Today marks the beginning of the annual NUFlex Benefits Enrollment for University of Nebraska employees. Enrollment begins at 8 a.m. today (Oct. 27) and runs through 5 p.m. CST, Friday, Nov. 14.
Employees have the ability to review their current benefit elections and make changes for 2026.
Items that need completed annually during this three-week period are:
- Updating the tobacco/nicotine designation.
- Enrolling in Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for 2026.
- Completing the Health Risk Assessment.
- Reviewing life insurance beneficiaries.
- Verifying the Permanent Address.
Since changes are not allowed throughout the calendar year, with the exception of a few Internal Revenue Service-approved life events, all employees should log into Firefly and then go into NuFlex Annual Enrollment to review and make desired changes to their current benefits.
A confirmation statement is available at the bottom of the module so employees can review their 2026 coverage elections. The UNMC Benefits Office suggests employees either print or save a copy of their confirmation statement, Health Risk Assessment and Statement of Health (if applicable) for their records.
Employees having trouble logging into Firefly can refer to this step-by-step guide to change their password, contact the Firefly help desk at 402-559-BUZZ (2899) or reach out via email.
Key changes for 2026 include:
- A 7.25% increase in medical premiums. Employee premium rates for most health insurance plans will increase by $10 to $59 per month for employees.
- Deductibles and out-of-pocket limits for the low, basic and high PPO health plan options will be increasing. There will be a $100 increase to the individual deductibles and $200 increase to the family deductibles for each plan. There will be a $200 increase to the individual out-of-pocket limit and $400 increase to the family out-of-pocket limit for each plan.
- Pharmacy co-pays for the low, basic and high PPO health plan options will be increasing. There will be a $5 increase to the pharmacy co-pays for each plan. If you complete the health risk assessment, the co-pay for generic medications obtained through the plan’s mail service program will remain $0.
- Long Term Disability (LTD) Rates will be decreasing by 25% in 2026.
- The Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) annual contribution limit will be increasing to $7,500
More detailed information on the changes to insurance coverage are outlined in the NUFlex Benefits Newsletter and the NU benefits webpage.
Enrollment assistance available
During the open enrollment period, the UNMC Benefits Office will offer additional assistance to support employees looking at their insurance options for the upcoming year.
Benefits staff will be on hand for three open computer lab sessions in the Lower Storz Pavillion, Training Room LRC7. Employees are welcome to drop in with questions or assistance on their enrollment.
The open lab hours are:
- Wednesday, Oct. 29, 8-10 a.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 4, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 13, 3-5 p.m.
Employees also can contact the benefits office to schedule one-on-one meetings to discuss any issues or questions about benefits. Meetings can be scheduled via email or by calling 402-559-4340.