Annual Benefits Enrollment

Life Insurances and Long-Term Disability: Transitioning third-party administrators from New York Life to Unum. Some benefit plans will transfer and some will not.

• Voluntary Employee Life: If currently enrolled, you do not have to re-enroll, however you can make changes to your elections. If adding new coverage or increasing coverage, medical underwriting may be required.
  • Maximum coverage amount has increased from $500,000 to $750,000 (NEW!).
• Voluntary Spouse and/or Child(ren) Life: If currently enrolled, you do not have to re-enroll, however you can make changes to your elections. If adding new coverage or increasing coverage, medical underwriting may be required.
• Voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment with Family Coverage: If currently enrolled, you will have to re-enroll in coverage and designate the coverage amount(s) and covered dependent(s). If no action is taken, your family coverage will end 12.31.2026.

Supplemental Insurance: Transitioning carriers from Aflac to Unum. NEW! Better rates.

• New Offerings: Hospital, Accident, and Specified Disease (includes cancer) Insurance plans. May elect employee, spouse, and/or child(ren) coverage. No medical underwriting is required.
• Current Offerings: If you are currently enrolled in an AFLAC plan(s), and you want to continue that coverage, you may do so by enrolling into direct billing with AFLAC. Letters will be mailed to the home residence in late Fall and it will provide instructions for continuing coverage.

Whole Life Insurance: Transitioning from an individual policy to a group policy. NEW! Better rates. 

• New Offering: Group Whole Life (employee, spouse, and children’s term rider). Medical underwriting is required for any amount that exceeds the guaranteed issue amount.
• Current Offerings: If you are currently enrolled in Unum’s individual Whole Life Insurance plan and you want to continue that coverage, you may do so by enrolling in direct billing with Unum. Letters will be mailed to the home residence in late Fall and it will provide instructions for continuing coverage.

New Offering: Beginning January 2027, faculty and staff will have access to a new discount/perks program through BenefitHub, where they may access thousands of discounts on everyday purchases, including travel, entertainment, shopping, dining, and local services. Registration will be required.

Medical Plan Premiums: Medical premiums will increase by 10%. Below is an example of the impact of this premium increase per month based on the full-time benefits rate.

• Employee Only Low Plan: $13.16 more per month
• Family Low Plan: $53.33 more per month
• Employee Only High Plan: $27.96 more per month
• Family High Plan: $94.70 more per month

Medical Plan Design:

• Copays, deductibles, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximums will increase. Varies by tier level and medical plan network.

Pharmacy Plan Design:

• Prescription copays are increasing for generics (by 5$), preferred brand (by $10), non-preferred brand (by $20), and specialty medications (by $50 minimum / $100 maximum).

Dental Plan Premiums: Dental premiums will increase by 5%. No other plan design changes (i.e. deductible, annual benefit maximum, cost-sharing).

• Employee Only Low Plan: $1.22 more per month
• Family Low Plan: $3.95 more per month
• Employee Only High Plan: $2.20 more per month
• Family High Plan: $7.01 more per month

Health Care FSA: The Health Care FSA maximum contribution for 2027 is $3,400 per employee with a $680 carry over limit from 2026 into 2027. 

Dependent Care FSA: The Dependent Care FSA maximum contribution for 2027 is $7,500 per household. There is no carry over.

Important: If you are planning to participate in a Flexible Spending Account in 2027, you must actively enroll in Workday during the annual benefits enrollment period. FSA elections do not carry over each year. 

Medical Insurance Cards: All enrolled members and newly eligible members will receive a new set of Aetna insurance card(s) in late December, which will be mailed directly to the home residence. Once the ID card is received, new members may register online at aetna.com or download the Aetna app to access an electronic copy of their ID cards and other resources. Get the Aetna HealthSM app by texting “AETNA” to 90156 for a download link. Message and data rates may apply.

Update Your Address in Workday: The Aetna medical plan has two networks based on your primary home zip code (Aetna Whole Health and Aetna Choice POS). The Aetna Whole Health network offers additional savings when you utilize Atrium and AHWFB providers. You will see the name of your network during the enrollment process in Workday. It is important to ensure your primary home address is up-to-date in Workday before you submit your open enrollment task, as that determines which medical plan network you are eligible for.

CVS ExtraCare Plus: Medical plan members have access to the CVS ExtraCare Plus membership, which offers discounts and a monthly $10 promotional reward, and to CVS Minute Clinics with no copay. The CVS Minute Clinic is a great option when you or a dependent can’t wait to see a primary care physician for medical needs such as a sore throat or a vaccination.

Retirement Plan Administrator Transition: Beginning January 2027, Wake Forest is moving its retirement plan administration from TIAA to Fidelity Investments. WFU made this choice because Fidelity is a trusted industry leader that offers enhanced customer service, intuitive online tools, and expanded educational resources. Employees will manage their WFU retirement accounts through Fidelity going forward, except for select investments remaining with TIAA. Details on specific fund updates are included in the Transition Guide. For more information, visit the Transition Website.

Will my current Aflac election(s) automatically transfer to Unum?

• No. Aflac Accident, Specified Health Event, and Cancer elections will not transfer to Unum. If you want to maintain those plans, you may do so by enrolling in direct billing with AFLAC (letters will be sent in late Fall). 

Can I keep my current AFLAC coverage?

• Yes. Employees may choose to continue their existing Aflac coverage by enrolling in direct billing with Aflac. Aflac will be mailing direct billing options to plan participants. You may also call 800-992-3522. 

When is the deadline to move my Aflac coverage to direct billing?

• Aflac provides a 31-day premium payment period after WFU coverage ends on December 31, 2026. Employees who want to continue eligible Aflac coverage should arrange direct billing within that timeframe.

Can I keep my AFLAC coverage and also enroll in a plan with Unum?

• Yes. You may have coverage through both Aflac and Unum. However, only the new Unum coverage will be deducted through WFU payroll. Any Aflac coverage you choose to continue will be billed directly by Aflac.

Will Unum benefits be reduced if I also receive a payment from AFLAC?

• No. Unum supplemental benefits are paid according to the terms of the Unum policy and do not offset benefits received from another supplemental insurance policy.

Will I have to answer medical questions to enroll in Unum’s supplemental insurances?

• No. Accident, Specified Disease, and Hospital coverage do not require medical underwriting or pre-existing condition review for enrollment.

Will there be cancer coverage under Unum’s plans?

• Yes. Cancer coverage will be included as part of the Unum Specified Disease plan.

Will my current Voluntary Life election(s) transfer to Unum?

• If you are enrolled in Voluntary Life Insurance for employee*, spouse, and/or child coverage, yes those will be transferred to the Unum plan.
• If you are currently enrolled in the Voluntary Life Legacy Plan (employee coverage), which has a maximum coverage of $150,000, that maximum coverage amount will be removed when we transition to the new Unum voluntary life plan. The legacy plan ties back to a one time open enrollment period with Cigna in 2009. The good news is with the removal of that maximum, you now can potentially elect up to the guaranteed issue without a medical application/evidence of insurability requirement during this special open enrollment period. This means, you can potentially elect more voluntary coverage than you have today. The guaranteed issue is the lesser of 3x your annual salary or up to $400,000.

Will my current Voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment (VAD&D) election transfer to Unum?

• If you have employee-only coverage, your election will transfer. 

• If you have family coverage, your election will not transfer. If you want to maintain that coverage, you must enroll in Unum’s VAD&D plan and select spouse and/or dependent coverage to continue coverage. If no action is taken, your family coverage will end 12/31/2026. 

Will my premium change?

• Unum’s 2027 rates are lower than the current New York Life rates, so many employees will pay less for comparable coverage.

Can I elect additional coverage without Evidence of Insurability (EOI)?

• During the initial Unum enrollment opportunity, eligible employees and spouses may elect coverage up to their applicable Guaranteed Issue amount without EOI. Guaranteed Issue amounts vary based on benefit plan and will be displayed in Workday during enrollment.

What happens if I do not enroll when I am first eligible?

• If you decline coverage when initially eligible and later decide to enroll, you will be considered a late entrant and will be required to complete Evidence of Insurability for any amount of coverage. 

When can I make changes to Voluntary Life coverage?

• Voluntary Life elections can be made during:
  • New Hire Enrollment (within 30 days)
  • Annual Open Enrollment
  • An eligible Qualified Life Event (QLE; within 30 days)

Note: Evidence of Insurability requirements may apply depending on when coverage is elected and/or increased.

Will Unum’s Voluntary Spouse and Child(ren) Life coverage options change compared to NY Life?

• No. Spouse coverage options will remain at $10,000 or $25,000, and child(ren) coverage will remain at $5,000 or $10,000.

Will Unum’s Voluntary Employee Life coverage options change compared to NY Life? 

• You may still elect 1x to 5x of your annual salary, however the new maximum has increased from $500,000 to $750,000. Evidence of Insurability requirements may apply depending on when coverage is elected and/or increased.

Can I keep my existing Unum Whole Life coverage (individual policy)?

• Yes. Employees may keep their existing Whole Life policy by enrolling in direct billing with Unum after the December premium has been paid through WFU. The existing Whole Life payroll deduction will not continue in 2027.

Can I enroll in the new Group Whole Life plan if I already have the current Whole Life plan?

• Yes. Employees may maintain their existing policy through direct billing and also enroll in the new Group Whole Life plan.

How much coverage can I elect without having to complete a medical application/evidence of insurability?

• During the initial enrollment opportunity, coverage is available up to the Guaranteed Issue (GI) amount without medical questions or EOI:
  • Employee: up to $100,000
  • Spouse: up to $30,000
  • Children: coverage is available under the applicable child term rider

*Coverage above the Guaranteed Issue amount will require a medical application/evidence of insurability.

You may enroll in the following benefits during open enrollment: medical plan (includes prescription and behavioral health plans), dental plan, vision plan, legal plan, flexible spending accounts, supplemental health insurance (through Aflac), and whole life insurance (through Unum).

All your current elections, except for Flexible Spending, will carry forward to the next plan year. Flexible Spending doesn’t automatically renew; you must re-enroll each year.

1. Download and open the Workday mobile app on your mobile device.
2. Sign in using wfu as your company ID (only applies to first-time downloads).
3.  Enter the username and password for your work Gmail account.
4. Complete the Google Two-Step Verification.
5. Go to your inbox, click Open Enrollment Change, and Let’s Get Started.
6. To change benefits or dependent(s), click on the appropriate box and follow the prompts.
7. To submit your elections, click View Summary, I accept (checkbox), and Submit.

If you submitted your benefit elections and need to make additional changes during annual benefits enrollment, follow these steps in Workday:

1. Click Menu in the top left corner.
2. Click the Benefits and Pay link.
3. In the Cost section, click the Change Open Enrollment button.
4. Click OK.
5. Make your elections; progress through the screens by clicking Continue.
6. Click Submit.

You may verify if a provider or a facility is in-network by calling Aetna at 855.586.6961, emailing , or by following these steps:

• Visit: aetna.com
• Under Already a member: Click Login to Secure Site.
• Enter: Username and Password, Click Secure Log In.
• Hover over “Find Care & Pricing,” click Find Care.
• Search by provider name, specialty, procedure, or medication.

*Members should call Aetna when searching for an in-network provider or facility that is between 70 to 100 miles from their home ZIP code to verify network status.

Verify if a prescription is covered by following these steps:

• Visit aetna.com.
• Login to the member portal. (Registration is required; click on Register in the Don’t Have an Account section.)
• Under Plan Overview, under Pharmacy, click on What’s Covered.
• In the Estimate Medication Costs, enter the name of the prescription and select the correct name/dosage.
• Under the Pricing section, click View Price.
• If a prescription is not covered, Price Unavailable and Not Covered will be displayed.

How to Find Medication Alternatives

• Visit aetna.com
• Login the member portal (registration is required; click on Register in the Don’t Have an Account section)
• Hover over Benefits, under Prescriptions, click on What’s Covered
• In the Estimate Medication Costs, enter the name of the prescription and select the correct name/dosage
• Pricing will display if available
• If a prescription is not covered, Not Covered will be displayed
• Alternative/ Generic medications will display if unavailable

Members may also call Rx Member Services at 888-792-3862 to verify prescription coverage or discuss alternatives.

Yes, members enrolled in the Aetna Whole Health network will have higher out-of-pocket costs if they choose to use a Novant provider/facility (Tier II; Standard Savings) instead of choosing an Atrium provider/facility (Tier I; Maximum Savings).

Faculty and staff enrolled in the University’s medical plan may call 336-702-3322 (DEAC) for personalized assistance finding an in-network Atrium provider(s) and/or an Atrium provider(s) with shorter wait times.

When a member incurs copays, deductibles, and coinsurance costs in the health plan, these amounts will cross accumulate between medical plan tiers within a calendar year. 

Example*: A member is enrolled in the Aetna Whole Health High Plan. Their individual deductible is $1,000 for using Standard Saving (Tier II) providers and it is $500 for using Maximum Savings (Tier I) providers.

In January, the member seeks care from a Standard Savings provider and pays $750 towards their Standard Saving deductible. In June, the member seeks care from a Maximum Savings provider. Since they paid $750 towards their Standard Savings deductible, that amount is applied to their Maximum Savings deductible, which is $500, so their Maximum Savings deductible is satisfied for that calendar year.

Out-of-pocket expenses work the same way. Out-of-pocket expenses, including deductibles, copays, and coinsurance for the medical, pharmacy, and behavioral health plans cross accumulate between tiers.

*Amounts are for illustrative purposes.

When Aetna files their Aetna Whole Health products with the NC Department of Insurance, they are required to show sufficient access to Tier I providers (Atrium) in order for the product to be approved in certain locations. This evaluation is based on zip codes. If Aetna cannot offer sufficient access to Tier I providers within a certain distance of a zip code, they are not permitted to offer the Aetna Whole Health product. Members who do not have sufficient access to Tier I providers are offered Aetna’s national network, Aetna Choice POS II. When employees log into Workday and select the Open Enrollment task in their inbox, and select the medical plan, they will see what network they are in. Workday will be updated annually, if the Aetna Whole Health network is approved to expand access.

Regardless of where the dependent lives, they will be in the same network as the employee. Both networks have a “Standard Savings” tier, which is national and offers in-network providers across the U.S. 

Check your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) balance by either logging into your account at mcgriff.com or downloading the McGriff app on the Apple app and Google Play stores. Alternatively, faculty and staff may contact McGriff’s WFU dedicated customer service line by calling 800.930.2417 or emailing .

Organizations with self-funded plans, like Wake Forest University, assume all financial risk for providing benefits and typically outsource the plan’s administration to a third-party administrator. Large employers generally are self-funded. Self-funded plans are beneficial because they are more flexible in meeting the organization’s specific needs and allow additional savings on premium costs.

A third-party administrator is an organization, like Aetna, that administers the benefit plan for a self-funded organization like WFU, which includes handling claims, processing, and reporting. 

A provider network is a list of the doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers with which a third-party administrator (TPA) of a plan contracts with to provide medical care to plan members. These providers are called “network providers” or “in-network providers.” A provider that isn’t contracted is called an “out-of-network provider.” The network is a financial arrangement between the plan TPA and the providers, which is why discounts may be offered by specific providers.

Premiums: This is the pre-tax amount taken directly from your paycheck in exchange for coverage. Your premium will depend on the type of coverage you choose and the number of dependents on your plan.

Copayment: Sometimes referred to as the office copay, is the fixed fee you pay at the doctor’s office during each visit.

Deductible: This is the upfront cost that you have to meet for your covered health care services before insurance starts to pay. For example, if you have a $1,000 deductible, you will need to pay $1,000 of your health care expenses before your insurance starts to pay for it. Copays are not included in your deductible.

Coinsurance: This is the share (or percentage) of your covered health care costs that you pay after you’ve met your deductible. For example, if your coinsurance is 20 percent, you would pay 20 percent of a medical bill and your insurance would pay 80 percent. This cost is in addition to your copayment or office copay.

Out-of-Pocket Maximum: This is the total amount you pay annually before your health care insurance starts paying 100 percent for covered services. You reach your out-of-pocket maximum by combining the money you’ve spent towards covered health care services with copays, deductibles, and coinsurance.