2027 Benefits Open Enrollment

Resources to Help You Choose

Monthly Premiums:

• 2027 Employee Monthly Premiums

Benefits Guide:

• 2027 Benefits Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

• Optum Rx
• GLP-1 Medications Prescribed for Weight Loss
• Transition to Businessolver for Benefits Administration

Tools:

• Medical Plan Comparison Tool (Coming soon): Use this tool to estimate your out-of-pocket expenses under both medical plan options: the Health Savings Plan and the Total Health PPO Plan.
• Decision Support Tool: Use this tool to identify benefit plans that align most closely with your preferences. This tool can be accessed during your enrollment process on the new Sandia Benefits Portal.

Other Resources:

• Quick Guide: Enroll in Your Benefits through the New Sandia Benefits Portal
• Get to Know Our Benefit Providers
• Know Where to Go for Care Flyer

Informational Webinars with Our Vendors

Most webinars last 50 minutes – 40 minutes for the presentation and 10 minutes for questions. A few, as noted below, are 25 minutes – 15 minutes for the presentation and 10 minutes for questions.

Click the links below to add webinars to your Outlook calendar.

The webinars listed below will not be recorded. However, starting Oct. 13, 2026, you can watch pre-recorded vendor webinars anytime. (A link to the pre-recorded vendor webinars will be coming soon.)

Blue Cross Blue Shield of NM: Medical Plan

• Oct. 19 | 2 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. MT

Davis Vision: Vision Coverage

• Oct. 20 | 1 p.m. – 1:25 p.m. MT

Delta Dental of NM: Dental Coverage

• Oct. 22 | 2 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. MT

Inspira Financial: Health Reimbursement Account, Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, Lifestyle Spending Account, Sandia Childcare Fund, Transportation Spending Account (Northern CA employees only)

• Oct. 21 | 1 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. MT

Kaiser Permanente: Medical Plan

• Oct. 19 | 10 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. MT / 9 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. PT

Optum Bank: Health Savings Account

• Oct. 20 | 11 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. MT

Optum Rx: Prescription Drug Coverage for BCBSNM and UHC

• Oct. 20 | 12 p.m. – 12:50 p.m. MT

Sandia Extras: Voluntary Benefits

• Oct. 21 | 10 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. MT

UnitedHealthcare: Medical Plan

• Oct. 19 | 1 p.m – 1:25 p.m. MT

Wellthy: Care Concierge Service

• Oct. 22 | 12 p.m. – 12:50 p.m. MT

Wellworks: Healthy Lifestyle Program/Health Assessment

• Oct. 19 | 9 a.m. – 9:25 a.m. MT

What’s New for 2027 Benefits Open Enrollment

Sandia will continue to offer two medical plans: the Health Savings Plan (HSP) and the Total Health PPO Plan, as well as three dental plans and three vision plans from which to choose.

Additionally, you will see the following changes:

• Premiums:
  • Beginning in 2027, your medical premium may change during the year if a salary change places you in a different salary tier. In addition, benefit deductions (except 401k and Sandia Extras) will be taken over 24 pay periods for bi-weekly payrolls (48 pay periods for weekly payrolls).
  • Medical premiums will increase for BCBSNM and UHC less than 5%.
  • Sandia will implement a new medical premium structure for the Kaiser PPO plan that will incrementally increase over the next three years to align with increased administrative costs.
  • Vision premiums will increase less than 2%.
  • Dental premiums will increase less than 2%.
• Total Health PPO Emergency Room:
  • The emergency room copay for PPO plans with BCBSNM, UHC and Kaiser will increase to $300 per visit.
• Health Savings Plan (HSP):
  • The deductible for individual coverage will increase to $1,750 and the family deductible will increase to $3,500.
• Health Savings Account (HSA):
  • If you’re enrolled in the HSP, you can contribute up to $4,500 for individual coverage and $9,000 for family coverage.
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA):
  • For 2026, the maximum annual contribution limit is $3,400. Once the 2027 IRS limits are released, employees who elected the maximum contribution can automatically increase their contributions to the new limit.
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA):
  • For 2026, the maximum annual contribution limit is $7,500 for single filers and married couples filing jointly, and $3,750 for married individuals filing separately. Once the 2027 IRS limits are released, employees who elected the maximum contribution can automatically increase their contributions to the new limit.
• Pharmacy Copay:
  • A new pharmacy tier will apply to GLP-1 medications prescribed for weight loss with a $150 copay for a 30-day supply.

As you think about your needs for 2027, review the details about the Health Savings Plan (HSP) and the Total Health PPO Plan to determine which medical plan is best for you.

Keep in mind that if you switch from the Total Health PPO Plan to the Health Savings Plan (HSP), you won’t be able to use any money left in your Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) and/or Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) at the end of 2026. So be sure to spend down those balances if you’re moving from the Total Health PPO Plan to the Health Savings Plan (HSP) in 2027.

Comparing Key Plan Features

Although the medical, vision and dental plans feature the same administrators and provider networks, they differ in many ways. It’s important to understand what those differences could mean to you.

Where to Learn More: Tools to Help You Choose

To compare coverage and what you’ll pay for services under the different medical, vision and dental plans, review the 2027 Benefits Guide.

Your medical, vision and dental premiums are based on the plans you choose and the dependents you cover. To see what you’ll pay for coverage, review the 2027 Employee Monthly Premiums.

Enroll by Nov. 9, 2026, through the New Sandia Benefits Portal

Open Enrollment begins Monday, Oct. 19, and you must make your 2027 elections by 10:59 p.m. MST (9:59 p.m. PST) on Monday, Nov 9.

Review your current benefit elections and consider whether they will continue to meet your needs in the coming year. Once you’ve made your decisions, enroll in the programs you want for yourself (and your family) in 2027.

The elections you make during Open Enrollment are effective from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2027.

How to Enroll

You have from Oct. 19 – Nov. 9, 2026, at 10:59 p.m. MST (9:59 p.m. PST), to review your options and make any benefit changes.

If you don’t make changes, your 2026 elections will roll over into 2027 except for your Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA). You must enroll in the HCFSA and/or DCFSA each year you want to participate. You must also request vacation buy/sell* during Open Enrollment each year.

Enroll in Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending Accounts, Vacation Buy/Sell*

Beginning Oct. 19, enroll in medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts (healthcare, dependent care, and, for Northern California employees only, transportation), and vacation buy/sell* through the new Sandia Benefits Portal.

Enroll Here from a Sandia Device: If you’re accessing the Sandia Benefits Portal from within the Sandia network, no user name and password is needed.

Enroll Here from a Non-Sandia Device: You can also access the Sandia Benefits Portal from outside the Sandia network; just register for the site by creating a user name and password.

Review the Quick Guide: Enroll in Your Benefits through the New Sandia Benefits Portal.

*If you are a represented employee, refer to your collective bargaining agreement to verify your benefit options.

Enroll in Voluntary Benefits

To enroll in voluntary benefits (voluntary life insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, accident insurance, critical illness insurance, disability benefits or legal, for example), go to mysandiaextras.com.

Have Questions?

For questions, contact HR Solutions at 505-284-4700, Ask a Question or Request Chat. HR Solutions is available:

Monday – Thursday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. MT (6 a.m. – 4 p.m. PT)
Friday: 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. MT (6 a.m. – 3 p.m. PT)
Saturday – Sunday: Closed