Open Enrollment 2025 is here!
September 15, 2025 to October 10, 2025
CSUMB's Open Enrollment period will begin on September 15, 2025 for all Stateside employees! This is your opportunity to review your benefit choices and make any additions or changes to your benefits. Any changes made during the 2025 Open Enrollment period will go into effect January 1, 2026.
***************************************************************************************************
During this year's Open Enrollment period, eligible employees may:
- enroll in Health, Dental, Vision, FlexCash, or Legal insurance, if benefit eligible and not currently enrolled
- change benefit plans
- add or delete eligible dependents (children up to age 26)
- enroll or re-enroll in HCRA/DCRA Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care and/or Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts) for 2026
Open Enrollment closes at 5 p.m. on Friday, October 10, 2025.
All enrollments/changes must be completed by this deadline date/time. Any enrollment/change forms must be returned to the Human Resources office in Tide Hall (bldg. 23 - incl. locked mailbox on the outside of the bldg.), or emailed to benefits@csumb.edu no later than 5 p.m. on October 10, 2025. Any benefits changes made directly through benefit provider websites will also be closed as of 5 p.m. on October 10, 2025 (e.g. Legal, Vision, Standard Ins.). Any benefit changes/enrollments received after 5 p.m. on October 10, 2025 will not be accepted.
Have Questions?
We’re here to assist you with any questions about your benefits options. You may attend any of our virtual platforms listed below to get additional information and answers to your questions before the Open Enrollment period ends.
Check your current benefit elections by logging into CMS Employee Resources > Self Service > Benefits > Benefits Summary.
Campus Q&A Zoom Drop-in Sessions:
- Join Zoom meeting here
- Sept. 17 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Sept. 22 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Oct. 3 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Oct. 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- Oct. 8 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Open Enrollment Webinar Series -
- Broadcast live on CSU Livestream webpage
- Open Enrollment Webinar Series
- Sept. 18 at 1:00 p.m. - ASIFlex - HCRA/DCRA plans
- Sept. 23 at 1:00 p.m. - ARAG - Legal Insurance
- Sept. 25 at 1:00 p.m. - The Standard - Accident, Critical Illness, Life, AD&D, LTD insurance
Virtual Benefits Fair - September 30, 2025
- September 30, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. - This event is designed to give you the opportunity to connect directly with health plans, CSU vendors, and your campus benefits office to ask any Open Enrollment–related questions. Please note that there will be no formal presentations from vendors during the fair.
- Pre-registration Required: Register here.
If you are NOT making any changes to your benefits, NO other action is required on your part.
- However, please review the 2026 Health Rates Comparison Chart for any change to your current health plan rate, which will go into effect on January 1, 2026.
- Re-enrollment is required in the HCRA and/or DCRA plans if you wish to participate for calendar year 2026.
- Any changes made to your current benefits will go into effect on January 1, 2026.
- The following is a summary of benefit changes for 2026. For more information, please review the 2025 Open Enrollment Benefits Guide.
- Health Plan Rate Changes:
- Effective January 1, 2026, rates for most health plans will change.
- 2026 Health Rates Comparison Chart
- CVS Caremark (CVS) to replace OptumRx as the new Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM) for select plans:
- Effective January 1, 2026, CVS Caremark (CVS) will replace OptumRx as the new pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) for the following CalPERS health plans: Anthem Blue Cross Select HMO, Anthem Blue Cross Traditional HMO, Health Net Salud y Más, PERS Gold PPO, PERS Platinum PPO, Sharp Health Plan Performance Plus, UnitedHealthcare Alliance, UnitedHealthcare Harmony and Western Health Advantage HMO.
- New Medical ID cards will be issued with the new pharmacy provider information.
-
Health Plan Expansions:
- Blue Shield Access+ HMO will expand services into Monterey County effective January 1, 2026.
-
Health Plan Exits:
- The Blue Shield Trio HMO plan will no longer be available in Monterey County effective January 1, 2026.
-
Health Benefit Design Changes:
- PERS Gold PPO Plan - Will continue with deductible in-patient credits of up to $500 for completing preventive care activities, while adding the following activities: participation in the Diabetes Prevention Program, if eligible, as well as depression or anxiety screening.
- Critical Illness - Health Maintenance Screening Benefit Design Change:
-
Currently, eligible participants receive $100 per health maintenance benefit screening, with a maximum of two screenings per calendar year. Beginning in 2026, this benefit will be updated to provide $200 for a single eligible screening per year. While the number of reimbursable screenings will be limited to one annually, the total dollar benefit will be doubled, allowing you to receive the maximum reimbursement with just one screening.
-
- Legal Insurance
- We’re enhancing the legal insurance plan with new services to address legal and caregiving needs for your parents and grandparents.
- The cost is $17.70 per month via payroll deduction.
- Health Plan Rate Changes:
Health Plan Costs for 2026
Please review the 2026 Health Rates Comparison Chart for specific 2026 employee premium costs.
Pursuant to California Government Code 22871, the CSU Employer Health Contribution Rates for 2026 have increased and are reflected below:
Coverage Level All Employees (Except R06) R06 Employees Employee Only $1,084 $1,089 Employee +1 $2,057 $2,067 Employee +2 or more $2,638 $2,658 Vision Plan Costs for 2026
Enrolled Employee and Eligible Dependents Basic Plan Premier Plan Employee Only $0 $5.06 Employee + One $0 $17.08 Employee + Family $0 $31.73 Campus Benefits Fair and Q&A Drop-in Sessions
In addition to the benefits information for Open Enrollment on this CSUMB Stateside Open Enrollment website and CalState Open Enrollment website once again this year, virtual resources are also available for our employees — providing additional access to benefits information. You are able to video or text chat with providers and your campus benefits team.
- Benefits Fair:
- You must Register to get access to the website, which also hosts the regional campus benefits fairs. Don’t delay!
- Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Campus Q&A Zoom Drop-in Sessions:
- Join Zoom meeting here
- Sept. 17 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Sept. 22 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Oct. 3 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Oct. 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- Oct. 8 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Open Enrollment Webinar Series - broadcast live on CSU Livestream webpage
- Open Enrollment Webinar Series
- Sept. 18 at 1:00 p.m. - ASIFlex - HCRA/DCRA plans
- Sept. 23 at 1:00 p.m. - ARAG - Legal Insurance
- Sept. 25 at 1:00 p.m. - The Standard - Accident, Critical Illness, Life, AD&D, LTD insurance
- Benefits Fair:
Looking for Benefit Providers or Detailed Plan Information?
Please review our Benefits Contact Information webpage for a quick listing of our benefit providers (medical, dental, vision etc.) and their websites to easily look up the available benefit providers in your area. You may also review the benefit plan's Evidence of Coverage (EOC) document for full plan description of covered services and exclusions, which can be located on the benefit provider's website under the benefit plan name.Making Additions/Changes/Deletions to Your Benefits
If you wish to make any benefit plan changes or add/delete dependents, please complete the appropriate form(s) listed below or from the Related Documents & Forms section of this page, and return them to Human Resources-Benefits via email (benefits@csumb.edu), Fax (831-582-4736), or hand-deliver to Tide Hall (bldg. 23), including locked mailbox.
- Use the CalPERS Health Plan Search by Zip Code found on the CalPERS website to help you identify what health plans you are eligible to enroll in, or view the CalPERS 2026 Health Plan Summary booklet.
- 2026 Open Enrollment Worksheet- for any Health, Dental, and FlexCash enrollments or changes.
- Dental Plan Enrollment Authorization Form- use for any Dental plan additions, changes, cancellations or dependent additions or deletions.
- 2026 FlexCash Enrollment Form - if you have non-CSU employer group health or dental coverage and wish to enroll in FlexCash (if changing from a CSU health and/or dental plan), you must also fill out the Open Enrollment Worksheet and Dental Enrollment form (if applicable) to terminate your enrollment before you can enroll in the FlexCash program.
- VSP Premier Plan Enrollment - MUST contact VSP directly to enroll, change, or cancel coverage by either using the VSP website or by calling them at 1-800-400-4569. No VSP hard copy enrollment forms will be processed.
- Legal Assistance Plan - Visit the ARAG for any ARAG cancellations or enrollments. You may also contact them at (800) 247-4184 if you have any questions.
- Pet Insurance - Visit the Nationwide website for any Pet Insurance cancellations or enrollments.
- Life Insurance, Accident, Critical Illness Insurance - Visit The Standard Insurance Co. for any Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, and Life Insurance changes, cancellations, or enrollments.
- Auto & Home Insurance - Visit the California Casualty website for information about auto, home, or renters insurance enrollment.
HCRA / DCRA - Health Care / Dependent Care Reimbursement Account - 2026 Enrollments
To enroll or re-enroll in the Health Care and/or Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts for 2026, please complete the following enrollment form(s):
- 2026 HCRA / DCRA Enrollment Form - participation in these plans must be renewed annually during Open Enrollment and is only valid for one calendar year.
** PLAN EARLY **
Turn your forms in early to Human Resources to ensure your changes are received before the Open Enrollment deadline of 5:00p.m. on October 10, 2025. Forms and any support documentation required may be returned to Human Resources using one of the following methods:
- Drop off forms to the Tide Hall (bldg. 23), including locked mailbox on the outside of the building
- Email to benefits@csumb.edu
- Send through Adobe Sign - to tgiroux@csumb.edu (as acceptor)
- Fax to (831) 582-4736
Submit forms as early as possible, but no later than 5:00p.m. on Friday, October 10, 2025.
View the CalState Open Enrollment Webpage
- CalState Open Enrollment Webpage - please select Monterey Bay as your campus and use your CSUMB password login.
Update Beneficiary Information
Open Enrollment is also a great time to update your beneficiary information for the following benefit plans (Beneficiary forms are located on the Benefit forms webpage):
- CalPERS Retirement
- The Standard Insurance Co.
- Supplemental Retirement Plans (401(k), 457, 403(b) plans);
- 403(b) Plan (CSU-sponsored)
- 401(k) & 457 Plans (administered by Savings Plus Program)
- Final Pay Warrant - Submit to Human Resources