2026 Open Enrollment
October 6 - November 6, 2025, 5:00 pm (CST)
Contact your Human Resources Associate (HRA) with any questions.
Important Dates to Remember:
- October 6, 2025 - Open Enrollment Begins, you may begin reviewing and making changes for your 2026 coverage.
- November 6, 2025 at 5:00 pm CST - Open Enrollment Closes, you must enroll by this date for coverage starting January 1, 2026. No enrollments will be accepted after the deadline.
- December 26, 2025 - Changes to health and dental insurance deductions are reflected on pay warrants.
- January 1, 2026 - Benefit elections made during this Open Enrollment period are effective.
- January 5, 2026 - The Evidence of Insurability (EOI) for basic and additional supplemental life insurance you elect during the Open Enrollment period must be on file with The Standard.
- January 9, 2026 - FSA elections will be deducted starting on the pay warrant issued that day.
The October 2025 issue of HRExpress is dedicated solely to this year’s Open Enrollment period. This valuable resource contains information employees need to know during this open enrollment and provides step-by-step decision making guides to help them along the way.
Workday Resources
- 2026 Open Enrollment Smart Guide step by step instructions for completing your benefits review.
- Open Enrollment Digital Course This on-demand course will explain your benefit options and demonstrate how to complete your Open Enrollment benefits review. Managing Benefits update?
- FSA Smart Guide - This guide provides information about requesting payroll deductions for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) in Workday.
Benefit Highlights
The Open Enrollment period is your only opportunity to review your current State of Iowa benefit coverage and make changes for 2026 (unless you have a qualified life event in 2026.)
Please review all benefit information carefully.
Please Note: The vision insurance program is administered by World Insurance. Enrollment is NOT done in the Workday system. Open Enrollment for vision will take place in January and February of 2026, with elections taking effect on April 1, 2026. Additional information will be shared in December.
Save for Later
You must complete your enrollment in Workday before the deadline.
- If you need to take a break, select "Save for Later" to save your progress.
- Just remember to go back and finish the process and select "Review and Sign" to finalize your choices.
No enrollments will be accepted after the deadline.
Benefit Changes
You need to take action in Workday during the 2026 Open Enrollment period if any of the following apply:
Health Insurance
- Enroll, change, or cancel your health insurance plan.
- Change your coverage level.
- Add or remove eligible family members.
- Elect the health insurance medical $125 credit (opt-out).
- Decline coverage if no health coverage is needed.
Dental Insurance
- This is a dental open enrollment for SPOC-covered employees.
- Enroll, change or cancel your dental insurance.
- Change your coverage level.
- Add or remove eligible family members.
- Decline coverage if no dental coverage is needed.
Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance
- Enroll in Basic, if not currently enrolled.
- Increase the amount of supplemental life insurance, up to the maximum amount available.
- Submit the EOI for basic or additional supplemental life insurance. It must be on file with The Standard by Monday, January 5, 2026. This only applies if you have made a change.
- Decrease the amount or cancel your supplemental life insurance election
Employees should not submit Evidence of Insurability (EOI) during Open Enrollment. After Open Enrollment, employees will be mailed a letter from The Standard with directions for the required online EOI Medical History Statement (MHS). EOI is subject to approval.
Flexible Spending Accounts
- Enroll in the Health Flexible Spending Account and elect up to a maximum of $3,300 in 2026. The rollover amount from 2026 to 2027 is $660.
- Enroll in the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account and elect up to $7,500 if married and filing a joint tax return, or $3,750 if married and filing a separate tax return for 2026.
Premium Conversion
- Change whether the premiums for health, dental, and supplemental life insurance are taken pre-tax (before federal, state, and FICA tax) or post-tax (after federal, state, and FICA tax).
Premium Conversion Election form (Only complete if you want to make a change)
Contact your Human Resources Associate (HRA) with any questions.