***SITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION***

2026/27 Open Enrollment: May 4 - June 1 at 5 pm AZ time

To ensure continued sustainability, the City is making significant changes to Network and HRA plans starting July 1. 

It's important that you educate yourself about plan options. To assist, we are hosting virtual and in-person information meetings throughout May. 

• Check out the schedule on our Events tab and view our presentations below:
  • Employees:
    • Presentation - Coming soon
    • Presentation Notes Pages - Coming soon
  • Retirees:
    • Presentation - Coming soon
    • Presentation Notes Pages - Coming soon
• Review your open enrollment booklet
  • Employee 25/26 OE booklet - Coming soon
  • Retiree 25/26 OE booklet - Retirees Eligible for Medical - Coming soon
  • Retiree 25/26 Flyer - Retirees Not Eligible for Medical - Coming soon
• Review the upcoming year's Summaries of Benefits and Coverage
  • HSA - Employee - Coming soon
  • HSA - Retiree - Coming soon
  • HRA - Coming soon
  • Network - Coming soon

What you need to do

You must enroll to have coverage in the following plans starting July 1, 2026:

• Medical
• Personal HSA contributions
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care & Dependent Care)
• Medical Opt Out incentive - Choose "Organization" from WorkDay's left side bar > Requests > Create Request > All > Medical Insurance Opt Out

You also must enroll if you'd like to:

• Change which dependents are covered
• Change plans or coverage levels
• Change life insurance beneficiaries

Employees:

• Increasing life and/or long term disability coverage involves two steps:
  • Request your desired coverage level in Workday, and 
  • Return to Workday mid-June to submit Hartford's Evidence of Insurability questionnaire.
• Colonial will be onsite at various City locations for Voluntary benefits enrollment and assistance

  • You can now add psychiatric / psychological benefits to your Colonial short term disability plan.

    Meet with a Colonial representative to learn more and sign up. Colonial reps are onsite at various locations throughout open enrollment. 

    Contact Don Peck at (602) 433-8144 or don.peck@coloniallifesales.com to schedule your appointment.  

    Those who don't sign up will retain current coverage with no psychiatric / psychological coverage.

    You are under no obligation to make changes. Participation is voluntary.

Retirees:  

• Adding new people to dental/vision requires uploading proof of continuous coverage as part of the Workday enrollment process
• Upload your proof on the Workday screen where you submit your open enrollment event, or email it to benefitquestions@tucsonaz.gov
  • Your proof must show that each new person you'd like to add has had dental/vision insurance from July 1, 2023 or earlier through May 1, 2026 or later.
  • Documentation must include name(s) of people being newly added, dates of coverage, type of plan (dental or vision), and needs to clearly show that the proof was furnished by an employer's benefits team or the insurance carrier 

Medical Changes 2026/2027 - Word from Timothy Thomure, City Manager

The FY27 health plan begins July 1, 2026 and I would like to make you aware of the changes that were approved by Mayor and Council for the new plan year, and changes in our medical/prescription, HRA and HSA administration, and wellness vendor. All changes were driven by continued increases in medical and prescription costs, coupled with our desire to continue offering choices in plan types and benefits to suit our diverse employees. My team and I met with the Benefits Committee, representing both labor union and non-represented employees, to develop my recommendations. To preserve the health of our plans, while providing excellent access to medical and dental benefits, I recommended changes that were then approved by Mayor and Council. Please review the plan changes so you can make informed decisions during the upcoming open enrollment period.

The City is excited to announce that we will be working with Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona (“AZ Blue”) as our medical/prescription, HRA and HSA administration, and wellness vendor, effective July 1, 2026. With the change to AZ Blue, brings a new plan structure that will replace the Network Plan, referred to as the “EPO In-Network Only” plan and includes nationwide coverage.

With the continued increases in medical and prescription costs, there are required plan design changes and rate changes to the EPO In-Network Only plan and High-Deductible Health Plan with Health Reimbursement Account (“HDHP w/HRA”) plan. You’ll note that there are no plan design changes or increases in employee contributions for the High-Deductible Health Plan with Health Savings Account (“HDHP w/HSA”) plan.

As we prepare for the upcoming open-enrollment period, please note the following reminders:

· Review the open enrollment booklet for information on AZ Blue and to understand the plan design changes and rate changes

· Attend an open enrollment meeting to hear about AZ Blue, review and understand the changes and how they may affect you, and to have the opportunity to ask any questions

· As mentioned during open enrollment for FY26, I advised you that the City will phase out the HDHP w/HRA plan as of June 30, 2028. This will include restricting the HDHP w/HRA plan to employees and retirees currently enrolled through June 30, 2026; no new enrollments during the open enrollment period for other employees, and no new hires will have the HDHP w/HRA plan option as of July 1, 2026

· The City contribution incentive of $1,500 Individual / $3,000 family) to HSA accounts will continue in FY27

· Prepare to complete the positive enrollment for medical coverage, which is required if you want to continue medical coverage for you and your dependents in FY27

The FY27 open enrollment period is May 4 to June 1 (due to the last day of May falling in the weekend) and is a positive enrollment for medical coverage only, which requires all employees and retirees who are currently covered in a City medical plan to re-enroll and select coverage for the FY27 plan year. Coverage will be effective July 1, 2026.