that your Primary Care Provider is considered in network with your insurance plan, even if you are not changing plans. Contracts between providers and plans could change.
- If you do not have computer access, you can contact the MyBenefits Service Center directly for assistance.
- Verify your mailing address in Systems HR Services at HR.uillinois.edu to ensure you receive your insurance cards. If an address update is needed with MyBenefits, contact UPB Customer Service.
- You are encouraged to provide a preferred email address in MyBenefits to receive important reminders from CMS via email rather than postal mail. This will ensure that you receive important reminders in a timely manner.
- You can do this by logging into MyBenefits, going to the Your Benefits box, clicking on Self-Service Tools, and selecting Update my email, entering your email address(es), and clicking Save.
- Benefit Choice elections or changes made during May 1 through June 2, 2025, are effective July 1, 2025.
My Benefits Contact Information:
Phone: 844-251-1777 or TTY 844-251-1778
Hours: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday
Mailing Address: 134 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2200, Chicago, IL 60602
