You have valuable opportunities to enroll in, change, or update benefit coverage for yourself and your dependents.
Open Enrollment is your annual chance to review your benefits and make any desired updates. Take advantage of this time to ensure you have the best coverage for your needs!
2025 Open Enrollment is from March 3 – March 31, 2025
What to know for 2025
The plan year is changing to a calendar year
The City of Houston is updating the 2026 plan year enrollment to reflect a calendar year. In preparation for this change, this will be the last spring enrollment for employees, retirees, and survivors.
What does that mean for you?
- The elections you make during this enrollment period will be effective May 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025, which is 8 months for the plan year instead of 12 months.
- There will be a second enrollment in November 2025 for all benefits to be effective January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026.
- All deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket expenses will be pro-rated to reflect the shortened plan year.
- Healthcare Flexible Spending Account elections will be divided among 16 deductions and the maximum contribution is reduced to $2,400 due to the shortened plan year.
- Starting with the 2026 plan year, your benefits enrollment will be streamlined. Enrollment for all benefits will be in November each year and deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums and flex spending accounts will align the calendar year.
There are no premium changes
That is correct! Plans will also remain unchanged.
What do you need to do?
Nothing! If you are satisfied with your current benefits*, you don’t need to do anything.
All your current elections will roll over into the new plan year, except for the Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (HFSA). You only need to log into Benefitplace to add coverage, make changes to your existing coverage re-enroll in the HFSA or update your beneficiaries.
*You must re-enroll in the HFSA each year.
Open Enrollment Meeting Schedule
In-Person Meetings
| Date | Time | Location | Audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, March 5 | 9:30 - 11 a.m. | 4501 Leeland St. | Active and Retirees |
| Thursday, March 13 | 9:30 - 11 a.m. | 4501 Leeland St. | Active and Retirees |
| Wednesday, March 19 | 9:30 - 11 a.m. | 611 Walker Auditorium | Active Only |
Virtual Meetings
| Date | Time | Link | Audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, March 6 | 9:30 - 11 a.m. | Join Meeting | Active Employees |
| Monday, March 17 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. | Join Meeting | Retirees |
| Tuesday, March 25 | 9:30 - 11 a.m. | Join Meeting | Active Employees |
ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Initial Enrollment
(New Employees)
You have only thirty (30) days from your hire date to make initial enrollment elections and submit supporting documents for any eligible dependents you would like to cover. After enrollment, your benefits will begin the 1st or 16th day of the month following your 30th day of employment.
Annual Open Enrollment
(All Employees)
The annual open enrollment is one time a year event. This is an opportunity to review and make changes to your benefits elections. During this time, you can add, drop, or change medical, dental, vision, the Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (HFSA), voluntary life, and supplemental insurance.
The open enrollment period for plan year 2025 is Monday, March 3 - Monday, March 31, 2025. Changes made during open enrollment will be effective on May 1, 2025. Voluntary life insurance will be effective on May 1, 2025 or the 1st or the 16th of the month following the date of Evidence of Insurability (EOI) approval.
Special Enrollments
(Qualified Life Events)
Life happens. A change in your situation, like getting married, having a baby or losing health coverage, can make you eligible for a special enrollment period, allowing you to enroll or make changes to your coverage outside the annual open enrollment.
To a change to your benefits due to a Qualifying Life Event (QLE), log into Benefitplace and request the change within 31 days of the event and upload supporting documentation. If documentation is not uploaded within 31 days, your newly elected dependent coverage will not be processed.
Newborns are temporarily covered for medical for 31 days. After 31 days, if you do not enroll your newborn your newborn’s coverage will terminate, even if you have Employee + Child(ren) or Employee + Family coverage. The coverage will be terminated back to date of birth.
Examples of QLE:
- Losing existing health coverage, including job-based, and individual plans
- Losing eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP
- Turning 26 and losing coverage through a parent’s plan
- Getting married or divorced
- Having a baby or adopting a child
- Death in the family
- Moving outside of the HMO network
- Student moving to or from the place they attend school
