It's Almost Time: Enroll for 2026 Benefits from Oct. 6-24

Open Enrollment extended to three weeks; changes include new high-deductible plan option with a paired Health Savings Account

Sunrise by Duke Chapel

Faculty and staff will have the opportunity to review their personal and family needs and enroll or make changes in their medical, dental, vision and reimbursement account benefits for 2026 from Oct. 6-24.

Starting in 2026, administration of all employee health plans will be consolidated under Cigna Healthcare. Along with the five existing medical plans, Duke will introduce a new option: Duke Advantage, a high deductible plan paired with a Health Savings Account (Duke HSA).

“This change will help reduce plan expenses and offers a broad network of providers,” said Antwan Lofton, Vice President for Duke Human Resources.

While the network covers nearly all current providers, employees can check to ensure their providers are included by using the Provider Search Directories on the Open Enrollment website. If a desired provider is not in the network, staff and faculty may complete and submit the Provider Nomination Form.

The new high-deductible plan, Duke Advantage, includes a Health Savings Account. This new plan is designed with a lower monthly premium but a higher deductible, so it may not be suitable for those who are more frequent users of healthcare services.

Duke’s 2026 monthly premiums for health insurance will increase between $4 and $24 per month for individual coverage, depending on the plan selected. The dental plan premiums will include modest increases for 2026, but there will be no increases in copays or deductibles for any of our health, dental or vision plans, and there are no increases in premiums for vision coverage next year.

The Open Enrollment period is extended to three weeks this year – from 8 a.m. Oct. 6 to 6 p.m. Oct. 24 – to provide staff and faculty with more time to consider their options. This annual period is the only time to enroll or make changes to these benefits outside of a qualifying life event such as marriage or the birth of a child. Employees should also take time to review and update their beneficiaries for their benefit plans.

The Cigna Easy Choice Tool can be used to compare Duke plan options and find the plan that works best for an individual or family situation.

Additional information, including plan comparisons, video explainers and a list of information sessions, is available on the Open Enrollment website.