Open Enrollment for Employers

Effective January 1, 2027, UnitedHealthcare SignatureValue Alliance HMO and UnitedHealthcare SignatureValue Harmony HMO will no longer be a part of CalPERS Basic health plan offerings.

If any of your employees are enrolled in a UnitedHealthcare Basic plan, use the information below to support them through the transition.

What You Should Know About the Removal of UnitedHealthcare Basic Plans

• Affected members were informed by email on July 29 and will be mailed a letter in late August.
• Members should choose another available health plan during Open Enrollment. If they do not choose a new plan, we will administratively transfer them and any dependent(s) to another available health plan.
• Administrative transfer plans were selected to preserve primary care provider relationships where possible.
• If a member is satisfied with the administrative transfer plan selected for them, no action is required during Open Enrollment. We will enroll them in that plan automatically.
• Encourage your employees to compare available plan options and confirm provider and pharmacy participation before deciding whether the administrative transfer plan meets their needs.

How You Can Support Your Affected Employees

• Share the sample email below with employees who may be enrolled in one of the UnitedHealthcare Basic HMO plans.
• Directly affected employees to the UnitedHealthcare Basic Health Plans Removal for 2027 webpage to learn about administrative transfer plans, health plan and provider considerations, continuity of care, and frequently asked questions.
• Encourage your employees to log in to myCalPERS beginning September 8 to access their Health Plan Statement and compare available plans, premiums, and provider availability.

Sample Email for Employees

You can use the following template to notify employees about the UnitedHealthcare Basic HMO plan exit. It explains the upcoming change, what affected employees should review during Open Enrollment, and where they can find additional information.

We're hosting an Open Enrollment Employer webinar on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.

Join us as we share information about 2027 health plan changes, introduce Open Enrollment resources available online and in myCalPERS, and answer your questions, live. We encourage you to review the Employer webinar topics (PDF).

Register Now

We’ll be hosting an Open Enrollment Member webinar on YouTube Live on Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. We encourage you to review the Member webinar topics (PDF). We’ll share more information with your employees through email and the Open Enrollment for Active Members page in the coming weeks.

You can request one or more of the following support types:

• In-Person Support — Health plans and partners will participate in a limited number of in-person Open Enrollment Health Fairs. Representatives will be available to answer benefit questions and provide resources. In-person events can be scheduled between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Live Virtual Webinar Support — Health plans and partners will provide live virtual support for agency-hosted webinars. Your agency is responsible for hosting and promoting the webinar to employees. Virtual participation is subject to health plan and partner availability.
• Virtual Resources — Health plans and partners will provide virtual resources, including links to Open Enrollment websites, videos, recorded webinars, PDFs, microsites, and other materials.
• Printed Materials — Health plans and partners will ship pre-selected printed materials directly to your agency. Materials will be sent to the address provided in the request tool.

Track Your Request

After submitting a request, use your agency dashboard to check for updates from participating health plans and partners. Email notifications won’t be sent for each status update, so agencies should check the dashboard regularly by clicking into each request.

• Users with an account under the same agency can access all requests submitted for that agency. Agencies should coordinate with other users who have access to the dashboard before responding to health plan and partner updates to help avoid duplicate or conflicting responses.
• Requests for in-person support and live virtual webinar support will display as pending until health plans and partners confirm their availability. Health plans and partners will work to confirm participation as early as possible, and no later than four weeks before your scheduled event date. If your request is submitted less than four weeks before the event date, health plans and partners will respond as soon as possible.
• Requests for virtual resources and printed materials don’t require attendance confirmation. Health plans and partners will provide available virtual resources and ship requested printed materials to the address provided in your request.

To comply with CalPERS guidelines, the following items are prohibited from being distributed at any health fair or Open Enrollment function, or any health fair held for the sole purpose of initial enrollment, regardless of date:

• Gifts (such as pens, cups, clothing, food, etc.)
• Prizes for raffles or drawings
• Game prizes
• Giveaways

Any literature provided to members at these three types of events must be limited to educational information about the health plans. This policy applies only to the health plans, not agencies hosting Open Enrollment fairs.

• What if my agency is holding multiple events or webinars?
  Submit one request for each event or webinar. This helps health plans and partners review the date, time, format, and support needed for each request.
• Can my agency request attendance of health plans and partners for events outside of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.?
  No. Open Enrollment Health Fair support is available only for events scheduled between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Can my agency modify a request after it’s submitted?
  Yes. You can modify your request through the end of the Open Enrollment Health Fair period by logging into the tool. If you modify a request, health plans and partners will need to review and confirm their participation again. To help avoid delays, review your event details carefully and plan as much as possible before submitting your request.
• Will my agency receive email notifications when health plans and partners respond?
  No. Health plans and partners will respond in the request tool. Email notifications won’t be sent for each status update, so check your agency dashboard regularly.

• Can my agency modify or cancel a request after it’s submitted?
  Yes. Your agency can change or cancel a request after it’s submitted, but your options depend on when the change is made. Review this table before canceling or modifying a request.

  Date	What Your Agency Can Do	What to Know
  Through Aug. 28	Your agency can submit new requests, modify existing requests, or cancel existing requests.	If your agency cancels a request and submits a new one, health plans and partners will need to review and confirm their availability for the new request. If your agency changes the date or time of an existing request, health plans and partners will need to review and confirm their availability again.
  Aug. 29 through Oct. 9	Your agency can only modify or cancel existing requests. New requests won’t be accepted.	If your agency modifies an existing request, health plans and partners will need to review and confirm their availability again. Only cancel a request if your agency no longer needs support for that event or webinar. If your agency still needs support, modify the existing request instead of canceling it.

  Note: After August 28, 2026, your agency won’t be able to submit a new request.

• My agency would like to conduct onsite Open Enrollment events; will health plans & partners attend?
  Health plans and partners will participate in a limited number of onsite Open Enrollment events this year. However, this option will be subject to health plan discretion. Once you submit an onsite support request, each of the health plan contacts will be notified and will respond individually with their availability.
• How should my agency prepare for an in-person Open Enrollment Health Fair?
  • Provide complete event details in the request tool, including the following:
    • Event date
    • Time
    • Location
    • Room details
    • Parking instructions
    • Check-in requirements
    • Onsite contact information
    • Estimated attendance
    • Setup details (e.g., table, chair, power, or Wi-Fi availability)
  • Health plans and partners will bring plan signage, educational materials, requested printed materials, and representatives to answer questions.
  • If event details change, update your request as soon as possible. Health plans and partners will need to review and confirm their participation again.
  • Combine events with other agencies to increase participation, especially for smaller events or those in outlying areas.
• What's my agency's role in conducting a virtual event?
  If your agency requests a live virtual webinar or virtual event support, your agency is responsible for:
  • Hosting the webinar or virtual event
  • Marketing the event to employees
  • Providing health plans and partners with the meeting link and access instructions

Each year, we send letters to make members aware of changes that may significantly impact them.

Sample Member Letters

We will mail targeted letters August 18 through August 27 to members affected by the following changes:

• Premium increases of nine percent or higher (PDF) relative to the 2027 total monthly premium.  The amount a member pays may vary based on their employer contribution.
• UnitedHealthcare Alliance and Harmony HMO Basic plan exits:
  • UnitedHealthcare Basic HMO Exit – Members Transferring to Sutter Health Plan (PDF)
  • UnitedHealthcare Basic HMO Exit – Members Transferring to Blue Shield (PDF)

• Open Enrollment for Active Members — Learn what is shared with your employees throughout Open Enrollment.
• Active Member Plans and Rates — Access a full listing of 2027 health plans and monthly and Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) premium rates. Access Evidence of Coverage and Summary of Benefits publications (available by September 14).
• Online Health Enrollments for Active Employees — Find information on how employees can make health enrollment changes through their myCalPERS account.
• How to Choose a Health Plan (PDF) – Encourage your employees to use this guide to see what factors they should consider when shopping for a health plan that best fits their needs.
• myCalPERS
  • Your employees can access their 2026 Health Plan Statement and 2026 Open Enrollment Newsletter (updated version for 2026 will be available by September 8) in their myCalPERS account.
  • Encourage your employees to use the Search Health Plans tool to shop and compare health plans.
• A Guide to Understanding Your Health Plan Statement is available to assist your employees with understanding the information provided on the Health Plan Statement.

As the designated health benefits officer or assistant health benefits officer, you're the authorized point of contact to process CalPERS health transactions and provide health eligibility and enrollment information to your employees. Encourage your employees to reach out to you directly for any questions or assistance related to Open Enrollment transactions.

To ensure successful ongoing CalPERS health benefits and communication, all employees should:

• Have a myCalPERS account
• Maintain a current email address, health eligibility ZIP code, and communication preference
• Submit supporting documentation needed to verify their dependents
• Confirm their new health plan and monthly premium adjustments in their pay warrant

You have a fiduciary responsibility to manage the CalPERS Health Program by ensuring that only eligible employees and their dependents are covered. Employers are responsible for obtaining and maintaining records of all supporting documentation that determines the eligibility of enrolled dependents. At the time of enrollment, or anytime thereafter, you have the right to request additional supporting documentation needed to verify a dependent's eligibility.

To find a list of eligible dependent types and for additional information, refer to the Health Program Guide (PDF).

All health enrollment transactions should be submitted through myCalPERS. If your employees are using online health enrollments self-service, you'll need to review and approve those transactions in myCalPERS. Early submission and approval will ensure timely processing of health plan ID cards and proper payroll deductions. For more information on adding and updating health transactions access our myCalPERS Student Guides.

• The deadline for processing all Open Enrollment transactions is 11:59 p.m. (PT) on Friday, November 6, 2026.
• Your employees may choose to use their employer ZIP code as their health eligibility ZIP code when they first enroll in CalPERS health, upon a move, or during any Open Enrollment.
• If you're unable to complete all Open Enrollment transactions before the processing deadline, contact us at 888 CalPERS (or 888-225-7377). Don't forward unprocessed Open Enrollment request forms to us.

During Open Enrollment, you're responsible for submitting transactions for former employees or their dependents enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage who want to change or cancel health plans or add/delete eligible dependents.

You're also responsible for submitting transactions during Open Enrollment for employees on a leave of absence who want to change plans or add/delete dependents. Employees who do not change plans or add/delete dependents during Open Enrollment may do so within 60 days from the date they return to regular pay status.

You can rescind health transactions when the effective date of the transaction occurs in the future. For example, before the January 1, 2027, effective date, if an employee decides they no longer want to change health plans, you can rescind the transaction in myCalPERS.

Rescinded transactions must be updated before the December 31, 2026, cutoff date. Open Enrollment transactions rescinded after the December 31, 2026, cutoff date will be adjusted during a subsequent pay period.

State & CSU Agencies

Visit Civil Service Benefits Cutoff Calendar to access the State Controller's Office (SCO) benefit cutoff dates.

Contracting Agencies & Schools

Refer to the 2026 Health Billing Cutoff Dates, Contracting School Districts and Public Agencies (PDF) attachment linked in Circular Letter 600-003-26 for 2026 health billing cutoff dates and payment information.

If an employee's January 1, 2027, pay warrant does not reflect the proper premium payment of a health plan change, the premium payment will likely be adjusted during a subsequent pay period.

Advise the employee they should've discontinued using their prior plan after December 31, 2026. Verify that myCalPERS reflects the appropriate enrollment and advise the employee that the payroll discrepancy will be resolved.