Open enrollment is your opportunity to review your medical, dental, vision, and reimbursement account benefit elections and make any changes necessary to ensure your choices continue to meet your needs.

If you wish to participate in the Health Care or Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts for 2021, you must enroll (or re-enroll). Participation in the reimbursement accounts does not automatically continue from year to year.

If you do not make changes to your medical, dental or vision coverage, your current medical, dental and vision coverage elections for 2020 will continue for 2021.

Duke's medical plans are considered "grandfathered" under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the Affordable Care Act).

Open Enrollment 2021: Oct. 19 at 12 p.m. - Oct. 30, 2020

• Decisions to Make During Open Enrollment
• 2021 Plan Highlights and Changes
• What You Need To Know for Open Enrollment 2021
• Open Enrollment Guide (PDF)

Decisions to Make During Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment is the one time of year when benefit eligible employees can enroll in or change their medical, dental and/or vision insurance plans, and enroll in reimbursement accounts. Here's what you need to decide this year:

1. Which medical plan best meets my needs and the needs of my covered family member? Duke offers four different medical plans. Carefully consider the network available, (particularly if your dependents live outside of the Triangle Area), a specific behavioral health provider that you see, or a need to cover dependent pregnancy.
2. Will you cover yourself and/or dependents for dental and vision insurance? Duke offers three different dental plans and a vision plan that covers eye exams, lenses and frames.
3. How much would you like to save on taxes? During Open Enrollment, you can sign up to participate in a Health Care Reimbursement Account and/or a Dependent Care Reimbursement Account. Both of these accounts allow you to put money aside before taxes to pay for health care costs and child or elder care costs, respectively. Since the money is taken out of your paycheck before taxes are calculated, you save about 30 cents of every dollar you put in the accounts.

Remember: If you take no action during Open Enrollment, the elections you made for 2020 for your medical, dental, and vision coverage will continue for 2021. To continue to use a reimbursement account, you must re-enroll for 2021.

2021 Plan Highlights and Changes

Medical Plans

• Beginning January 1, 2021, behavioral health and substance abuse benefits will be administered by Aetna for Duke Select and Duke Basic, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina will administer this coverage for Blue Care and Duke Options.
• A virtual office visit with your regular healthcare provider is covered under your health plan, subject to your regular co-pay. This includes virtual office visits with your behavioral health provider.
• Telehealth coverage through Duke Health Anywhere is provided for COVID-19 medical concerns.

Dental Plans

• No change in co-pays, deductibles or premiums for any of the dental plans.
• As a reminder, if you or a dependent are not currently enrolled for dental coverage through Duke and enroll for 2021, a "late entrant" provision will apply.

Vision Plan

• No change in co-pays, deductibles or premiums for the vision plan.

Reimbursement Accounts

• WageWorks, the reimbursement account administrator, is now HealthEquity.
• Maximum annual contribution for Health Care Reimbursement Account is $2,750 (subject to IRS regulations). The annual carryover limit has increased from $500 to $550 per plan year.
• Maximum annual contribution for Dependent Care Reimbursement Account is $5,000.