Open Enrollment Ended Friday Oct. 31
Important Information and Next Steps
Thank you for being engaged this Open Enrollment season. Maybe you took a few minutes to just review your benefit plans or maybe there were important changes to make and you took the time and opportunity to do so. With that being said, we had over a 77% participation rate in Open Enrollment.
Over the next few weeks, the Benefits team will be finalizing the Open Enrollment process and completing tasks to ensure all updates are in place for a Jan. 1, 2026 effective date.
As part of this process, please make sure you’ve completed any required actions or updates by the deadlines as outlined below.
Submit the Working Spouse/Domestic Partner Fee Form (If Applicable)
Non-bargaining and AFSCME bargaining unit employees may elect to cover their spouse or domestic partner under Kent State’s healthcare plan. Employees will be charged the Working Spouse/Domestic Partner fee if that spouse or partner has access to a group medical plan through another employer.
The fee was automatically added during the Open Enrollment process to begin in plan year 2026. The fee may be waived if your spouse/partner:
- Is also employed at ºÚÁÏÍø;
- Is retired, unemployed or self-employed; or
- Does not have health care coverage available through their employer.
You can request a waiver by completing the . The form must be completed by both the employee and the spouse/domestic partner’s employer and returned to the Benefits office by Nov. 21, 2025.
If the form is not returned to the Benefits office by Nov. 21, 2025, the fee will be applied beginning with the first pay in January 2026. Any fees taken prior to the form being submitted will not be refunded.
Opt Out Incentive Payments
Benefits-eligible employees opting out of the university’s medical, vision, prescription and dental benefits may be eligible to receive a monthly cash incentive of $50 per pay (up to $100 per month). You will need to submit an . Please note: if you are covered by Kent State's insurance, even if you are not the policyholder, you are not eligible for the incentive payment.
Evidence of Insurability
- Life Insurance – If you are not a new hire and you elected to enroll in or increase any life insurance, you will be required to complete an with Securian/Minnesota Life. Use group number 34693 and access code kent. This information must be sent to the provider no later than Nov. 21, 2025.
- Long Term Disability – If you are not a new hire and you elected to enroll in or increase any Long Term Disability insurance with UNUM, you will need to access the with access code ASFLKGE to complete the EOI. This information must be sent to the provider no later than Nov. 21, 2025.
Adding New Dependents
If you are adding a spouse/domestic partner or dependents for health insurance, you must complete the . To add a spouse/domestic partner, you must provide and provide supporting documentation such as a copy of the marriage certificate or the . To add dependents you must submit supporting documentation such as birth certificates or appropriate court ordered documents.
New Hire Benefits
Benefits-eligible employees who are newly hired (as of Sept. 27) or who recently became eligible for benefits and were not able to complete their new hire benefits enrollment via the portal prior to Open Enrollment, will be required to complete both their 2025 and 2026 benefit plan elections manually. You must turn in documentation (paper copies) for both 2025 and 2026 to ensure your coverage is active on Jan. 1, 2026.
If this applies to you, you should have received an email from Employee Benefits containing a zip file with all the new hire documents that you need to submit, and the very important deadlines associated with each of the forms.
You can find valuable information concerning your healthcare, life insurance, voluntary benefit options and important deadlines on the New Hire Benefits Information page.
Review Additional Resources and Tips
- You can continue to visit the 2026 Open Enrollment website, where you will find important information concerning healthcare plans and other benefits for the 2026 plan year.
- The Employee Benefits pages will hold 2025 plan information until the end of this year.
- After the new year, the Benefits pages will update to show 2026 plan information and the Open Enrollment pages will sunset until next Open Enrollment season.
- If you'd like to review your 2026 elections, these can be found in the confirmation email you received after completing Open Enrollment.
- Your current Benefits elections can always be found in in "My Earnings and Benefit Election" in Employee Resources. These will update to your 2026 elections after Jan. 1.
Questions?
Please contact the benefits office at (330) 672-3107 or benefits@kent.edu with any questions or for additional information.
Sincerely,
Sheba N. Marshall
Executive Director, Benefits and Wellness
Division of People, Culture and Belonging