What's New
USU Human Resources and Administration regularly evaluates the university’s benefit offerings to align with legislative updates, Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) initiatives, and current benefits market offerings. The goal is to strive for offerings that appeal to employees and support them in their various benefit needs while streamlining services, promoting efficiency, and remaining a responsible steward of resources.
For FY27, USU will refine, update, and enhance several employee benefit offerings, as outlined below.
Welcome Price & Blanding Employees
Benefited employees from the Price and Blanding campuses will join the Regence medical and dental plans with the rest of USU.
Now Offering Telehealth Services
Telehealth services through Doctor on Demand will be added on July 1, 2026, for employees enrolled in any Regence medical plan. This service allows members to connect with a licensed healthcare provider virtually using a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Telehealth visits can be used for many common healthcare needs such as minor illnesses, prescription refills, or general medical questions. Virtual visits can be scheduled quickly and allow you to receive care from the comfort of your home or workplace, helping you save time and potentially reduce out-of-pocket costs associated with traditional office visits.
Changes in FSA and HSA Administrator
We are pleased to announce a new provider for Flex Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Effective July 1, 2026, employees will use HealthEquity to manage their FSA and HSA accounts. For those with an FSA or HSA account with WEX, you will be receiving direct communication from the Benefits team about how the transfer will be handled.
Blue Plan Phase-Out
With increasing enrollment in the High Deductible and traditional White health plans and decreasing enrollment in the Blue (High Premium) health plan, the decision has been made to phase out the Blue (High Premium) Plan. As part of this transition, there will be no new enrollments in the Blue Plan during Open Enrollment for the 2026 plan year. However, employees who are currently enrolled in the Blue Plan may either change to the HDHP or White Plan during open enrollment or remain on the Blue Plan through its end date, provided they continue to meet eligibility requirements.
Informational Video regarding Blue Plan Phase Out
Updated Medical Premium Salary Tiers
Salary tiers used to determine medical plan premiums have been adjusted so that more employees fall within the lowest premium tier.
View Your Current Benefit Elections
As you prepare for Open Enrollment, you can now easily review your current benefit elections in one place. This tool allows you to view your currently enrolled medical, dental, and other benefits, along with any covered dependents and your semi-monthly premium costs. You can access this information either within the Open Enrollment change form or by visiting mybenefits.usu.edu. Please note that retirement benefits are not displayed in this tool and will need to be reviewed separately if needed. Taking a few minutes to review your current elections can help you make more informed decisions during open enrollment.
Open Enrollment Booklet & Important Notices
ServiceNow Enrollment Change Form
If you are happy with your current medical and dental plan, no action is required. Flex spending must be elected each year.
Open Enrollment Fair
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 | 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
There will be one Zoom link for the entire presentation so feel free to come and go!
| Time | Vendor | Topic | Presenter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 - 10:30 am | USU Benefits | Overview of Changes & Enrollment Process | Lisa Atkinson & Anne-Marie Griffin Wilson |
| 9:30 - 10:30 am | Regence | Medical, Dental and Pharmacy | Carol LaDamus |
| 10:30 - 11:00 am | The Standard | Short-term Disability, Long-term Disability and Life Insurance | Merikay Anderson |
| 11:00 - 11:30 am | EyeMed | Vision | Pegah Firozi |
| 11:30 am - 12:00 pm | Hinge Health | Digital Exercise Therapy | Crislyn Grzegorczyk |
| 12:00 - 12:30 pm | Doctor on Demand | Telehealth | Hannah Bowen |
| 12:30 - 1:00 pm | ComPsych | Employee Assistance Program | Kristi Jackson |
| 1:00 - 1:30 pm | HealthEquity | Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flex Spending Accounts (FSAs) | Sofia Briceno |
| 1:30 - 2:00 pm | Metlife Legal/Home & Auto/Pet Life | Legal Services, Home & Auto, Pet Insurance and Employee Discounts | Jillian Alvarado |
| 2:00 - 2:30 pm | TIAA | Retirement | Kelton Lawson |
| 2:30 - 3:00 pm | Fidelity | Retirement | Teo Ngatuvai |
| 3:00 - 3:30 pm | URS | Retirement | BJ Rosenhan |
| 3:30 - 4:00 pm | my529 | Utah Educational Savings Plan | Jenny Sass |
Schedule a One-on-One Appointment
Times and dates will vary, be sure to sign up soon, spots will fill up!
Vendors
| Vendor | Expert | Appointment Scheduling Link |
|---|---|---|
| Regence | Carol Ladamus | Book an Appointment |
| Metlife Legal, Home, Auto, and Pet Insurance | Jillian Alvarado | Book an Appointment |
| TIAA | Kelton Lawson | Book an Appointment |
| Fidelity | Teo Ngatuvai, Brady Hunsaker | Book an Appointment |
USU Benefits Team Member
You can also make an appointment with any available team member.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Anne-Marie | |
| Tuesday | McKenna | |
| Wednesday | Hayden Avery |
|
| Thursday | Lisa | |
| Friday |
Additional Information
- Medical Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- 2026-2027 New Plan Year Medical Premiums
- Dual Employee and Domestic Partnership Insurance
- EyeMed Vision Insurance
- Flexible Spending Account
- Health Savings Account
- Life Insurance
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
- MetLife Legal
- MetLife Pet Insurance
- Retirement
- ACA Participants
- my529 College Savings for Dependents
How to Enroll and Make Changes
Log In to the ServiceNow Benefits Portal
Select Annual Open Enrollment
Read the Welcome Letter
Complete the Enrollment Process
Complete each section, reading the questions and pop-up instructions carefully.
USU Enrollment Review
If you cannot complete the online enrollment, please contact HR at (435) 797-0122.
FAQ’s for Eastern Employees Switching from PEHP to Regence
Why is USU switching from PEHP to Regence?
USU regularly evaluates its benefit offerings to align with legislative updates, Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) initiatives, and current benefits market offerings. USU strives to offer competitive and sustainable beneifts that support employees and ensure we remain responsible stewardship of resources.
Will my doctor be in-network?
Here is how you can determine if your medical provider is in-network with Regence:
- Go to Regence.com
- Click “Find a Doctor” toward the bottom of the page
- Click “Choose a location and network”
- Enter your ZIP code
- Select your network:
- “Preferred ValueCare” (PVC) or
- “Participating” (PAR)
- Search by provider name, specialty, or facility
You can also call your provider directly and ask if they accept Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance and confirm participation in either the PVC or PAR network.
What is the difference between the Preferred ValueCare (PVC) and Participating (PAR) networks?
Participating (PAR) is Regence’s most complete network, with all 56 Utah hospitals and 17,000+ providers and professionals, including Intermountain Healthcare and University of Utah, statewide multispecialty groups, and all urgent care locations.
Preferred ValueCare (PVC) includes 46 statewide Utah hospitals and 16,000+ providers and facilities, including HCA MountainStar, University of Utah and CommonSpirit Hospital - Utah Health Network, along with all major multispecialty groups.
Because the PAR network offers broader access to providers and facilities, it comes with higher premiums. The PVC network, while still offering strong statewide coverage, has slightly fewer providers and hospitals, which helps keep premiums lower.
For a listing of network coverage, see Network Coverage 2026
General FAQ’s
How Do the New Telehealth Services Work?
Telehealth services through Doctor on Demand are being added for employees enrolled in any Regence medical plan. This service allows members to connect with a licensed healthcare provider virtually using a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Telehealth visits can be used for many common healthcare needs such as minor illnesses, prescription refills, or general medical questions. Virtual visits can be scheduled quickly and allow you to receive care from the comfort of your home or workplace, helping you save time and potentially reduce out-of-pocket costs associated with traditional office visits.
You can prepare to use this service by downloading the Doctor on Demand app. Services will be available July 1 so look for specific enrollment information in The Memo on July 1.
Why did USU change vendors for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA)?
Under state requirements, USU conducted a competitive bidding process. As part of this process, the university reviewed proposals for FSA, HSA, and COBRA administration.
A committee that included representatives from Faculty Senate, Staff Employee Association, Space Dynamics Lab, and the Human Resources carefully evaluated all submissions. Based on this review, HealthEquity was selected as the new vendor for all three services, due in part to its strong partnership with Regence and its ability to provide integrated, streamlined support.
Why is the Blue Plan Being Phased Out?
USU has made the determination to close the Blue (High Premium) Plan to new participants effective May 1, 2026 and the plan will be fully discontinued in the next 1-2 years. As part of this transition, there will be no new enrollments in the Blue Plan during Open Enrollment for the 2026 plan year. However, employees who are currently enrolled in the Blue Plan may either change to the HDHP or White Plan during open enrollment or remain on the Blue Plan through its end date, provided they continue to meet eligibility requirements.
An analysis was conducted of the premium differential between the Blue and White plans compared to the differences between the deductibles, co-insurance and out-of-pockets maxes. For most employees, this comparison shows that the White (Wellness) Plan provides better overall value, as the significantly lower premiums generally outweigh the modest differences in deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums, even in higher-utilization scenarios.
Employees enrolled in the Blue plan who have questions about this change may schedule meetings with the benefits team.