About Open Enrollment
Benefits Open Enrollment for 2025: Oct. 28 - Nov. 8
Dear Colleagues,
Our annual Benefits Open Enrollment period is coming soon—October 28 through November 8. This opportunity allows you to make your selections for next year’s benefits, including any changes you’d like to make. After the enrollment period closes, only those with a qualifying life event will be able to modify elections for 2025.
There are lots of opportunities for you to learn more about your benefits, including three Benefits Fairs where you can get a flu shot and COVID booster, and pick up some swag from our vendors. Representatives from our benefit providers will be available to answer any questions you may have. Returning this year after an overwhelmingly positive response last year are on-site mammograms. This year there will be opportunities for on-site mammograms at all three Benefit Fairs. The complete schedule of Benefit Fairs and information sessions can be found on our Open Enrollment website and at the end of this letter.
We encourage you to take the time to explore the various benefits available, share with family members in your household, and make choices that align with your personal goals and priorities. Your well-being is our priority, and we are committed to providing you with a benefits package that supports your overall health, happiness, and success.
Medical Plan Updates
The University understands the importance of providing comprehensive and competitive benefits that support our valued employees. The University will continue to offer three medical plan choices in 2025: two high deductible health plans and an open access plan (the current Traditional plan). Overall, the University will contribute approximately 80% of the total premium cost for our Health Insurance Plan while employees pay approximately 20% of premium expense. More information regarding how the University’s medical plan is structured and why can be found here.
After reviewing our health insurance renewal with the University Benefits Committee, we have made a few modifications to our three medical plan designs.
2025 Plan Updates
| Medical | Choice Open Access plan: • New copay amounts for Primary Care, Specialist, and Urgent Care visits • New annual prescription deductible All three medical plans • New copay amounts for prescriptions drugs - Tiers 2 and 3 have increased slightly. • New Vision network • Please note new premiums on page 15 of the Benefits Guide. |
| Medical & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts | Effective 1/1/2025, the Medical and Dependent Care FSAs will transition from WEX to Health Equity. Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) • There will no longer be a debit card option for the Dependent FSA. • You can enroll in a Dependent Care FSA even if you are not enrolled in one of the medical plans. Please see page 25 of the guide for more information. |
| Dental | Plan design remains the same for 2025. Please note the new premiums on page 26 of the Benefits Guide. |
| Parental Leave | Effective 1/1/25 New York Life will be administering the University’s Parental leave. They currently administer disability and FMLA. |
| Voluntary Life Insurance | New for Open Enrollment: If you haven’t enrolled previously in voluntary life insurance or want to increase your coverage, you can enroll up to the Guaranteed Issue amount for 2025 without Evidence of Insurability (EOI) or a medical questionnaire. |
| Bi-Weekly Employee Premiums | As part of the transition to Workday, bi-weekly benefit premiums will deduct over 26 paychecks rather than the current 24. Please refer to the medical, dental, vision, and supplemental health premiums found in the Benefit Guide to see your new premiums. |
| Enrollment for 2025 | All full-time employees must log into the WEX Benefits Portal during Benefits Open Enrollment to update, confirm, and/or change your benefits for 2025. The Open Enrollment portion of the portal will be available Oct. 28 – Nov. 8. |
I encourage you to take this time to carefully review your options. Please see the Open Enrollment Website and the Open Enrollment Benefits Guide for important information and don’t forget to attend an Open Enrollment Session and a Benefits Fair, where your questions can be answered!
Sincerely,
Laura Dietrick
Director, Benefits & Employee Well-being
Human Resources
Flexible Spending/Saving Accounts
Pre-tax savings account options for 2025: Current employees must re-enroll in these plans every year during Open Enrollment.
Health Savings Accounts (HSA): available to those who participate in the Base or Value high deductible medical insurance plans. See here for more information and 2025 contribution limits.
Flexible Spending (Medical) Account (FSA): available to those who participate in the Choice Open Access plan. More information may be found here.
Flexible Spending (Dependent Care) Account (DCFSA): available to full time employees, with or without participation in the medical insurance plans.
Open Enrollment Resources
- Open Enrollment Information Sessions
- Cigna Pre-Enrollment Hotline: Call Cigna’s pre-enrollment 24/7 phone number at 1-888-896-5042 specifically for UR employees to speak with a knowledgeable enrollment specialist who will help you decide which plan is best for you.
- WEX Benefits Portal: Beginning October 28, visit the Open Enrollment website to open the portal. Log in with your University netID and password.
- WEX Benefits - UR Benefits Support Center: Beginning October 28, call WEX for questions about the enrollment portal at 833-695-8747, 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM ET.
- HR Solutions Center: Ask HR at URHR@richmond.edu or 804-289-8747 (URHR).
- Download the Benefits Guide
- How does our medical plan work?
Important Documents & Notices
Important documents and notices regarding the University of Richmond Employee Welfare Benefits Plan (the “Plan”) are available online. The documents and notices provide information about your enrollment opportunities, benefits, coverage, rights and obligations under the Plan. The documents are available here. (Because the documents are in PDF format, you may need to download Adobe Reader in order to be able to read the documents.) You have the right to request a paper copy of the documents, free of charge, by contacting urhr@richmond.edu.