Open Enrollment begins Oct. 5 and will end Oct. 30

Open Enrollment for Benefit Plan Elections 2027 will begin on Monday, October 5^th and end on Friday, October 30^th.

Open Enrollment is the annual period when all benefits eligible Virginia Conference active clergy, pre-Medicare eligible retired clergy, and lay employees can enroll in or make changes to their benefit plan elections for 2027.

The health plans administered by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield are not changing. As approved at this year’s Annual Conference, participant contributions for medical and dental will increase approximately 5% in 2027 for Self, Self+Spouse and Self+Child(ren) coverage tiers, and approximately 10% for Self+Family coverage. Vision rates will be unchanged in 2027. Amounts billed to churches that have elected to make the Conference health plan available to lay employees are increasing in the same manner.

If no plan elections are made in the Unity Web system during Open Enrollment, current enrollees will remain enrolled in the same health plans in 2027 as in 2026. Medical Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Account participation need to be actively elected each year per IRS regulations. It is recommended for all plan participants to review plan elections and contribution rates to ensure accuracy and to provide 2027 deduction amounts to their payroll processor for 2027.

During the open enrollment period, Unity Web online benefits enrollment system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The system is accessible at   unity.vaumc.org.