Open Enrollment

What's Changing for 2027

As healthcare costs continue to rise nationwide, the University of California remains committed to preserving comprehensive coverage and strong plan choices:

• Continued Strong University Subsidy: UC will continue to cover, on average, over 85% of total medical premiums across pay bands and coverage tiers, contributing an additional $294 million toward employee health benefits this year.

  • • Expiration of Campus Premium Subsidy: Please note that the temporary UCR employee medical premium subsidy provided for 2026 to help offset rising healthcare costs will conclude on December 31, 2026, as communicated when it was introduced. As a result, employees should anticipate higher monthly premium contributions for the 2027 plan year. We strongly encourage all faculty and staff to review their plan options, compare total out-of-pocket costs, and evaluate available tiers during this Open Enrollment period.

• Medical Premium Adjustments: For employees whose medical premiums are not governed by collective bargaining, monthly premium adjustments for individual coverage will range between $6.58 and $29.24, depending on salary tier and plan election.

• Stable Carrier Options: UC will continue to offer its full suite of medical plans with no carrier changes for 2027. Health Net will continue to administer the UC Blue & Gold HMO through the end of 2027.

• Out-of-Pocket Maximums: Annual out-of-pocket maximums for Kaiser Permanente and UC Blue & Gold HMO will adjust to $3,000 for individual coverage and $6,000 for two-party and family coverage.

• UC Health Network Partnership: UC Health continues to help mitigate healthcare costs by limiting rate increases for care delivered across UC medical centers and clinics.