Faculty and Staff Benefits Enrollment

Take advantage of these tools and resources that JHU provides to help you select your benefits.

• Compare your plan choices. Review all of JHU’s medical plan options and other benefits to ensure that your current selections align with your projected coverage and cost budgeting needs for 2026.
• Use ALEX for benefits decision support. ALEX, our interactive decision-support tool, is available as a 24/7 virtual benefits counselor to help you learn more about your JHU benefits options, so you can choose what’s best for you. Find out how ALEX can provide an even more complete picture of your benefits options when you also provide information about your spouse or partner’s coverage options.
• Review your 2026 Benefits Toolkit. You can download this printer-friendly 2026 Faculty and Staff Benefits Enrollment Toolkit for additional quick facts and plan details.
• Questions? Contact Quantum Health. Quantum Health is your full-time health care benefits resource and advocate. Quantum Health can answer questions about your health benefits during annual enrollment and help you make the most of your JHU medical and prescription benefits all year long. Contact Quantum Health at 844-460-2801, or access their member portal at quantum-health.com.
• Attend a town hall webinar. Hear from the JHU Benefits team and get answers to all your questions at a virtual town hall meeting. View the schedule, and mark your calendar to attend. A recording of the webinar will be available mid-October.
• Read the most recent JHU HR NewsWire. Review the latest Hub at Work news to learn about your benefits, and access tips and tricks to help you make the most of them year-round.
• Access annual notices. Legal notices are available to inform you of your rights under federal law. For details, visit the Legal Notices page.

Now is a perfect opportunity to spend a little time exploring your options and using the tools and resources below to make thoughtful, informed decisions for yourself and your family.

Think about your health care experience in 2025. For instance:

• How many office visits and prescriptions did you need?
• Did you meet your deductible or pay for coverage you didn’t use?
• Did you spend more than you needed to on out-of-network providers?

Consider your needs for next year. Will they be more, less, about the same? Any planned procedures or a pregnancy on the horizon?

Review all the JHU benefits available to you. Take a close look to be sure you’re taking advantage of all the plans, services, and ways to control costs throughout the year.

Important Enrollment Reminders

You must take action during the enrollment period if you want to:

• Select a different medical plan
• Contribute to a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or the Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Take advantage of JHU’s child care voucher or scholarship program
• Add or remove a dependent who is eligible for benefits coverage
• Increase your life insurance coverage

If you choose not to enroll during the upcoming enrollment period, you’ll have the same benefits and coverage levels next year that you have now, at 2026 rates.

If you’re currently participating in one or more of the spending accounts and wish to participate again in 2026, you must reenroll in these accounts before the October 31, 2025, deadline. If you don’t, contributions to the Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) or the Health Savings Account (HSA) will be set to $0. You’ll be able to change your HSA contribution later, but because of IRS rules, you won’t be able to contribute to an FSA for 2026.

When you’re ready to enroll, visit the myChoices Health & Life benefits portal between October 15 and October 31, 2025. Just follow these steps:

1. Have the following handy:

• • Your JHED ID
  • Social Security numbers and birthdates for your dependents (if applicable)
  • Documents to verify your relationship to family members covered under your plan, such as child’s birth certificate or marriage certificate (if not already on file)
  • Names and birthdates of your beneficiaries

2. Click the Enroll Now! button to get started.
3. Confirm that your Health and Welfare elections, personal information, and beneficiaries are correct.
4. Click the I Accept button to verify your elections for 2026.
5. Once you’ve enrolled, print a copy of your confirmation statement for your records.

Questions about enrolling?

Contact the Benefits Service Center by emailing [email protected] or calling 410-516-2000.

JHU’s CareFirst medical plans offer value and flexibility, featuring a national network of providers and comprehensive coverage that includes 100%-covered preventive care services to promote your health and wellness year-round. Your first choice is carefully selecting the plan that best fits the needs of you and your family.

• CareFirst Core PPO Plan
• CareFirst Enhanced PPO Plan
• CareFirst High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)

Note: If you’re currently enrolled in the Kaiser Permanente HMO Plan, you can keep that plan for 2026, but it is closed to new enrollments.

All the CareFirst plans also offer a national network and provide coverage for the same broad range of services, including:

• Prescription drug coverage
• Preventive care (eligible care covered at 100%)
• Expert support through Quantum Health, your dedicated advocate for navigating any medical questions, big or small
• Urgent telehealth visits with a minimal copay through MDLIVE

JHU’s CareFirst medical plans also offer access to free biennial adult eye exams available through the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Wilmer Eye Institute.

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JHU offers two dental plan options that feature Delta Dental’s PPO network of providers, which includes thousands of licensed dentists and specialists nationwide.

Both plans will pay benefits for out-of-network providers, but you’ll pay more if you go out-of-network. Coverage includes a full range of dental services, from preventive and basic care to major care and orthodontia.

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JHU offers you access to comprehensive vision coverage through EyeMed, which features a network of thousands of vision care providers nationwide. You’ll pay less for eye exams, lenses, frames, and other expenses when you receive care through EyeMed’s in-network providers.

To find out if your provider participates in the EyeMed network, go to eyemed.com.

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Health Care FSA

If you enroll in the CareFirst Core PPO Medical Plan or the Enhanced PPO Medical Plan, you can participate in the Health Care FSA.

• You can use this spending account to pay for qualified health care expenses, such as copays and coinsurance, contact lenses, prescriptions, and over-the-counter medications.
• You can elect to set aside up to $3,400 in the Health Care FSA for 2026.
• If you enroll in the CareFirst High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) as your medical plan option and open a Health Savings Account (HSA), you can enroll in the Limited Purpose FSA for dental and vision expenses only.
• Be sure to spend all of your Health Care FSA funds each year! You can incur eligible expenses from January 1 through December 31 of each plan year. IRS rules state that any unused funds remaining in your Health Care FSA at the end of each plan year will be forfeited. The deadline to submit claims for Health Care FSA expenses incurred by December 31, 2025, is April 30, 2026. Remember to check your balance. Set a reminder now so you don’t forfeit any funds.

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Dependent Care FSA

Don’t be fooled by its name! A Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) has nothing to do with health care expenses, and you don’t need to be enrolled in any of JHU’s medical plan options to select this benefit.

• The DCFSA allows you to use pretax dollars to pay for things like after-school care, summer day camp, backup and emergency care, elder care, adult day care, and more.
• You can use the account to reimburse yourself for qualified dependent care expenses that enable you and your spouse (if married) to work or attend school full time.
• You can elect to set aside up to $7,500 in the Dependent Care FSA for 2026 (up to $3,750 if married and filing separate federal tax returns).
• Plan your DCFSA contributions carefully. If you enroll in the DCFSA and also participate in JHU’s Child Care Voucher and/or Backup Care programs, any funds you set aside and spend for these programs count toward the $7,500 annual tax-free maximum allowance associated with your DCFSA. Any funds you spend that exceed this maximum amount will be taxable.
• Be sure to spend all of your Dependent Care FSA funds each year! You can incur eligible expenses from January 1 through March 15 of the following plan year. The deadline to submit claims for expenses incurred by March 15, 2026, is April 30, 2026. IRS rules state that any unused funds remaining in your Dependent Care FSA after March 15 will be forfeited. Remember to check your balance. Set a reminder now so you don’t forfeit any funds.

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FSA Quick Tips

• You must enroll every year. Even if you currently participate in an FSA, you must elect a contribution amount during annual enrollment if you want to use an FSA next year (IRS requirement).
• Know what expenses are covered. Visit WEX for a complete list of eligible expenses relating to both of these spending accounts.

If you enroll in the CareFirst High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), you can contribute to an HSA on a pretax basis, and unlike the FSA, the funds roll over from year to year. You own the funds forever and can decide when you want to use them.

• You can use your HSA funds to pay for eligible medical, prescription, dental, vision, and other health care expenses that you incur today or later in life. WEX maintains a list of eligible expenses.
• For 2026, the total annual HSA contribution allowed by the IRS is $4,400 for individual coverage and $8,750 for family coverage. You can contribute an additional $1,000 if you’ll be age 55 or older in 2026.
• These maximum total contribution amounts include JHU’s contribution.

Additional JHU contributions for eligible employees. For those making $60,000 per year or less, JHU will also contribute to your HSA to help offset your higher deductible. The amount of JHU’s annual contribution will depend on your pay band:

• $40,000 or less: $500 single / $1,000 family*
• $40,001–$60,000: $250 single / $500 family*

*Family includes two or more individuals.

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HSA Quick Tips

• Know the rules and your options. Due to IRS guidelines, you cannot participate in the Health Care FSA if you elect an HDHP with an HSA. However, you can participate in a Limited Purpose FSA (LPFSA) offered exclusively for CareFirst HDHP medical plan participants. The Limited Purpose FSA can be used only for eligible dental and vision expenses.
• If you’re enrolling in the HDHP medical plan for 2026 and currently participate in the Health Care FSA, you can roll over a minimum of $30, up to $640 of your unused balance at year-end to your 2026 Limited Purpose FSA (2026 limits are pending an announcement from the IRS).

JHU’s commuter assistance program allows you to have pretax deductions taken from your pay to cover eligible expenses associated with your commute to work, including public transportation and non-JHU parking. You may elect a transit account, a parking account, or both.

• Each year that you participate, the pretax deductions for your qualified parking and public transit are excluded from your taxable income up to the limit imposed by the IRS. For the 2026 tax year, the pretax limit for public transit and parking is $340 each month.
• You elect a contribution amount to help cover monthly commuting expenses, but if your commuting needs change, you can make changes to your elections every month. New elections take effect the month after they are submitted and are managed by WEX, our commuter assistance program administrator.
• For 2026 you’ll continue to make your monthly commuter benefit elections in the JHU Benefits & Worklife myChoices enrollment website.

Public transit subsidy

In addition to any pretax money you set aside for commuting expenses, JHU provides a subsidy to eligible employees who work in Maryland and Washington, D.C., to help lessen the cost of commuting, support the University’s sustainability initiatives, and encourage vital in-person interactions.

• Subsidy amounts are determined by an eligible employee’s work location (Maryland or D.C.), the employee’s annual JHU gross salary, and the number of days the employee works on campus or on-site.
• Based also on regional differences in commuting costs, eligible employees who work in Maryland can receive up to $60 per month, and eligible employees who work in Washington, D.C., can receive up to $150 per month.
• If you’re eligible, you will have the option to select the JHU subsidy and/or elect your own pretax contribution. You do not need to make employee contributions to your commuter assistance account to receive the JHU-paid subsidy.
• The 2026 limit for your and JHU’s combined contributions is $340 per month.
• Employer funds will be added to your account during the first pay period of each month. Unused funds will roll over month to month and year to year.

Commuter Program Quick Tip

Use the WEX card for easy reimbursement. If you already have a WEX debit card for your Health Care FSA, simply use this same card for your transit or parking expenses. Otherwise, check your mail for your new WEX debit card. You can also request reimbursement from WEX (online or app) if you pay out of pocket for any of your transit costs.

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JHU automatically provides basic life insurance coverage of $10,000 at no cost to full-time benefits-eligible faculty and staff. You also have the option of buying supplemental life insurance for yourself or your dependents.

Life Insurance Quick Tips

• Remember to designate, or update, a beneficiary for your life insurance.
• If you are not a new hire and you elect supplemental life insurance coverage for the first time, you must provide evidence of insurability (EOI).
• If you’re currently enrolled in supplemental life insurance, you may elect to move up one level of coverage, up to a maximum of 4 times your annual base salary or $500,000, during annual enrollment without providing EOI.
• Our life insurance provider, Securian Financial, offers Benefit Scout^®, a tool that can help you determine how much life insurance you need. Take a few minutes to answer questions about yourself to find out the amount of coverage that fits you.

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JHU automatically provides basic accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance coverage at no cost to full-time, benefits-eligible faculty and staff.

AD&D insurance pays a benefit to you and your insured family members if you die or are seriously injured as the result of an accident.

JHU also offers you the option to purchase additional AD&D coverage for yourself and your family.

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JHU offers access to valuable disability insurance coverage to help financially protect you and your family in the event of an extended illness or injury, death, or a disabling accident.

Long-term disability (LTD) insurance

This benefit replaces a portion of your income when disability makes work impossible over a long period of time. JHU provides this coverage at no cost to all full-time, benefits-eligible faculty and staff members who have completed one year of service. This insurance coverage replaces 60% of your pre-disability base salary (up to $10,000 monthly) after 90 consecutive days of disability.

Short-term disability (STD) insurance

We also offer you the option to purchase short-term coverage, which replaces 60% of your pay after 14 consecutive days of disability for up to 11 weeks (up to $2,500 weekly).

Short-Term Disability Quick Tip

Consider electing STD coverage if you have less than one year of service and want pay protection in case of illness or pregnancy.

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You can save money and prepare for life’s unexpected challenges by purchasing a variety of other voluntary insurance plans and other financial protection services during annual benefits enrollment. Available to you at group rates, they can offer an extra layer of protection and peace of mind for you and your family. They include:

• Accident insurance
• Auto, homeowner’s, and renter’s insurance
• NEW – home disaster insurance
• Critical illness insurance
• Hospital indemnity insurance
• Identity theft protection
• Legal plan
• Pet insurance

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For eligible employees, JHU offers valuable financial assistance that may be used for child care fees to support their growing family’s needs.

The JHU Child Care Voucher program offers qualifying families $5,000, $2,500, or $1,000 tax-free vouchers to assist with paying for care for their dependent children under age 6, who are not yet in kindergarten. To be eligible, you must apply (or reapply) for the program each year to receive up to $5,000 annually.

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In addition to our child care voucher program, JHU offers eligible employees access to scholarships to one of our Partner Child Care Centers, which includes these locations:

• Homewood Early Learning Center
• Johns Hopkins Child Care and Early Learning Center (Bright Horizons at 98 N. Broadway)
• Weinberg Early Childhood Center
• Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Child Care Center

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Whether you are new to or rejoining JHU, there are multiple ways JHU supports you as you start your new role.

Every family is unique, and that’s why we’re committed to providing benefits that support you and your loved ones—wherever life takes you.

In addition to our core offering of benefits that support your family’s physical, emotional, and financial health, we provide other valuable family-building and support programs like family leave for new parents, adoption or gestational surrogacy assistance, lactation support, and resources for child care, elder care, and pet care. Learn about these and other offerings.

Like any journey, your financial needs and priorities will change over time. In addition to our pretax spending accounts that can help you save on health and dependent care expenses each year, JHU offers other valuable financial benefits that provide the support you need to stay on course.

March McLennan Agency (MMA)’s Prosper Wise can help with managing college debt or assistance with budgeting and debt management. Perhaps you’re looking to buy a house. JHU’s additional financial benefits can even help you plan for unexpected expenses and provide tuition assistance for you and your family.

And it’s never too early to start thinking about retirement. JHU’s retirement plans help you build toward future financial security.

Whatever your financial priorities, JHU’s benefits can help you reach them. Discover how.

Through all of life’s obstacles, JHU benefits offer support at every turn.

In addition to our life and disability insurance and other financial protection benefits available to you and your family, take advantage of additional services and support available to help you prepare for unexpected health issues and financial events.

You can get help when you’re managing medical issues. The Johns Hopkins Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides life coaching, support for mental health issues, and more. Rely on a nurse navigator for advice and emotional support through cancer care. And find the support you need when you’re grieving a loss or dealing with divorce and separation.

Learn how you can get support for yourself and your team in the workplace. If you need to take time away from JHU, explore the paid leave benefits available to you.

Your JHU benefits are also designed to help you live life to its fullest. From maximizing your physical, mental, and financial well-being to fostering social connections and taking time off to recharge, our Well-Being Program highlights benefits and resources that can support you throughout your professional and personal life.

Health and welfare benefits, including medical plan coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, and voluntary insurance support the physical, emotional, and financial health of individuals and their families.

JHU offers you professional development opportunities and resources that support your career goals, including tuition assistance, life coaching, professional skills development training with Learning Solutions, Center for Staff Life Design, myCareer, a new system designed to enhance staff career development opportunities, and more.

When you need to pause your career to focus on family instead, time off and family leave for new parents are available.

Transitions are part of every journey, and JHU has support when it’s time to move on.

To see policies and practices around resignations, terminations, reinstatements, and rehires, visit Leaving JHU.

For those heading toward retirement, retirement planning resources include seminars to help prepare for post-work life.