AlaskaCare Employee
Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment for the AlaskaCare Employee Health Plan through the Division of Retirement and Benefits occurs every November along with Open Enrollment for the Group Life and Voluntary Supplemental Benefits (VSB).

Explore details about the VSB Open Enrollment here website.

All AlaskaCare Employee Health Plan members are eligible to participate during this Open Enrollment period for the 2026 plan year.

The following employee groups are entitled to the AlaskaCare Health Benefits provided by the State:

• AVTECTA – AK Vocational Teachers Union (TA)
• CEA – Confidential Union (KK)
• APEA – Supervisory Union (SS)
• ACOA – Correctional Officers Union (GC)
• MEBA – Marine Engineers Union (BB)
• TEAME – Mt. Edgecumbe Teachers Union (TM)
• IBU – Inlandboatmen’s Union (MM)
• Employees not covered by collective bargaining (Exempt, Partially Exempt)

Do I Need to Do Anything During This Open Enrollment Period?

The answer is – it depends. Not all elections roll over year to year. Opt-out elections (waivers of coverage for yourself and/or your family) and the Health Flexible Spending Account (HFSA) are the two elections that do not roll over and must be elected annually during Open Enrollment.

Examples of Elections That Will and Will Not Roll Over Automatically
Family Structure	2025 Elections	If No Election During Open Enrollment (2026)	Rollover Status
Bob Smith
Employee and family (spouse and child enrolled)	Standard Medical for Employee and Family Economy Dental for Employee and Family Managed Care Vision for Employee and Family No HFSA election	Standard Medical for Employee and Family Economy Dental for Employee and Family Managed Care Vision for Employee and Family No HFSA election	All current plans roll over automatically
Karen Smith
Employee and family (children enrolled)	No Medical (Opt-Out/Waiver) Standard Dental for Employee and Family Managed Care Vision for Employee Only HFSA elected at $3,000 for 2025	Defaults to: Economy Medical for Employee and Family Standard Dental for Employee and Family Managed Care Vision for Employee and Family No HFSA	Only Dental rolls over automatically. All other benefits change.
Peter Smith
Employee Only (no dependents enrolled)	Standard Medical for Employee Only Standard Dental for Employee Only No Vision election No HFSA election	Coverage remains the same: Standard Medical-Employee Only Standard Dental-Employee Only No Vision No HFSA	All current plans roll over automatically
Key Takeaway	To ensure you have the benefits you need in 2026, please review your current elections online to determine if an Open Enrollment election is needed.

What Are the Premiums for 2026?

2026 ACTIVE EMPLOYEE MONTHLY PREMIUMS
For AVTECTA - AK Vocational Teachers (TA), APEA - Confidential (KK), APEA - Supervisory (SS), ACOA - Correctional Officers (GC), TEAME - Mt. Edgecumbe Teachers (TM), MEBA - Marine Engineers (BB), IBU - Inlandboatmen's (MM), Employees not covered by collective bargaining (Exempt)
Plan	Employee Only		Employee & Family
Standard Medical Plan	$146		$353
Economy Medical Plan	$73		$195
Consumer Choice Medical Plan	$29		$83
Standard Dental Plan	$37		$102
Economy Dental Plan	$0		$0
Managed Vision	$15		$40
Effective date: January 1, 2026

Important Documents for 2026

Premium Sheets

• 2026 Full-Time Employee Select Benefits Premium Sheet
• 2026 Part-Time Employee Select Benefits Premium Sheet

Guide

• AlaskaCare Employee Open Enrollment Guide

Dental and Vision Summaries

• 2026 Standard Dental plan summary
• 2026 Preventive/Economy Dental plan summary
• 2026 VSP Vision Benefits summary

Summary of Benefits and Coverage

• Coming soon!

New in 2026

AlaskaCare Medical Plan Updates

Effective January 1, 2026, the individual and family deductible amounts, as well as the in-network Primary Care and Specialty Care office visit copays, will change for the Economy and Standard medical plans. See the new deductibles and copays below:

Medical Plan Provisions for ALL Employee Groups
	Individual Deductible	Family Deductible	Coinsurance (Percentage of allowable amount paid by plan)	Individual Annual Out-of-Pocket Limit	Family Annual Out-of-Pocket Limit	In-Network Primary Care Office Visit Copay	In-Network Specialty Care Office Visit Copay
Standard Medical Plan	$350	$700	80%	$1,750	$3,500	$40	$60
Economy Medical Plan	$550	$1,100	70%	$2,750	$5,500	$50	$75
Consumer Choice Medical Plan	$2,400 (first $750 offset by HRA)	$4,800 (first $1,500 offset by HRA)	70%	$5,400	$10,800	N/A	N/A
Effective: January 1, 2026

Non-Preferred Brand-Name Prescription Drugs Updates

Effective January 1, 2026, the non-preferred brand-name prescription drug cost share will increase. Non-preferred brand-name prescription drugs are medications that have an equivalent generic or preferred brand drug. These equivalent drugs are available at a lower cost for members, with copays ranging from $5 and $10 for generic drugs to $35 for preferred brand-name drugs.

The current and future coinsurance amount for a 30-day supply of a non-preferred brand-name prescription drug filled at an in-network retail pharmacy is 65%, which means a 35% member coinsurance (your cost share). However, the minimum and maximum amounts will increase from an $80 minimum / $150 maximum to a $150 minimum /$300 maximum per prescription.

Effective January 1, 2026, 31-90 day prescriptions for non-preferred brand-name prescription drugs filled through home delivery will change from a $100 copay per prescription, to a 35% member coinsurance with a $300 minimum / $600 maximum per prescription.

Pharmacy Out-of-Pocket Limit Updates

Effective January 1, 2026, there will be an increase to the pharmacy annual out-of-pocket limit from $1,000 individual/$2,000 family to $2,000 individual /$4,000 family.

New Weight Loss Program for GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) Utilizers

Effective January 1, 2026, the AlaskaCare Employee Health Plan is implementing a weight loss program managed by Virta Health in conjunction with Optum Rx for all members with a weight loss Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) prescription. This program will connect weight loss GLP-1 utilizers to a Virta provider for a virtual clinical consult, during which your Virta provider will determine a personalized care path to best suit your needs.

Virta’s program is designed to help optimize your weight loss experience with nutritional or lifestyle therapy to complement or replace your GLP-1 prescription. Beginning in 2026, you will only be able to fill a GLP-1 prescription for weight loss that has been prescribed by a Virta Health provider.

• Who will this change affect? This change affects anyone with a GLP-1 prescription for weight loss. Members who use GLP-1 to manage diabetes or other conditions will not be affected.
• Which GLP-1 medications are included in this change? Wegovy, Zepbound, Saxenda, and the generic GLP-1, liraglutide.
• What will I need to do if I am taking one of these medications? If you are taking one of the medications above, keep an eye out for communications from Optum Rx and Virta Health regarding this change and the next steps to ensure a smooth transition into the program.

For more information, please visit the Virta Frequently Asked Questions webpage webpage.

Introduction to AlaskaCare Benefits

This enrollment guide outlines the choices available to you under the State of Alaska Select Benefits plan, commonly referred to as AlaskaCare. In addition to enrolling when you are first eligible or during annual Open Enrollment, benefits may be changed within 30 days of a qualified change in family or employment status.

AlaskaCare allows you to create a personal benefit program from a range of benefits and levels of coverage. You can choose from a range of options, including three medical plans, two dental plans and several additional benefits you can elect to participate in. Best of all, you can spend your dollars for benefits that better meet your needs. Here's how it works:

• You consider the monthly cost of each option and decide which benefits to purchase. Use the Health Plan Cost Comparison Tool excel xlsx file to help you make an informed decision.
• If you make selections that require a monthly employee contribution, that amount will be taken through pretax payroll deductions. This means deductions are withheld from your pay before federal income taxes are applied. The monthly employee contribution amount is divided in half and deducted from the first two paychecks of each month in equal amounts throughout the benefit year.

The AlaskaCare online enrollment system will automatically calculate your monthly employee contribution amount as you make selections, allowing you to change your choices until you are satisfied with the choices and cost.

Learn about all the plan options on the AlaskaCare Employee Health Plan webpage and review the current plan benefit details in the AlaskaCare Employee Insurance Information Booklet .

AlaskaCare Benefit Options

You can choose who you cover for each benefit option

You can choose to cover yourself (employee only), yourself and your family (employee and family), or opt-out of medical coverage (waiver of coverage) for the medical, dental, and vision plans independently. For example, you may choose employee and family medical coverage, and employee only dental and vision coverage.

If you choose to opt-out of benefits for yourself and/or your family and wish to continue to opt-out, you must elect to opt-out or waive benefits each Open Enrollment period. Your waiver will not automatically continue from one benefit year to the next.

AlaskaCare Medical Plan Options

AlaskaCare offers three medical plans to choose from: Standard, Economy, and Consumer Choice. The three options all cover the same services, including pharmacy benefits, but each option has different deductibles, coinsurance levels, copayments (if applicable) and out of-of-pocket maximums. You can choose the plan that is best for you based on what will work best for your family’s needs. Review the Summaries of Benefits and Coverage at the top of this page for plan details or see below:

Medical Plan Provisions for ALL Employee Groups
	Individual Deductible	Family Deductible	Coinsurance (Percentage of allowable amount paid by plan)	Individual Annual Out-of-Pocket Limit	Family Annual Out-of-Pocket Limit	In-Network Primary Care Office Visit Copay	In-Network Specialty Care Office Visit Copay
Standard Medical Plan	$350	$700	80%	$1,750	$3,500	$40	$60
Economy Medical Plan	$550	$1,100	70%	$2,750	$5,500	$50	$75
Consumer Choice Medical Plan	$2,400 (first $750 offset by HRA)	$4,800 (first $1,500 offset by HRA)	70%	$5,400	$10,800	N/A	N/A
Effective: January 1, 2026

The low premium, high-deductible Consumer Choice medical plan is structured a little differently than the Standard and Economy medical plans. The Consumer Choice medical plan is coupled with a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) account to help cover your costs before you meet your deductible.

AlaskaCare Dental Plan Options

AlaskaCare offers two dental plans to choose from: Standard and Economy. These plans cover different services, reimburse different amounts, and have different out-of-pocket maximums depending on the plan you choose. Both plans cover preventive (Class I) services, such as cleanings and periodic oral exams at 100% when you use a network provider, and do not apply the costs to your out-of-pocket maximum.

Learn more about your dental plan choices.

• 2026 Standard Dental plan summary
• 2026 Preventive/Economy Dental plan summary

AlaskaCare Vision Plan Option

AlaskaCare offers one optional vision plan to provide coverage for well vision exams, prescription glasses, contacts, and more.

Learn more about your optional vision plan choices.

• 2026 VSP Vision Benefits summary

Choosing your Medical Coverage

There are many things to consider when choosing which Medical Plan is the best fit for your family. Please review the Medical Plans at a Glance section on the AlaskaCare Employee Health Plan webpage and use the Health Plan Cost Comparison Tool excel xlsx file to help you make the best decision for you and your family.

Please Note: Premiums are subject to change

With the Select Benefits Health Flexible Spending Accounts (HFSA), you can set aside money to pay for certain health care expenses on a tax-free basis. You must contribute in whole dollar amounts. The contribution amount you elect will be deducted from your paycheck in equal amounts throughout the year.

In 2026, the maximum annual contribution is $3,300.

• You may carry over up to $660 of unused funds in your HFSA to 2026, but unused amounts over $660 are forfeit.
• Your 2025 HFSA election will not automatically continue in 2026. An election must be made each Open Enrollment period.

Learn more about the optional HFSA plan.

2026 Health Flexible Spending Account Rates
Minimum Monthly Amount	$25.00
Maximum Monthly Amount	$275.00
Effective date: January 1, 2026

Use the Online Benefits Enrollment portals below throughout the year to review your elections or make changes due to a qualified status change. Beginning November 5, 2025, through November 26, 2025, you can use the portals below to make your Open Enrollment elections for the 2026 benefit year.

Enrollment Instructions

1. Log in to myRnB:
   

   Navigate to myRnB website and log in using your myAlaska username and password.

2. AlaskaCare Enrollment:
   

   On the left-hand side of the dashboard under Self-Service Tools, click on the AlaskaCare Health Benefits link, and accept the terms and conditions.

   During the Open Enrollment period, the link will be titled AlaskaCare Health Benefits Open Enrollment.

3. Choose Coverage:
   

   Click on the Choose Coverage Reason drop down and select the relevant reason for the changes (for example: “Hire/Rehire”, “Change In Marital Status”). Then click on the Choose Coverage button to continue.

   You may skip this step if you do not need to update your elections. To update your dependents or add a new dependent without making new elections, click on the Manage button under the Dependents header.

   Please note that elections should be reviewed, even if unchanged, when modifying dependents.

   For example: If you add a dependent, ensure you also make family elections. If you remove your only/last dependent, be sure to change your election from employee and family to employee only.

4. Verify Dependents:
   

   Here you are able to manage your dependents, if applicable.

   • If you do not have any dependent changes to make, click on the Next button.
   • If you do have dependent changes to make, click on the Manage Dependents button.
   • If you need to update your current dependents (edit or remove), click on their name under the Your Dependents header. Then click on the Edit or Terminate button to proceed.
   • If you need to add a new dependent, click on the Add Dependent button.

   Once your changes or additions are completed, click on the Print and Sign Verification button to download and print the dependent affidavit. Once signed, you must submit the form by email, mail, or fax. Additional documents, such as marriage certificates, birth certificates, etc., are also required.

   Once you are done managing your dependents, click on the Back to Benefits Enrollment link on the top left corner of the screen.

5. Employment Info:
   

   The Coverage Reason drop down should reflect the reason elected in the previous page if no changes to your dependents were made. Otherwise, elect the Coverage Reason again and click the Next button. Enter the Event Date, Bargaining Unit, and Employment Type, then click on the Next button.

6. Make Your Selections:
   

   Select your benefits: Make sure to click on EACH benefit section to make your selections (Medical, Dental, Vision, HFSA tabs) and choose your Coverage Level (Employee Only or Employee and Family). You can also choose to opt out or waive each benefit by clicking on the Opt-Out button.

   Click the Next button when you have made your selections. If you have opted out of coverage, a pop-up will appear. Please read the disclaimer carefully and click the Agree and Continue button to proceed.

   Please note that a paper Opt-Out Form is no longer required when waiving or opting out of AlaskaCare benefits.

7. Review Your Selections:
   

   Review your benefits: Click Back to change your selections or Submit to confirm your benefit selections.

8. Finish Enrollment:
   

   Congratulations! You have completed your benefit selections and enrollment. Remember to submit the signed dependent affidavit and supplemental documents outlined in step 4, if applicable. When you navigate back to the dashboard, you will see your updated information with your current and future benefit selections.

For detailed year-round enrollment instructions, visit the Enrollment Instructions section on the AlaskaCare Employee Health Plan webpage.

Important Links

• AlaskaCare Online Enrollment System (myRnB)
• VSB Online Enrollment System (Benefitfocus)

If you are an AlaskaCare Employee Health Plan covered employee with other medical coverage, you may elect to opt-out, or waive, coverage for yourself and your family for one or more of the medical, dental, and vision plans offered through AlaskaCare. You may also elect employee-only coverage while opting-out of coverage for your family from one or more of the AlaskaCare benefits.

Example: You can choose Employee Only Economy Medical, and Employee and Family Standard Dental.

• If you chose to opt-out of the Medical and/or Dental plan in 2025, and do not complete the opt-out process for 2026 during Open Enrollment, you will be defaulted to the Economy Employee Only Medical and/or Dental plan or the Economy Employee and Family Medical and/or Dental Plan (if you have active dependents listed).
• Likewise, if you chose to opt only your family out of a Medical and/or Dental plan in 2025, (and have active dependents listed) you must re-enroll in the Employee Only option(s) for 2026 if you would like to maintain the same election. That means that if you chose Employee Only benefits in 2025 but do not make the same election for 2026, you will be defaulted into Employee and Family Plan elections for 2026. Remember, this opt out for family means choosing “Employee Only” elections while having dependents enrolled through myRnB.
• If you did not elect the Managed Care Vision plan in 2025, you will not be defaulted to the Vision plan for 2026. But if you elected Employee Only for the Vision plan in 2025 but have active dependents listed, if you do not make an election for 2026, you will be defaulted to Employee and Family for the Vision plan.

For more examples of benefits that do not roll over, please see the Question and Answer above: "Do I Need to Do Anything During This Open Enrollment Period?”

Still have questions? Check out the Frequently Asked Questions related to the AlaskaCare Employee Open Enrollment. Click the in the bottom left-hand corner of this page or visit the Frequently Asked Questions webpage.