By SUSAN JONES

Pitt staff and faculty who are part of the United Steelworkers-backed union bargaining units will not be seeing increases to their health insurance monthly payments, co-pays and deductibles for the 2026-27 plan year, even though the overall premium has increased by around 10% for all plans.

Non-represented faculty and staff, post-docs, and those represented by several other unions on campus will see a 7% to 8% increase in monthly contributions, but co-pays and deductibles remain the same.

The staff and faculty unions are both in the middle of negotiating collective bargaining agreements — the first for the staff and the second contract for faculty. Because of this, all subjects concerning working conditions, including benefits, can’t be changed without full negotiations with the union.

Staff can confirm their union status on the staffunionization.pitt.edu website.

All employees have until 11:59 p.m. June 3 to enroll in a benefits plan at openenrollment.hr.pitt.edu. There are once again three choices, although the names have been simplified to Panther HMO (formerly Panther Gold HMO), Panther PPO and Panther HDHP with HSA. Recordings of webinars specifically designed for the different employment types also are available on the Open Enrollment website.

There is one benefit available to non-represented employees, but not to those represented by the USW. If you currently have or decide to choose the Panther HDHP (high-deductible health plan) with an HSA (health savings account) for the upcoming fiscal year, the University will provide a once-per-plan-year “seeding” contribution into your HSA of $500 for individual coverage or $1,000 if there are dependents on your plan. The seed amount will count toward the IRS maximum contribution.

“This new University-provided benefit is a definite enhancement,” a University spokesman said.

Those covered by collective bargaining agreements other than with the USW, should consult their agreement or contact a union representative to confirm eligibility. 

Dental and vision plans and rates remain the same for everyone.

Prescription coverage

The other big change for the 2026-27 plan year is a switch in prescription drug coverage from Express Scripts to CVS Caremark, but there will be no changes to prescription copays.

“Rising health care costs continue to place significant pressure on the University’s employee benefits programs, requiring us to manage expenses responsibly while maintaining high-quality coverage for employees,” the University spokesman said. “To accomplish this, we conducted a competitive bidding process with input from relevant shared governance partners, and after months of careful evaluation and deliberation, the University has selected a new pharmacy benefit manager beginning with the health plan year starting July 1, 2026.”

This doesn’t mean individuals have to use a CVS pharmacy. Other pharmacies may still be in the CVS Caremark network, including Giant Eagle pharmacies and the University Pharmacy. Find more information here about participating pharmacies, the formulary list and drug costs.

Open refills will automatically transition to CVS mail order, but payment information and auto fill information will not transfer. Information about switching prescription refills is available through the webinars at openenroll.hr.pitt.edu. There also is a specialized website that CVS Caremark has set up at hr.pitt.edu/cvscaremark to address Pitt employee questions, and dedicated Caremark client support at 833-296-1891

All individuals who participate in a University-sponsored medical plan will receive a new UPMC medical insurance card in late June with the CVS Caremark information listed. You can register on the CVS Caremark site as of June 24, but the benefit won’t start until July 1. Learn more at caremark.com/openenrollment.

In addition, Pitt’s life insurance provider has switched from The Hartford to Securian Financial. Everything will transfer automatically from The Hartford, including beneficiaries.

Coverage amounts stay the same, and premiums for employee optional life insurance policies are decreasing. Rates for dependent life insurance (spouse/domestic partner/children) and optional accidental death & dismemberment policies will remain the same.

Find more information at securian.com/pitt-insurance.

For questions regarding Open Enrollment or benefits, please visit the Open Enrollment Frequently Asked Questions page, or contact the the Human Resources Benefits Department by submitting an online request or calling 833-852-2210. 

Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.

 

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