Overview
2027’s Open Enrollment is ready for you! The 2027 version of you is different from today. Use this information and other WGU provided resources to choose the right plans for where you are now—and for the future you are creating. Open Enrollment for your 2027 benefits begins October 30 and ends November 13. Shop your available benefits, get a valuable recommendation from our decision support tool, ALEX, and select the plans that provide the best coverage, value, and support for you and your family.
Take Action
Review this page to find out what’s new and what’s changing so you can make the best decisions for 2027 Open Enrollment. Then, complete your 2027 benefits elections during the enrollment period — October 30 – November 13, 2026.
What’s Changing for 2027
View a summary of the key changes being made to our benefits for 2027.
Eligibility
Review eligibility details for you and your dependents.
How to Enroll
Enrolling is easy! Find out how.
Decision Support
These tools and resources will help you make informed decisions about your benefits.
If you currently are or will soon become Medicare eligible in 2027, use the Alex Medicare Planning Platform to learn more about how Medicare benefits and how they interact and impact your WGU benefits.
What's Changing for 2027
Every year, we closely review our benefits to deliver you plans that encompass health and wellbeing, financial protection, and more. Review the chart below for a high-level overview of what’s new for 2027. Remember, if a category isn’t listed, there are no changes.
| What’s Changing for 2027 | |
| Medical Plan Changes |
|
| Life Insurance Opportunity | During this 2027 Open Enrollment period only, you can enroll in or increase your supplemental life insurance coverage up to the Guaranteed Issue (GI) maximums, up to $400,000 for you or up to $50,000 for your spouse, without submitting Evidence of Insurability (EOI). This means you skip the medical exams and health questionnaires entirely. |
| New 2027 Programs & Enhancements | We take your total wellbeing to heart and work hard to provide programs and enhancements that make your life better. LegalShield & IDShield expansion:
Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA) Categories Expanding: SonicBoom Digital Fitness Classes: Carrot Health - Perks & Enhancements: WGU recognizes that our employees have a wide range of experiences. For family planning and fertility, don’t forget to take advantage of Carrot’s menopause and low testosterone programs. |
| Alex Medicare Planning Platform |
If you currently are or will soon become Medicare eligible in 2027, use the Alex Medicare Planning Platform to learn more about how Medicare benefits and how they interact and impact your WGU benefits. |
| Employee Contributions |
Like many employers, WGU is not immune to the rising tide of healthcare inflation, which will directly impacts premium costs in the coming year. Because of these economic pressures, there will be rate increases across medical and dental WGU plans for the upcoming year. We take these changes seriously and truly understand the impact that unexpected increases can have on you and your family. Please know that WGU remains deeply committed to absorbing most of the premium costs, sharing the weight of these increases so we can continue providing you with quality healthcare coverage. |
| Health Savings Account (HSA) | The annual HSA contribution limits released by the IRS will increase to $4,500 for employee-only coverage and to $9,000 for family coverage. |
| Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA) | The IRS has not yet released the healthcare FSA limit for 2027. It is currently $3,300 for 2026. If you elect the maximum FSA amount, your contributions will be updated to the new maximum when released. When making your 2027 elections, remember that any remaining balance of $680 or less will be carried over to the next year. You will lose any funds in excess of $680. You will have until March 31, 2028, to submit healthcare claims for eligible expenses incurred during 2027. |
| Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA) | In 2027, those who participate in a DCFSA can set aside up to $7,500. |
| Dependent Verification Audit | To help ensure our benefit records remain accurate and up to date, WGU will be conducting a dependent verification process to confirm dependent eligibility. From February 1 to February 26, 2027, WGU will partner with an outside firm called Aptia to conduct this Dependent Verification Audit. This routine process ensures that everyone covered by a WGU medical and/or dental benefit plan is legally eligible, helping our plans remain fully compliant and cost-effective for everyone. All employees who have an enrolled dependent(s) will receive a letter from Aptia the week of January 25 with details on where to upload supporting documentation, such as marriage certificates, birth certificates, tax documents, for eligible dependents. More details will be posted on the WGU MyBenefits page the last half of January 2027. Ensure your current mailing address is listed in Workday. If you need to update your mailing address, view this article in the WGU People Center for more. |
| Are you at the LSA Maximum? | If you opened your Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA) when WGU introduced ThrivePass in 2025 and have been completing Preventive Activities on the Rewards page in Sonic Boom, your LSA balance may be approaching the $3,000 maximum. Once you reach the overall maximum balance of $3,000, WGU cannot add additional funds—so we recommend using your available balance soon. Next step: Please sign in to ThrivePass to use your funds for eligible wellness-related expenses for you and/or your family members. You can view the full list of eligible categories online: thrivepass.com |
2027 Employee Contributions for Medical Coverage
| Plan/Tier | Employee Cost Per Paycheck (Biweekly Rates) |
|---|---|
| HDHP | |
| Employee Only | $48.53 |
| Employee + 1 | $142.45 |
| Employee + Family | $237.71 |
| HDHP enrollees can quality for the HSA contribution from WGU | |
| WGU HSA Match | Employee Only: $38.46 per paycheck ($1,000/yr max) Employee + 1 or Family: $76.92 per paycheck ($2,000/yr max) |
| WGU HSA Wellbeing Contribution | $750 Annual |
| ICHP | |
| Employee Only | $64.66 |
| Employee + 1 | $196.79 |
| Employee + Family | $295.18 |
| WGU LSA Wellbeing Contribution | $750 Annual |
Not Making Any Changes to Your Benefits?
If you don’t enroll, your current benefits elections will continue next year with this year’s plan choices, with the exception of FSA enrollments.
Have an FSA? You must take action during Open Enrollment if you want to contribute to an FSA in 2027.
Eligibility
Who Can Enroll in WGU Benefits?
WGU employees in regular positions classified to typically work 30 or more hours per week are eligible to enroll in WGU’s benefits program. Positions classified for fewer than 30 hours per week are generally not eligible for medical, dental and WGU-paid life and disability benefits. If your position is classified as part-time, temporary, intermittent, or an internship, other eligibility rules may apply for purposes of vacation, sick and holiday eligibility. You may also cover your eligible dependents under WGU’s medical, Health Savings Account (HSA), prescription, dental, vision and life benefits.
| FT Employees in Regular Positions Classified to Work 30+ Hours per Week | PT Employees in Regular Positions Classified to Work Less Than 30 Hours per Week |
| Medical, Telehealth, Dental, Vision and Pharmacy | Vision |
| Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) | Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) |
| Supplemental Benefits (Accidental Injury, Critical Illness and Hospital Care Insurance) | Supplemental Benefits (Accidental Injury, Critical Illness and Hospital Care Insurance) |
| WGU-Paid Life and Disability Benefits (STD and LTD) | Voluntary Life and AD&D |
| LegalShield and IDShield | LegalShield and IDShield |
| Discounted WGU Tuition | Discounted WGU Tuition |
| Retirement Savings Plan | Retirement Savings Plan |
| Paid Holidays and Flexible Time Off | Paid Holidays and Sick Time (prorated) |
| PerkSpot (Discount Program) | PerkSpot (Discount Program) |
| Wellbeing Programs, including Mental Healthcare | Wellbeing Programs, including Mental Healthcare |
| Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA) | |
| Paid Parental Leave and Family Planning |
| Employees in Temporary Positions Classified to Work 30+ Hours per Week | Employees in Temporary Positions Classified to Work Less Than 30 Hours per Week |
| Medical and HSA (if hired to work full-time 30+ hours) | |
| Retirement Savings Plan (eligible to receive WGU contributions after 1,000 hours worked during first year of employment) | Retirement Savings Plan (eligible to receive WGU contributions after 1,000 hours worked during first year of employment) |
| PerkSpot (Discount Program) | PerkSpot (Discount Program) |
| Paid Holidays, and Sick Time | Paid Holidays and Sick Time (prorated) |
| Discounted WGU Tuition | Discounted WGU Tuition |
| Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health | Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health |
| WGU Wellbeing | WGU Wellbeing |
Note: Special medical plan eligibility is extended to employees otherwise ineligible for WGU medical coverage, if their 12-month average of actual hours worked exceeds 30 per week.
Who Is an Eligible Dependent?
Your eligible dependents Include:
- Legal spouse or registered domestic partner (any gender)
- Your legal child(ren) and your covered legal spouse’s or registered domestic partner’s child(ren) up to age 26
- Disabled child(ren) who became disabled on or before age 26
Domestic Partner Eligibility
- Registered domestic partner and children of your domestic partner
- Click here to download the WGU Affidavit of Domestic Partner
You agree to notify WGU immediately upon your failure to satisfy any of the criteria of domestic partnership
Dependents not eligible for coverage under WGU benefits include grandchildren, parents, cousins, friends, roommates, neighbors and fiancés (unless a domestic partner). WGU implemented a process to verify the eligibility of all dependents (spouses/partners or children) on WGU health coverage. This process lowers compliance risk, preserves enrollment accuracy and helps control claims costs and premium increases. Employees covering dependents will be asked to provide documentation to verify each covered dependent’s eligibility. If you believe you may be covering an ineligible dependent and need to discuss options, visit the WGU People Center to submit a request for additional assistance.
How to Enroll
After reviewing your benefits options, make your enrollment selections during WGU’s annual Open Enrollment.
Enrolling Is Easy!
Visit Workday. Enroll online at your convenience, any time of day or night between October 30 – November 13, 2026. Workday will guide you through the benefits enrollment process every step of the way.
Log In
On the Workday homepage, look for a task in your Workday inbox, which is located in the upper right-hand corner. One of the pending tasks is to enroll in your benefits. When you click this task, you will follow the on-screen instructions to make your benefits elections.
Make Your Elections
You’ll use Workday to enroll in your benefits each Open Enrollment.
Review Your Benefits and Program Offerings
During Open Enrollment, you’ll receive a task in Workday to enroll in your benefits for the upcoming year. Be sure to review the 2027 Open Enrollment What’s New Brochure for more details about our benefits for the upcoming year, so you can determine which plans best fit your needs. You can also learn more about who in your family is eligible to be covered by our plans.
Ready to Enroll?
Enroll in the following benefits via Workday:
- Medical
- Accidental Injury Insurance
- Critical Illness Insurance
- Hospital Care Coverage
- Dental
- Vision
- Health Savings Account
- Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
- Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Account
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
- Life Insurance and AD&D
- Legal Assistance
- Identity Protection
Important Reminders!
- Certain information about your dependents may be required to enroll or requested from you after enrollment is completed. You will be notified if any information is required for coverage you elect for eligible family members.
- Make sure you’ve provided beneficiary information for your life insurance. Visit Workday to add or change a beneficiary.
Note: After Open Enrollment ends, you cannot change your benefits elections unless you experience a qualifying life event, such as getting married, having a baby or adopting a child.
Decision Support
Choosing the right plans is important for both your health and your financial wellbeing. You can find everything you need to know about selecting your benefits for the new year on the current platform. If you need additional support, the resources below will help you understand your options and select the ones that provide the right coverage and value for you and your family.
Leverage ALEX – Your Decision Support Tool for Medical Plans
This Open Enrollment, access ALEX, a tool to help you learn more about your medical benefits and decide what medical plan to enroll in. Once you complete your profile and answer questions about your coverage needs, ALEX will recommend a WGU plan for you.
Visit start.myalex.com/wgu to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions – 2027 Open Enrollment
Where can I learn more about the ICHP plan?
Check out a video of Surest here. Review how Surest works here. Schedule time to talk with a Surest Expert. Go to the Surest tile in Contacts for the link.
Where can I learn more about the HDHP?
Go to the WGU UHC site to learn more about the HDHP.
How can I find out if my current doctor is in-network?
Both the HDHP and ICHP use a national network called Choice Plus. Specifically in Utah, the network is called Options PPO.
Will I get medical ID cards?
You will receive new medical ID cards that you will use for medical and prescription services. You will receive one member ID card for each member enrolled. Watch for those ID cards to arrive in December 2026 if you enroll in a WGU medical plan. Your digital ID cards are also available online.
Am I required to have a primary care physician (PCP) in order to have a 24/7 Virtual Visit?
No. You don’t need a PCP or even a referral to use a 24/7 Virtual Visit.
What happens once I reach the 24/7 Virtual Visit provider group’s website?
The first time you use a 24/7 Virtual Visit provider you will set up an account with that provider group. This includes sharing some medical history information, pharmacy preference and insurance information.
Will dental plans be changing in 2027?
All dental premiums will increase slightly. No changes will be made to the dental plans. Both the DPPO and the DHMO will remain with Cigna.
Will I get a dental ID cards?
You can download your digital ID card to your phone through myCigna.com and the myCigna app.
Will I get a vision ID cards?
Under WGU’s vision plan through EyeMed, you don’t need an ID card as long as you use an in-network provider. Your provider will be able to locate your coverage record by your name and other details. If you would like a printed vision plan ID card, you can still request one through eyemed.com/member.
Will I get a prescription drug card?
You will use your medical ID card for prescription services.
What kinds of expenses are covered by the LSA?
Eligible expenses related to wellbeing, fitness, mental health, and more are covered.
Why would I want an LSA?
The LSA allows you to earn money by completing wellbeing activities. You can receive $150 per activity up to a maximum of $750 per year. Participating in the LSA means you’re getting paid just for making healthy choices!
Do I keep my Lifestyle Spending Account if I change plans?
If you are currently enrolled in the Surest Informed Choice Health Plan (ICHP) and switch to the UnitedHealthcare High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) or if you waive medical coverage for 2027, any unused funds in your Lifestyle Spending Account will expire on December 31, 2026.
- 2027 Open Enrollment What’s New Brochure: Read highlights of what’s changing for 2027, along with key dates and actions to take during Open Enrollment. This brochure will be mailed to your primary address listed in Workday in late October. If you moved during 2026, you can check your primary address by viewing your profile in Workday.
- Health Advocate: If you are unsure which plan to choose and have questions regarding coverage, Health Advocate is an excellent resource. They are experts in all WGU benefits and are here to help you make the best decisions for you and your family.
- ALEX: ALEX, your decision support tool, can help you learn more about your benefits and decide what medical plan to enroll in. Once you complete your profile and answer questions about your coverage needs, ALEX will recommend a WGU plan for you.
- WGU Employee Benefits Open Enrollment Presentations: WGU will be hosting live (and recorded) 2027 Open Enrollment presentations that will highlight all WGU benefits and changes to look for in the upcoming year. Following each live presentation, there will be a live Q&A to help answer any questions you may have. Keep an eye on the WGUHome Site and your WGU email for dates and times.
- Compare medical plan options. Access ALEX, your decision support tool, to help you learn more about your benefits and decide what medical plan to enroll in. You can also access Health Advocate for additional support. Our partners at Health Advocate are extremely knowledgeable in all of WGU's benefits and will be able to help you determine which plan may work best for you and your family.
- Enroll in benefits. Elect the coverage that best supports you and your family. Consider any options your family members may have access to before electing to cover them on WGU’s plans.
- Make sure your information in Workday is accurate, including your home address and dependent information.
- Ensure plan beneficiaries are current in Workday for life insurance, in your retirement account with Empower, and within your HealthEquity HSA account.
- Access WGU benefits information and Workday resources on the current site, or visit the WGU People Center to submit a request for additional assistance.
- Complete your benefits elections in Workday during the enrollment period — October 30 – November 13, 2026. Remember to print and save a copy of your enrollment confirmation within Workday.
Your Enrollment Checklist
Use this checklist to make the most of your Open Enrollment opportunity:
TIP: Think about the whole cost.
When choosing a medical plan, it’s important to think about the whole cost of coverage — the amount you’ll spend out of your paycheck, as well as out of your pocket (copays, deductibles and coinsurance).
TIP: Review Your Benefits Even If You’re Not Making Changes
Even if you don’t plan to make any changes during Open Enrollment, it’s always a good idea to double-check your elections to ensure that your current coverage still fits the needs of you and your family for the year ahead.