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Annual Enrollment 2026: May 18 – May 29, 2026
Annual Enrollment at DASH for your 2026-2027 benefits is via Paycom
Monday, May 18, 2026 (12:00 a.m.) – Friday, May 29, 2026 (11:59 p.m.)
The new plan year begins on July 1, 2026, and ends on June 30, 2027.
Benefit Guides will be available during Annual Enrollment which will have details for each Plan as well as cost and additional information to guide your elections.
ANNUAL ENROLLMENT RESOURCES
Benefits Fair: Tuesday, May 19 – 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Operations Lounge
Visit with our benefits vendors, enjoy a healthy snack, complete your “passport” to win a prize, and sign-up to have a relaxing massage!
Visit Dashbus.com/employees/OE to:
WHAT’S CHANGING FOR THE 2026-2027 PLAN YEAR?
You must enroll and/or make changes to your benefits before May 29. No enrollments or changes will be permitted after 11:59 p.m. on May 29.
Please take this time to learn about our plans, the cost, and enroll in the coverage that meets your and your family’s needs.
HOW CAN I GET HELP WITH MY ENROLLMENT?
Human Resources will be in the Operations and Maintenance lounges several times throughout Annual Enrollment to help you enroll and answer questions.
| OPERATIONS | MAINTENANCE | |||
| Date | Time | Date | Time | |
| 18-May | 9am-11am | 18-May | 10:30am-12pm | |
| 18-May | 1:30pm-3:30pm | |||
| 20-May | 11am-1pm | |||
| 20-May | 8pm-10pm | |||
| 21-May | 8am-10am | |||
| 21-May | 12:30-2:30 pm | |||
| 22-May | 11am-1pm | 22-May | 6:30am-8:30am | |
| 22-May | 6pm-8pm | 22-May | 2pm-4pm | |
| 26-May | 3pm-5pm | |||
| 27-May | 10am-12pm | |||
| 28-May | 12:30pm-2:30pm | |||
| 29-May | 8-10am | 29-May | 9:30-11:30am | |
| 29-May | 2-4pm | |||
PLAN DESCRIPTIONS & GUIDE:
Summary Plan Descriptions and the Benefit Guides (Union & Non-Union) will be available in Paycom:
HEALTH PLAN OPTIONS
KAISER HMO PLAN:
| Current Premium | New Premium | |
| Employee only | $32.47 | $37.99 |
| Employee + 1 dependent | $64.94 | $75.98 |
| Family coverage (2 or more dependents) | $82.80 | $96.87 |
UNITED HEALTHCARE
All plans remain the same.
UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus HDHP (this plan was new for the 2025-2026 plan year):
This is a High-Deductible Health Plan, with a Health Savings Account, and provides an option to have LOWER PAYCHECK DEDUCTIONS. You can seek care in- or out-of-network.
New deductibles for 2026-2027:
| Network | Choice Plus HDHP |
| Deductible (individual/family) |
In network: $1,700 / $3,400 Out of network: $3,400 / $6,800 |
| Out of pocket maximum |
In network: $3,400 / $6,800 Out of network: $6,800 / $13,600 |
HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT – available only by enrolling in the HDHP
Key Points:
The other UHC plans will also continue, with no plan design changes, and CVS/Caremark remains for pharmacy coverage in all UHC plans:
Costs per pay period effective July 1, 2026 (premiums increased 12%):
UHC CHOICE HMO (in-network care only):
| Current Premium | New Premium | |
| Employee only | $31.49 | $37.03 |
| Employee + 1 dependent | $62.78 | $73.83 |
| Family coverage (2 or more dependents) | $80.67 | $94.87 |
UHC CHOICE PLUS POS (in-or out-of-network care):
| Current Premium | New Premium | |
| Employee only | $45.43 | $53.42 |
| Employee + 1 dependent | $96.06 | $112.95 |
| Family coverage (2 or more dependents) | $123.44 | $145.16 |
UHC CHOICE PLUS HDHP (in-or out-of-network care)
|
Current Premium |
New Premium |
|
| Employee only | $14.82 | $16.60 |
| Employee + 1 dependent | $63.02 | $70.59 |
| Family coverage (2 or more dependents) | $81.58 | $91.37 |
THE STANDARD DENTAL – AMERITUS NETWORK
Costs per pay period effective July 1, 2026 (premium increased 8%):
| Premium | |
| Employee only | $1.45 |
| Employee + 1 dependent | $2.96 |
| Family coverage (2 or more dependents) | $4.27 |
THE STANDARD VISION – EYEMED ACCESS NETWORK
The frames allowance for 2026-2027 has been increased to $150, and it remains 100% FREE for employees.
DASH pays the cost of this plan, so be sure to ENROLL if you need Vision coverage for you or your family.
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS
Flexible Spending Accounts allow you to save on a pre-tax basis for you and your family’s healthcare and dependent care expenses. When enrolled in any of the DASH medical plans (other than the high-deductible health plan), you can determine the amount of your salary to set aside in a FSA account, receive a debit card to use for expenses, and that amount is deducted from your paycheck on a pre-tax basis over the course of the plan year.
| Healthcare FSA | Dependent Care FSA | |
| Used for: | Entire family |
Tax dependent child under age 13 Tax dependent Spouse who lives with you and cannot care for themselves |
| Eligible expenses: | Copays, Coinsurance, Deductibles, Prescription drugs | Baby-sitters, Nursery schools, Pre-schools, Day Care Centers |
| Rollover allowed? | Yes | No |
Pay attention to the IRS maximum contributions and rollover allowance when calculating your contribution, as any unused funds in your account at the end of the plan year are forfeited. These are “use or lose” plans.
Healthcare FSA 2026 maximum contribution: $3,400 (rollover to next plan year $680)
Dependent Care FSA 2026 maximum contribution: $7,500 (able to incur claims for 90 days after the plan year ends)
Use the FSA Worksheet in your Benefit Guide to determine the best pre-tax contribution amounts for you and your family.
BASIC LIFE INSURANCE AND ACCIDENTAL DEATH & DISMEMBERMENT
DASH covers 100% of these costs.
Basic Life Insurance: 1x your annual earnings to $150,000 (or 2x your annual earnings to $450,000 for employees hired prior to July 1, 2009)
Accidental Death & Dismemberment: 100% of the basic life benefit
The life benefits reduce after age 65; see the Benefit Guide for more information.
ADDITIONAL LIFE / AD&D: You can enroll in additional life insurance and AD&D coverage for you and your Spouse/Child(ren) to the plan maximums. There is a cost to enroll in these additional coverages.
SHORT-TERM DISABILITY
This is a FREE benefit, 100% paid by DASH. This is an income replacement program in the event you are not able to work for a short period of time due to your own personal illness or injury. The benefit pays 60% of your weekly earnings up to $2000 per week.
To receive benefits from the plan, you must be employed by DASH for 1 year, and there is a 14-day waiting period. The maximum benefit period is 13 weeks including the waiting period.
Employees who did not elect this plan when initially eligible must complete an Evidence of Insurability (EOI) to be enrolled. A link to the EOI will be provided during your enrollment on Paycom.
This is an income replacement program, that begins when short-term disability ends, after a 90-day waiting period. This plan pays 60% of your weekly earnings up to a maximum of $8,000 per month, and to a maximum benefit period which varies depending on your age when you first became disabled.
This is an after-tax voluntary benefit which pays you directly based on the injury and treatment received. It covers the gap between what medical insurance pays and your health/living expenses should you or a family member become injured or suffer an accident. Benefits are paid directly to you, to use as you need.
Should you or a family member be diagnosed with a critical illness, this after-tax voluntary benefit pays an amount directly to you, depending on the type of illness, to cover various out of pocket costs and your rate does not increase as you age.
This benefit can help cover unexpected out-of-pocket expenses such as copays, deductibles, as well as everyday living expenses should you or a family member be hospitalized.
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PLAN (EAP)
This FREE benefit for DASH employees and their family members connects you to resources and support in many areas including mental health, financial, legal, will preparation and much more! Contact them 24/7 at 1-888-293-6948 or at healthadvocate.com/standard3.
401(k) RETIREMENT PLAN
This plan is designed to help you save and invest for your retirement, and to thank you for contributing to the success of DASH! You can access your account at pcsretirement.com/login, and click “register for web access” if you have not previously registered. Be sure to enter your beneficiaries in your account, and you can set up/change your own contribution and investment elections at any time after you are enrolled. DASH contributes 8% of your earnings to your account every pay period and you can contribute your own amount up to the annual IRS maximum.
There are several other benefits provided for DASH employees. See the Benefit Guide for more information.
REMEMBER: you must enroll in your health insurance by May 29, to have coverage effective July 1, 2026.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – FAQs
Annual Enrollment at DASH for your 2026-2027 benefits is from Monday May 18, 2026 (12:00 a.m.) to Friday, May 29, 2026 (11:59 p.m.).
You will use Paycom for your enrollment during Open Enrollment, and to make changes throughout the year in the case of a qualifying event.
Review your benefit elections and make sure all the information is correct! Your elections from the 2025-2026 plan year carried over – and you will see those when you log-in.
Double check plans you are enrolled in and verify dependent information is correct. Click submit and print an employee benefit summary for your records.
If you experience a qualifying life event, you may change your insurance plan elections. If you do not experience a qualifying life event, you may not change insurance plans.
A qualifying life event is an event that opens a special enrollment period for an employee to make changes to their insurance plans outside of the regular annual enrollment period. Examples of qualifying events include the birth or adoption of a child, marriage, divorce, and loss of job/coverage. You have 30 days from the date of the event to notify HR and make changes to your elections.
DASH covers 90% of the cost of your health insurance premiums. You are only responsible for 10% of the cost of premiums.
The following coverage is FREE:
Visit the Benefit Administration section of Paycom to review your benefits. Log on to Paycom and click on the ‘My Benefits’ link under the Benefits tab on the Dashboard.
We encourage you to get your family involved with Annual enrollment. Please feel free to share all relevant information and resources with your dependents. However, only you can enroll in Paycom, and you should print a copy of your Annual Enrollment elections for proof of enrollment prior to the deadline of May 29, 2026..
You can call your carrier or see Human Resources. Carrier contact and website information can be found in the Contacts section of the Benefit Guide.
Download your health provider mobile app (UHC or Kaiser) and register online for Vision & Dental with The Standard Insurance to always have access to your insurance cards, health plan information, deductible balances, explanation of benefits (EOB) and more!
You can find a provider online or by calling the insurance customer service number. See the Contacts section of the Benefit Guide.
A premium is the portion that you pay for your health insurance coverage provided by DASH. You pay this amount on a bi-weekly basis via payroll deduction. See your employee pay stub for deduction amounts or go to the Benefit Administration portal in Paycom to review your deduction amounts from each paycheck.
The amount that you owe for covered health services before the insurance company (UHC or Kaiser) begins to pay.
A fixed amount that you pay for a covered health care service, usually when you receive the service. The amount can vary by the type of covered health care service (i.e. a primary care visit versus a specialist, prescription drugs, etc.).
Your share of the costs of a covered health care service, calculated as a percentage of the allowed amount for the service. You pay co-insurance plus any deductibles you owe. For example, if the health insurance or plan’s allowed amount for a hospital visit is $500 and you’ve met your Deductible, your co-insurance payment of 10% would be $50. The health insurance or plan pays the rest of the allowed amount.
You cannot take an FSA with you; if you leave DASH, you forfeit any funds in that account.
The amount in your Health Savings Account is always yours and stays with you even when you change jobs.
Preventive care includes routine wellness exams, screenings, and immunizations intended to prevent or avoid illness or other health problems. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), you can get certain preventive health care services covered at 100%, at no cost to you. Examples of preventive care include:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
A benefit presentation will be available via the QR Code on your Benefit Guide which contains important information about the DASH benefit offerings for the new plan year.
Email us at DASH-HR@alexandriava.gov with any general questions or concerns that you may have regarding Annual Enrollment.
DON’T FORGET…
SET ASIDE TIME TO REVIEW YOUR BENEFITS AND BE SURE TO ENROLL BY MAY 29, 2026, AT 11:59 p.m. TO HAVE THE COVERAGE YOU NEED EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026.
