
Open enrollment for 2026 will be open from 10/22/2025 through 11/12/2025.
Open enrollment is your annual opportunity to review and make changes to who you have on your insurance coverage, re-enroll in flexible spending accounts, or change your insurance plan for the upcoming year. While you can add or change beneficiaries and apply for supplemental life coverage any time, open enrollment is a great time for these activities as well.
Changes made during this period are effective on 1/1/2026, so we refer to this period as “Open Enrollment 2026.”
Key 2026 Benefit Changes
For 2026, there are no Federal/State regulatory changes and rate increases are within the usual expected annual increases.
(Refer to the Open Enrollment page for your employee group/bargaining unit for specific cost shares.)
Kaiser Medical Plans
- Rate increase of 7.7%
- No significant benefit or eligibility changes
Kaiser Dental Plan
- Rate increase of 8.4%
- Coverage for routine fillings will be expanded to include amalgam (silver), glass ionomer, and composite (tooth-colored) fillings on both posterior and anterior teeth. Currently, coverage for routine fillings is limited to amalgam (silver) or glass ionomer fillings on posterior teeth and composite (tooth-colored) fillings on anterior teeth.
- The cost share for nitrous oxide for members ages 0 to 12 will increase from $0 to $25 to match the cost share for members age 13 and older.
Moda Medical Plans
- Rate increase of 9.8%
- Naturopathic claims will be processed the same as a primary care provider, regardless of if the provider is credentialed as a primary care provider.
- Physical therapy no longer requires a medical necessity review after the member has more than 30 visits.
- Moda Major Medical Plans return to Medicare Part D creditable coverage status. This is relevant for employees and dependents who are or will become Medicare eligible during the 2026 plan year.
Moda Delta Dental Plan
- Rate increase of 8.3%
- Adding coverage for Cone beam x-rays (excluding images related to TMJ). These images are usually in conjunction with implants or root canal treatment.
- Teledentistry.com will be added to the Delta Dental provider network. Teledentistry.com provides 24/7 access to virtual dental care. Members can get consultations, prescriptions and referrals.
Willamette Dental Plan - Benefit & Eligibility Changes
- Rate increase of 2.5%
- No significant benefit or eligibility changes
Other Plans:
- There are no changes to the rates for supplemental life insurance.
- Optional short-term disability (OSTD) rates will decrease by 35%
2026 Plan and Cost Comparison Charts
- Document2026 Medical Plan Comparison Chart (165.59 KB)
- Document2026 Dental Plan Comparison Chart (90.64 KB)
2026 Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
REMINDER: Re-enrollment via Workday, including entering your 2026 plan goal amount, is required every year for all FSA plans.
- Medical (MERP) Maximum: Increases to $3,300 annually.
- 2026 to 2027 Carryover: $660 (this number may change if the federal government announces changes to the limit).
- Dependent Care (DCAP) Maximum: Increases to $7,500 annually ($7,500 per family, $3,750 if married filing separately)
- Note: Two-earner households may need to coordinate to avoid exceeding the limit. In shared custody, only the parent claiming the child as a tax dependent can use DCAP for expenses while the child is in their care.
- Transportation (TRP): Monthly maximum contribution increases to $225/month for transit and $325/month for parking. Minimum contribution: $20 per month.
Before Open Enrollment
Review your current benefit enrollments and dependent information in your Workday Benefits & Pay Application.
Know what you already have so you know if you need to make any changes. It's also a great time to ask us questions about plan options.
Review your enrolled dependents on all plans.
They can differ! If you currently have non-eligible dependents enrolled in your plans due to divorce, ending a domestic partnership, or other reason, contact us now at employee.benefits@multco.us for removal.
Beneficiaries can be updated at any time.
Review our Beneficiary Resource Guide and let us know if you need help making updates in Workday.
FSA Plans
Remember: you must re-enroll every year to participate!
Have a plan for MERP enrollment! Review your medical spending so far this year and think about what goal amount you need for 2026. Will you be having new medical expenses or adding to your family? In addition, if you’re changing medical or dental plans, consider how your out-of-pocket expenses may change. Remember that unspent funds exceeding the rollover amount at year-end will be forfeited. The current rollover amount is $660. Learn more about Flexible Spending Accounts.
Important Notice: Starting 01/01/26, BenefitHelp Solutions (BHS) will be the County's FSA administrator.

Open Enrollment Guide
Starting October 22nd, you’ll see a personalized Open Enrollment Guide on your Workday homepage under "Awaiting Your Action," or in Notifications.
This guide reviews information about Open Enrollment and changes you can make, but it is NOT your open enrollment event.
During Open Enrollment
1. Find your Open Enrollment task in your Workday inbox. Your Open Enrollment task will be titled "Benefit Change: Open Enrollment for (Your Name) 01/01/26."
2. Review your plans and click on “Manage” to make changes or updates. This is where you can change your medical/dental plans, enroll in a 2026 FSA account and enter your annual goal amount, request to increase or request enrollment in supplemental life plans, and add beneficiaries.
Note: Several of your benefits are County-paid and are provided at no cost to you. You are not able to change your enrollment in these. These include:
- Basic Life Insurance
- Long Term Disability
- TriMet Hop Fastpass
- Employee Assistance Program
- Travel Assistance
- Others, depending on employee group or bargaining unit
3. Complete affidavits if they apply to you:
- Do you have other medical coverage and want to waive County medical coverage?
- Opt out affidavit - even if you currently opt out, you must re-submit this form every year during open enrollment to continue to opt out
- For medical plan, you will select the Multnomah County “OptOut” plan.
- Learn more here: Opting Out of County Medical Coverage
- Adding a new spouse or domestic partner to your health coverage? Or requesting enrollment in a new spouse/domestic partner supplemental life plan?
- Affidavit of Marriage or Domestic Partnership.
- Important: Adding a domestic partner to your plans has a substantial cost impact. Find more information here: Domestic Partners & Your Benefits.
- Divorce finalized or has a domestic partnership ended? Complete the Dissolution of Marriage or Domestic Partnership form, and notify us right away if you have an ex-dependent on your coverage.
4. Most importantly - Fully submit your open enrollment task in Workday!
Once you have reviewed your plans and made changes, you will see a “Review and Submit” button. This is NOT your final submit button. Click on it to review a summary of your changes. Then scroll down and check the small box beside “I Accept” and click on the final Submit button right below that.
Note: You can edit your open enrollment submission at any point before open enrollment closes on Wednesday, November 12th.
Questions?
The Benefits Team is Here for You!
- Email: employee.benefits@multco.us
- Voicemail: 503-988-3477
- Walk-in: Multnomah Building (501 SE Hawthorne, Ste 300), from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Tues-Thurs)