Benefits Open Enrollment
Oct. 15–31, 2025
Johns Hopkins Health System (JHHS) open enrollment for 2026 benefits is Oct. 15-31, 2025. Any changes you make during open enrollment will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
This is your annual opportunity to enroll in, drop or change these benefits:
- Medical, dental and vision insurance
- Health and dependent care flexible spending accounts
- Supplemental life insurance
- Whole life insurance
- Long-term disability insurance
- Accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity insurance
- Prepaid legal services
- Identity theft and fraud protection
Everything You Need to Know About Open Enrollment in 90 Seconds
If you currently cover dependents and will continue to cover them in 2026, you may need to provide documentation that verifies your relationship to confirm their coverage. Visit SmartSource to see if you have a task on your to-do list.
If you don’t provide the required documentation, your dependents will not have coverage in 2026.
If you don’t do anything during open enrollment, your current benefits will continue in 2026, except:
- Flexible spending accounts (FSAs): If you want an FSA for 2026, you must enroll in one during open enrollment. FSAs don’t carry over year to year.
- Allegiance medical plan coverage: We will no longer offer Allegiance medical plans in 2026. If you’re currently enrolled in an Allegiance plan, you’ll automatically be enrolled in an Employer Health Programs (EHP) medical plan to prevent accidental loss of coverage.
If you were recently hired, you may need to enroll twice. See details.
Questions?
Contact the HR Support Center at 443-997-5400 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, or hrsc@jhmi.edu.
Llame El Centro De Asistencia de Recursos Humanos al 443-997-5400, opción 9 de 7 a.m. a 5 p.m., de lunes a viernes, o mande un correo electrónico a hrsc@jhmi.edu.
Ver myBenefits En Español
Toda la información de sus beneficios están disponible en esta página de mybenefits, disponible en cualquier dispositivo. Para ver myBenefits en español, seleccione Spanish en el menú desplegable Choose Language.
Visite Recursos En Español para más información sobre los beneficios en español.
Your Steps to Enrollment
1. View your current benefits
Visit SmartSource to see which benefits you’re currently enrolled in.
2. See what’s new for 2026
Read below about changes to our benefits and employee contributions.
3. Enroll by Oct. 31
Enroll, drop or change your benefits on SmartSource by Friday, Oct. 31.
What’s Changing in 2026
Employee Contribution Increases
Our benefits package remains strong, provides choices to meet your needs and is as affordable as possible. Recent reports highlight the growing cost of health benefits across the nation.
At Johns Hopkins, our focus is on keeping cost increases below the national average. While there are moderate increases to medical, dental and vision plans, we will continue to provide you access to high-quality coverage and resources that support your health, well-being and peace of mind.
Deductible & Out-Of-Pocket Maximum Increases
The deductible is the amount you pay before the plan starts to pay. The out-of-pocket maximum is the most you’ll pay for covered expenses each plan year.
The deductible and out-of-pocket maximum for the Johns Hopkins Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) medical plan will increase for employees with a salary of $50,000 or more. View the updated amounts in the medical comparison chart.
EHP will mail new ID cards with the updated deductible and out-of-pocket maximum amounts.
FSA Contribution & Carryover Limits
Health care FSA
- You can contribute up to $3,300 in 2026 and carry over up to $660 from 2025.
- You have until March 31, 2026, to use the remaining funds in your 2025 FSA for claims incurred in 2025. Any funds over the $660 carryover limit will be forfeited.
Dependent care FSA
- In 2026, you can contribute up to:
- $7,500 if you’re single or married and file jointly.
- $3,750 if you’re married and file separately.
- You have until March 31, 2026, to use the remaining funds in your 2025 FSA for claims incurred in 2025. You can’t carry over unused funds.
Discontinuing Allegiance Medical Plan Options
In our continued effort to harmonize benefits across the health system, we will no longer offer the Allegiance medical plans as of Jan. 1, 2026.
You can choose to enroll in one of the Johns Hopkins Employer Health Programs (EHP) medical plans that we introduced in 2025. These are the same medical plans we offer to other JHHS hospitals and member organizations.
There is no change to dental plans or FSAs. Allegiance will continue to administer these benefits in 2026.
If you’re enrolled in an Allegiance medical plan in 2025 and don’t do anything during open enrollment, you’ll automatically be enrolled in an EHP medical plan to prevent accidental loss of coverage. If you don’t want to be enrolled in an EHP medical plan in 2026, you must waive coverage during open enrollment.
| If you’re currently enrolled in the … | You’ll be automatically enrolled in the … |
| Allegiance Consumer Driven Plan (CDP) | Johns Hopkins Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) Plan |
| Allegiance Open Access Plan (OAP) | Johns Hopkins Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) Plan |
Important Things to Know About the EHP Medical Plans
Like Allegiance plans, the EHP plans also:
- Use a combination of coinsurance and copays for the cost of care.
- Administer prescription drug coverage through CVS Caremark.
- Can be paired with a health care FSA.
- Offer no-cost coverage for All Children’s providers (except for the emergency room).
- Have no-cost programs for specialty, asthma and diabetes medications.
Here are some key differences with the EHP plans:
Access to a Larger Network of Physicians and Providers
The EHP plans use physicians and providers from a larger Cigna PPO network as well as their EHP network. Most employees can continue seeing their current providers.
Search the Cigna network to confirm your providers are in network or find in-network doctors and facilities near you.
Lower Out-Of-Pocket Costs
The EHP plans have lower deductibles, so you’ll pay less out-of-pocket before the plan begins to pay. They also have lower copays for in-network primary and urgent care visits.
No Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)
The HRA is an employer-funded account that automatically pays eligible medical expenses, such as the deductible and copays. The balance resets each year, and unused funds are forfeited.
The EHP plans don’t have an HRA. If you’re enrolled in the Allegiance CDP plan, you’re encouraged to use any remaining balance in your HRA by Dec. 31, 2025.
New Health Care Support Programs
MDLIVE and Blueberry Pediatrics will be replaced by Johns Hopkins OnDemand Virtual Care and UpLift.
You’ll have access to EHP’s care coordination for help with chronic conditions, maternity management and specialty appointments.
Visit Other Health Benefits to learn more.
Compare Plans and Get Help Choosing
Both EHP plans use a combination of coinsurance and copays for the cost of care and can be paired with a health care FSA. The key differences between the plans are:
- The Johns Hopkins EPO Plan offers only in-network coverage and has lower paycheck contributions.
- The Johns Hopkins PPO Plan offers in- and out-of-network coverage, has a lower deductible and higher paycheck contributions. Unlike the EPO plan, the amount of the deductible is based on your salary.
View a side-by-side comparison.
Need help choosing a plan? ALEX, your online benefits counselor, can provide personalized recommendations to help you make confident, informed choices. Talk to ALEX.
Enroll on SmartSource
Visit SmartSource by Friday, Oct. 31 to enroll in or make changes to most benefits.
If you want to change or drop whole life insurance, contact Unum at 800-635-5597. There may be some cash value in your plan.
Important reminders:
- If you don’t want to make changes to your benefits or enroll in an FSA in 2026, you don’t need to do anything. Your current benefits, except FSAs and Allegiance medical plan coverage, will continue in 2026.
- To enroll a dependent, you’ll need their SSN and proof of relationship, like a marriage or birth certificate.
- If you currently cover dependents, you may need to provide documentation that verifies your relationship to confirm their coverage. Visit SmartSource to see if you have a task on your to-do list.
SmartSource está disponible en español
En SmartSource, seleccione Español en el menú desplegable Welcome en la esquina superior derecha.
How to Enroll on SmartSource
Watch in English
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Employees who are hired or newly eligible for benefits Oct. 15 – Dec. 31, 2025
The benefits plan year is Jan. 1 – Dec. 31. If you’re hired or newly eligible for benefits between Oct. 15 and Dec. 31, you must actively enroll in benefits or waive coverage for the rest of the 2025 and then actively enroll in benefits for 2026.
If you don’t enroll in or waive coverage for 2025, you won’t be able to enroll in coverage for 2026 either. You’ll have to wait until the next open enrollment period, unless you have a qualifying life event.
Medical plan changes for 2026: We will no longer offer the Allegiance medical plans as of Jan. 1, 2026. If you’re hired on or after Nov. 1, you won’t be able to enroll in an Allegiance medical plan in 2025. If you want medical coverage for the remainder of 2025, you can enroll in a Johns Hopkins Employer Health Programs (EHP) medical plan.
Learn more about this change on this page under What’s Changing in 2026.
Submit supporting documentation for dependents by Nov. 30
- Currently cover dependents and will continue to cover them in 2026.
- Enrolled dependents in 2026 coverage during open enrollment.
If you receive this request, you must provide the documentation by Sunday, Nov. 30. If you don’t, your dependents won’t have coverage in 2026.
Visit SmartSource to see if you have a task on your to-do list and submit documentation.
Save your confirmation statement
You’ll need a copy of your confirmation statement if you have questions about your 2026 elections later.
- If you enroll during open enrollment: You can download a copy on SmartSource after you checkout. You’ll also receive an email confirmation after enrollment closes.
- If you don’t do anything during open enrollment: You can download a copy of your confirmation statement on SmartSource after enrollment closes.
To view your statement:
- Log into SmartSource using your work credentials.
- Select Go to enter the Benefits Marketplace.
- Select Current Benefits under the Benefits dropdown on the left.
- Choose download, email or print and save the statement for your records.
Are your beneficiaries up to date?
A beneficiary receives your benefits if you die. Open enrollment is a great time to make sure your beneficiaries are up to date.
Life insurance: Visit SmartSource , go to your profile and select My Beneficiaries
Retirement: Sign in to Transamerica and select View Details > My Plan > Beneficiaries
Enrollment Support
Onsite Support
Representatives from Employer Health Programs (EHP) will be onsite to answer questions, help you understand your medical plan options and choose the right plan.
Decision Support
ALEX, your online benefits counselor, can provide personalized recommendations to help you make confident, informed choices.
Employer Health Programs (EHP) Overview
Watch a short video to learn about your EHP medical plan options.