Employee Annual Enrollment Letter 2026
April 13, 2026
Montana University System Benefit Plan Employee Members
IMPORTANT: 2026 Annual Enrollment Benefit Plan and Premium Changes
The Montana University System Choices Benefit Plan (MUS Plan) is your self-insured employer sponsored Plan covering over 16,000 MUS employees, retirees, COBRA enrollees and dependents. The MUS Plan, funded by a combination of contributions as determined by the Montana Legislature and Plan member premiums, is responsible for providing quality, essential health care coverage for you and your eligible dependents in accordance with state and federal laws.
Over the past few years, the MUS Plan has experienced significant increases in health
care costs and Plan benefits utilization. These increases are driving necessary Plan
changes for the upcoming Plan Year (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027). Beginning July
1, 2026, the MUS Plan will implement Medical and Prescription Drug Plan benefit adjustments
and premium increases (as referenced below). Additionally, for FY27, there will be
a $27/month increase to the State employer contribution toward your Choices benefit elections (currently $1,080/month, increasing to $1,107/month).
Employee Medical Plan premium changes (9.75% aggregate increase) are as follows:
| Tier | Premium through June 30, 2026 | Premium as of July 1, 2026 |
| Employee/Survivor Only | $756/month | $830/month |
| Employee + Spouse | $1,302/month | $1,429/month |
| Employee/Survivor + Child(ren) | $1,101/month | $1,208/month |
| Employee + Family | $1,547/month | $1,698/month |
Employee Medical Plan benefit changes are as follows:
| Benefit Description | Benefit through June 30, 2026 | Benefit as of July 1, 2026 |
| Deductible | ||
| In-Network Deductible | $1,000 (individual) / $2,500 (family) | $1,250 (individual) / $3,125 (family) |
| Deductible (separate) | $1,000 (individual) / $2,750 (family) | $1,250 (individual) / $3,125 (family) |
| Out-of-Pocket (OOP) Maximums | ||
| In-Network OOP | $4,500 (individual) / $11,250 (family) | $5,600 (individual) / $14,000 (family) |
| Out-of-Network OOP (separate) | $6,750 (individual) / $16,875 (family) | $8,450 (individual) / $21,100 (family) |
| Copayments | ||
| Primary Care Physician (PCP) Office Visit | $25/visit | $30/visit |
| Specialist Office Visit | $40/visit | $50/visit |
| Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Visit | $10/visit | $15/visit |
| MDLIVE Virtual Visit | $10/visit | $15/visit |
Employee Prescription Drug Plan benefit changes are as follows:
| Benefit Description | Benefit through June 30, 2026 | Benefit as of July 1, 2026 |
| Out-of-Pocket (OOP) Maximums | ||
| Rx OOP | $2,150 (individual) / $4,300 (family) | $2,400 (individual) / $6,000 (family) |
| Copayments | ||
| Tier $0 (preventive) | $0 copay/month | No change |
| Tier 1 (generic) | $15/month or $30/90 days | $20/month or $40/90 days |
| Tier 2 (preferred brand) | $50/month or $100/90 days | $60/month or $120/90 days |
| Tier 3 (non-preferred brand) (does not apply to OOP) | 50% coinsurance | No change |
| Tier 4 (specialty) | $200 copay/month | $250 copay/month |
~ NEW ~ The MUS Plan will be changing to a new Flexible Spending Account (FSA) claims administrator (TBD) for the upcoming Plan Year. We are currently in the final phase of the procurement process, after experiencing unanticipated delays. Watch for more information coming soon!
The FSA updates are outlined below and will be effective July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027:
- FSA enrollees will receive new debit cards from the new FSA claims administrator at no cost to the participant.
- If you do not enroll in an FSA during the FY27 Annual Enrollment period and have unused FSA funds with HealthEquity/WageWorks that are not expended by June 30, 2026, any remaining unused funds will be forfeited.
- Any health FSA rollover amounts from HealthEquity/WageWorks will be available the new FSA claims administrator for use by November 1, 2026.
- All FSA claims incurred during FY26 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026) must be received by HealthEquity/WageWorks by September 30, 2026 to be eligible for reimbursement, no exceptions can be made on late claims submissions.
- All FSA claims incurred during FY27 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027) must be received by the new FSA claims administrator by September 30, 2028 to be eligible for reimbursement, no exceptions can be made on late claims submissions.
Employee Flexible Spending Account benefit changes are as follows:
| Benefit Description | Benefit through June 30, 2026 | Benefit as of July 1, 2026 |
| FSA Maximums | ||
| HCFSA/LPFSA contribution | $3,300 | $3,400 |
| HCFSA/LPFSA rollover | $660 | $680 |
| DCFSA contribution | $5,000 | $7,500 |
Please note: You must re-enroll each Plan Year ($120 minimum) in a HCFSA/LPFSA and/or DCFSA to continue participation or for any unused Health Care FSA contribution amounts to rollover into the next Plan Year or they will be forfeited (“use it – or – lose it”). Do not elect more than you will need to cover expenses incurred by you and your dependents during the upcoming Plan Year.
The 2026-2027 MUS Choices Annual Enrollment period is April 27 – May 15, 2026.
The FY27 MUS Choices Employee Annual Enrollment Benefits Presentation is available on-demand on the MUS Choices website. The pre-recorded video presentation and slides can be accessed on the MUS Choices website at your convenience.
What do you need to do?
- Visit Choices to view the FY27 MUS Choices Employee Annual Enrollment Benefits Presentation.
- If you want to make benefit changes to your MUS Employee coverages for FY27, you must make your changes in the MUS online benefits enrollment system, Benefitsolver, by 10:59 p.m. (MST) on May 15, 2026. Visit Choices, click on the applicable campus login button, review your benefit plan options, covered dependents, beneficiaries, and complete your Annual Enrollment benefit elections.
- If you do not want to make any changes to your current MUS Employee coverages, you and your covered dependents will automatically be re-enrolled in your current elections, except for a Flexible Spending Account, which must be re-elected each Plan Year to continue participation.
If you have questions or need additional information, contact your campus HR/Benefits
Representative or the MUS Benefits office at 1-877-501-1722.