University Housing

2025 Open Enrollment (OE) Period

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October 6 – October 31, 2025

The Open Enrollment (OE) period for 2025 runs from Monday, October 6 – Friday, October 31. This is the only time of the year when you can make benefits changes unless you have a life event (marriage, birth of a child, divorce, employment change, etc.) that allows you to change your benefits. Changes made during this period will be effective January 1, 2026.  Learn more here.

 Important Dates to Know and Things to Plan For

  • Friday, October 31 at 4:30 pm is the deadline for insurance applications. They must be submitted online via My Insurance Benefits (MIBs) or received as an email attachment to the payroll@housing.wisc.edu inbox by 4:30 pm in order to qualify for 2026 benefits changes. We cannot accept late applications.
    • If you email a paper application do not include Social Security Numbers on it.  Call Housing payroll and leave us a message with the numbers, 608.262.2308. 
  • We highly recommend you submit all emailed applications before Thursday, October 30 at 4:30 pm so that the Housing Payroll & Benefits Specialists can review them before the final submission date.
  • During OE (and the rest of the year), please direct any payroll or benefits related emails to the Payroll Inbox (payroll@housing.wisc.edu) instead of directly emailing an individual. This helps us to respond more efficiently and allows overall awareness in the department.  Thank you!
  • During the Open Enrollment period, check your Wisc email account for communication regarding benefits changes.
  • We no longer receive confirmation of the benefits you select, so it will be very important for you to print/take a screenshot of the selections you make.  This will not only serve as a way to support what you’ve intended to select but it will also provide us the opportunity to see what you selected, if you were wanting to meet with a Benefits Specialist.  We can only see the benefits that are active as of today.
  • Keep in mind the items listed below must have action taken on in order to be active in 2026
    • High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) must have an accompanying Health Savings Account (HSA), new administrator – TASC,
    • the $2,000 Opt-Out Incentive,
    • Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for medical or dependent care must be renewed every year. TASC will become the provider for 2026.  Be sure to review the amount you are committing for the benefit year.
  • Changes for 2026
    • State Group Health premiums, increasing
    • Uniform Dental (single coverage) & Select Plan premiums, staying the same
    • Uniform Dental (family coverage), Preventative & Select Plus premiums, increasing
    • Vision Insurance – new administrator, new network, employee premium decrease
    • AD&D, premiums decreasing
    • Accident Insurance:  If you are currently enrolled in individual + spouse, individual + children, or family coverage, you must re-enroll your spouse and/or eligible children during your enrollment session; otherwise, your spouse and/or eligible children will not have coverage in 2026.

Employee Benefits & Resource Fair

  • There are multiple options for attending benefits resource sessions this year. More information can be found here.
  • On-Site: UW Madison is offering an on-site Employee Resource Fair where employees can learn about benefits offerings. No pre-registration is required.
    • Tuesday, October 14 from 9 am – 3 pm in Varsity Hall, Union South
      • More specifically, the times for benefit seminars are:
        • What: Benefits 2026:  What You Need to Know
        • Where: Marquee Theater
        • When:
          • 9:15 am
          • 10:15 am
          • 12:45 pm
      • Open lab will be available:
        • 9:00 am – 3:00 pm (for assistance enrolling through Workday) & is English only.
  • Virtual: UW System is offering virtual Employee Benefits Fair sessions throughout OE with different vendors offering webinar sessions at different times. You can register for and watch these sessions from your computer or smartphone. 
  • You may attend these sessions during your regular work schedule by coordinating with your supervisors to ensure that needed coverage is maintained so all interested employees have an opportunity to attend sessions. 

 Individual Benefits Meetings with CLS:

  • Employees who indicated interest in having a meeting after the CLS supported group session on October 8th, will have a meeting scheduled with HR through their Supervisor
  • Currently CLS does not have availability beyond this for individual employee benefits meetings.
  • All meetings are limited to 30 minutes, so staff need to come with specific questions.  There will not be time to discuss everything that will be covered in the October 8th, meetings.  Employees need to have their MyWisconsin Id account set up, NetID and DUO MFA ready for this appointment.

Making Benefits Changes – Resources and Help Available

  • Use this link as a resource for supporting you through the Open Enrollment:  https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/benefits-open-enrollment/
    • As you work through your OE event and you have questions or concerns, you can reach out to use through our email at payroll@housing.wisc.eduor by phone at 608-262-2308.
    • Please do not wait until the last day to make changes – we cannot view the results of employee’s enrollment, so we have no way of catching errors made on October 31.
    • If you have additional questions, you can reach out to the University Housing Payroll Office.  We will offer 30-minute appointments to help with questions directly related to this open enrollment activity.  Please come informed and ready to discuss your specific questions.  Also, bring your NetID and have DUO/MFA set up.  Make sure to have your MyWisconsin Id account set up in advance.  We are unable to provide an overview of all the OE options or be able to assist with MyWisconsin Id account set up in just 30 minutes.