Open enrollment for 2026 benefits ends at 6 p.m. ET tomorrow

Open enrollment for 2026 benefits ends at 6 p.m. ET tomorrow (Nov. 11). Employees are encouraged to review their benefit options and make changes or select new coverage before tomorrow’s deadline. Remember, the benefit choices made during open enrollment will be in effect for all of 2026, unless a qualifying life event occurs.

Enrollment reminders

Current benefits will roll forward into 2026 with the exception of the following items, which must be completed each year during open enrollment:

• Tobacco status: Those who elect medical coverage must complete the Tobacco Survey each year as answers may impact premiums. Employees who do not complete the Tobacco Survey will be charged the tobacco-user additional premium (for both employee and spouse, if covered) in 2026.
• Funding accounts: Health savings account, health reimbursement arrangement, flexible spending account and dependent care flexible spending account elections must be selected each year. If they are not selected, employees will not have these benefits in 2026.
• New dependents: Remember to upload the required documentation to the Benefitfocus system by Dec. 1, 2025. More information on eligible dependents and required documentation is available here.
• Working spouse: Those who elect spousal coverage must complete the Working Spouse Premium Waiver Form each year, as answers may impact premiums. Forms should be submitted by Dec. 1, 2025, to ensure premiums are correct for January 2026. Employees who do not complete the certification will be charged the working spouse premium (for spouse, if covered) in 2026.
• Instructions for how to upload the Working Spouse Premium Waiver Form are available here.
• See the Working Spouse Guide for more information.

Enrollment resources

• The last in-person open enrollment labs are available at the West Lafayette location today (Nov. 10), and one-on-one sessions are ongoing for Purdue Northwest and Purdue Fort Wayne. See the Resources webpage for details and schedules.
• Specific information is available to Purdue and Purdue Global employees via their respective enrollment websites:
• Purdue University — Visit theBenefits Enrollment website for more information and resources. To view all of the 2026 open enrollment emails, visit the Open Enrollment Newsroom.
• Purdue Global — Visit the Purdue Global Benefits/Wellness websitefor more information and resources. To view all of the 2026 open enrollment emails, visit the Purdue Global Open Enrollment Newsroom.

Feedback requested

To help Human Resources — Benefits continually improve, they are seeking employee opinions and feedback regarding their experience with open enrollment 2026. And, as the department begins to develop the 2027 benefits package, employee input is valuable. Answers to all questions are anonymous, and it takes just a few minutes to complete. Once an employee has completed their enrollment, they are encouraged to fill out the survey. Purdue employees who have not yet completed the survey in Benefitfocus can do so here.

Questions

Employees should direct questions to Human Resources at 765-494-2222 or via email at hr@purdue.edu.

Note: The service center experiences a higher-than-normal volume of inquiries during open enrollment. Staff members are available to answer calls and emails from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Emails are assigned a case number and are addressed in the order received, from oldest to newest. Each ticket received is registered and addressed as quickly as possible. Allowing time for responses is crucial, and if follow-up is needed, it’s helpful to use the original case to avoid duplication and delayed responses.