Open Enrollment for 2025 Benefits is now closed.
Open Enrollment for 2025 benefits ran from November 6 - 27.
2025 Benefits Highlights
Highlights for 2025 include:
- 19.3% increase to UVM's longstanding medical insurance coverage Vermont Open Access (PPO 1).
- No rate changes for Dental, Voluntary Vision, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, and Life Insurances.
- A change from passive open enrollment (benefits roll over year to year without employee action) to an ACTIVE Open Enrollment (employees must take action to maintain benefits for the next calendar year).
Find out about all you coverage options and additional benefits for UVM employees in the 2025 Benefits Guide:
Important Change to Open Enrollment
Read this message in:
العربية | 中文（繁體）| Français | नेपाली | Soomaali | Tiếng Việt | Bosanski
Active Enrollment
To ensure everyone reviews and can select the benefits that best meet their evolving needs, UVM is moving to an Active Enrollment process for benefits elections, including medical insurance. This means all employees must actively elect (or waive) coverage during Open Enrollment to receive benefits for the upcoming year.
Active enrollment elections include:
- Medical Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Voluntary Vision Insurance
- Voluntary Short-Term Disability Insurance
- Increases or decreases to Long-Term Disability & Life Insurance
- Flexible Spending Accounts
If you do not make an election during Open Enrollment for any of these benefits, you will not be enrolled in coverage for 2025.
2025 Benefits Details
Medical Insurance Coverage Increase
Rate Increase for Vermont Open Access (PPO 1) Coverage
UVM's longstanding medical insurance option, Vermont Open Access (PPO 1), provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, will have a rate increase of 19.3% in 2025. This coverage option is available to all benefits-eligible employees.
2025 Premium Rates
Non-Union Employees Only: Additional Medical Coverage Options
In response to the rising costs of medical care, UVM will introduce three new coverage options for non-union employees. With four total options to choose from, employees can select the coverage that best suits their individual needs.
All unionized employees continue to have coverage as outlined in their Collective Bargaining Agreement (see Employee Handbooks and Contracts page for details).
Resources
Information Sessions
Human Resources is partnering with area HR Reps and university leaders to ensure all employees know what to expect for 2025's Open Enrollment. We encourage employees to attend multiple info sessions. Additionally, a recorded info session and the presentation slides can be accessed any time you need a refresher.
View recorded info session (video)
Presentation Slides: Open Enrollment & Medical Coverage Info Session (PDF)
Department/Unit Open Enrollment Info Sessions are underway. Please check in with your HR Rep or supervisor for details.
Employee Benefits & Wellness Fair will offer in-person open enrollment info sessions on Wed, Nov 6th, in Williams Room at the Davis Center. Sessions will be offered at 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm and 2:00pm.
Daily drop-in hours open to all employees at the HR office in Waterman 228 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Hybrid General Open Enrollment Info Sessions will be running throughout open enrollment for all employees to learn about active open enrollment and medical coverage options.
| Date | Location | Meeting Link |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Nov 11th, 2:00pm | Boulder Society Room Davis Center | Teams Meeting Link |
| Tues, Nov 12th, 8:00am | Boulder Society Room Davis Center | Teams Meeting Link |
| Thurs, Nov 14th, 5:00pm | Williams Family Room Davis Center | Teams Meeting Link |
| Fri, Nov 15th, 12:00pm | Boulder Society Room Davis Center | Teams Meeting Link |
| Tues, Nov 19th, 3:00pm | Jost Foundation Room Davis Center | Teams Meeting Link |
| Wed, Nov 20th, 5:00pm | Boulder Society Room Davis Center | Teams Meeting Link |
| Fri, Nov 22nd, 10:00am | Boulder Society Room Davis Center | Teams Meeting Link |
Medical Coverage Resources
- Medical Coverage Quick Guide (PDF) is a one-page cheat sheet for non-union employees to understand the big picture differences of their four medical coverage options.
- Medical Coverage Worksheet (PDF) is a document where you can do some math across coverage options to see what makes the most sense for you in 2025.
- Health Savings Account FAQ (PDF) provides information about Health Savings Accounts for those who may be interested in enrolling in a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) option.
- Fidelity HSA has resources for those considering a switch to a HDHP and want to learn more about HSA benefits and process. This resource page also includes a plan comparison tool, where you can enter information for up to three coverage options and see which may be the best fit for you.
- No matter which coverage option you choose, preventative care costs are 100% covered. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont has created two documents to help you learn more about preventative care:
- Preventative Care Overview (PDF) summarizes what is considered preventative care and is covered at zero-cost in network.
- Preventative Care Guide (PDF) breaks down care by age for the recommended age appropriate screenings and tests.
Summaries of Benefit Coverage
Each medical coverage option has its own summary of benefit coverage (SBC). This document gives you an overview of what your costs may look like for different health care services and how you and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont would split the total costs. Each summary also provides different examples of health care usage.
- SBC for PPO 1 (PDF) (All benefits-eligible employees)
- SBC for PPO 2 (PDF) (Non-union employees)
- SBC for HDHP 1 (PDF) (Non-union employees)
- SBC for HDHP 2 (PDF) (Non-union employees)
For an even broader understanding of what items are part of Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage, you can look at the Summary of Benefits (PDF). Please note this guide does not include any breakdown of coverage costs.