What You Need to Know for Medical Benefits Open Enrollment 2026

Staff and faculty can enroll in or adjust benefits from Oct. 6-24

Sunrise over Duke

The open enrollment period for Duke’s employee health benefits is from Oct. 6 until Oct. 24 when eligible staff and faculty can adjust medical, dental and vision plans, as well as enroll in reimbursement accounts, for coverage effective Jan. 1, 2026.

In 2026, Cigna Healthcare will serve as the administrator for Duke’s employee medical coverage.

The move preserves access to affordable care while allowing Duke to modernize its health plans and provide a comprehensive holistic program to its staff, faculty and families.

In the past fiscal year, Duke paid $395 million for the health care needs of roughly 79,000 covered lives, up $3 million from the previous year.

“We know that our medical plans are among the most valued and used benefits at Duke, and we continuously strive to make changes that address the diverse needs of our employees who now work and live across the country,” said Antwan Lofton, Vice President for Duke Human Resources.

Here are some other highlights for Open Enrollment:

  • Duke will continue to offer the same five medical plans as in 2025 but has added a high deductible medical plan called Duke Advantage that is paired with a Duke Health Savings Account (Duke HSA). Enrollment in the Duke Advantage plan is required to open and contribute to the Duke HSA.
  • With Duke Basic and Cigna Care sunsetting at the end of 2026, those two plans are frozen to new enrollment.
  • There will be no increases in copays or deductibles for Duke’s medical plans. Health insurance premiums will increase between $4 and $24 per month for individual coverage, depending on the plan selected. The premium increases, which are the result of rising health care costs, are in line with other large employers and industry peers.
  • There will be no increases in copays or deductibles for Duke’s dental or vision plans. There are no increases in premiums for vision coverage next year while there will be modest increases in premiums for some dental plans.

Q&A: Moving to Cigna

How will the transition to Cigna Healthcare affect your premiums and coverage?

Learn More

While the Cigna network covers most current providers, staff and faculty can check to ensure their providers are included by using the Provider Search Directories on the Open Enrollment website.

If a desired provider is not in the network, complete and submit the Provider Nomination Form.

Staff and faculty can also compare Duke’s available plans with the Cigna Easy Choice tool.

Anyone interested in a Health Care and/or Dependent Care Reimbursement Account must enroll or re-enroll during Open Enrollment.

Staff or faculty who do not wish to make any changes to their coverage plans and who do not plan on enrolling or re-enrolling in either reimbursement account do not need to complete the open enrollment process. Existing medical, dental, and vision coverage choices will roll over automatically.

For more details, visit the Open Enrollment website.

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