Important Updates to Your 2026 Benefits: What You Need to Know

As we approach the 2026 benefits enrollment period, Aug. 4-22, we want to proactively share some important updates to your medical, vision, and dental plans. We understand that benefits are a crucial part of your overall compensation, and our goal is always to provide the best possible care while being responsible with our resources.

Cook Children's remains deeply committed to supporting you and your family's well-being. For example, we invest over $140 million annually in benefits, covering approximately 80% of the total cost for our employees. This significant investment reflects our ongoing dedication to your health.

Understanding this Year’s Increase in Paycheck Contributions

While Cook Children's covers the majority of your benefit costs, you will notice an increase in your paycheck contributions for medical, vision, and dental plans in 2026. This adjustment is necessary due to the nationwide rise in health care costs.

Across the country, factors such as increased utilization of health care services, the introduction of high-cost specialty drugs, and general inflation are driving up the cost of providing health benefits. For instance, national health expenditures are projected to continue growing, with some forecasts predicting a significant increase in employer-sponsored health care costs in 2025 and beyond.

We understand that any increase impacts your family budget. For some, the increase may be minor, while for others, especially those with spouses or dependents on the plan, it might be more noticeable. Please know that we have worked diligently to balance keeping your costs as affordable as possible with ensuring we continue to offer excellent, competitive coverage that meets current market standards. We continuously review our benefit offerings to provide the best value and minimize the financial impact on you.

What's Next?

You will soon receive your comprehensive Benefits Guide in the mail, which will provide detailed information about your 2026 plans. We also encourage you to watch internal communications for a virtual version of this guide. These resources are designed to give you ample time to review your options before benefits enrollment closes on Aug. 22.

In the meantime, we will continue to provide overviews with key information to help you prepare.

Easier and More Affordable Prescriptions

Your prescription drug coverage is moving to a new partner, Capital Rx. This change is all about being transparent with costs and helping us manage them better, which can save both you and Cook Children's money. Capital Rx also makes customer service simpler and quicker, and you'll still have access to a large network of pharmacies, including big chains and local stores.

Even better, you can now fill your prescriptions, including your regular and certain specialty medications, right here at Cook Children's pharmacies! This is an example of our collaboration with our own experts at Cook Children's to make things easier for you. You can pick up your medicines during our open hours. Plus, signing up for a MyCookChildren’s account makes it super easy to request refills and keep track of your prescriptions.

Better Vision Benefits: Glasses AND Contacts!

Good vision is important for your safety and daily life. Our Superior Vision plan now covers both glasses AND contacts every year for everyone on the plan. This gives you more choices and makes it easier to take care of your eyes. It's an upgrade we think many of you will truly appreciate!

New in 2026: Enhanced Tuition Assistance Program with EdAssist

Effective July 29, 2025, our Tuition Assistance program will be enhanced through a new partnership with EdAssist. This collaboration aims to provide a more streamlined and supportive experience for employees pursuing further education and professional development.

Through EdAssist, employees will continue to receive financial assistance, with up to $5,250 annually for full-time employees and $2,625 for half-time employees. This program also includes:

• One-on-one coaching with education experts to assist with academic planning and cost-saving strategies.
• Access to exclusive tuition discounts at over 230 accredited schools within the EdAssist network.
• Programs designed for working adults and various professional development resources.

For current Tuition Assistance participants, eligibility requirements remain the same. However, the process for reimbursement will transition to EdAssist's online portal, with applications required at the start of each course.

Looking ahead, early 2026 will introduce a Direct Pay option, allowing Cook Children's to remit tuition payments directly to your educational institution, removing the need for upfront personal payment and subsequent reimbursement.

For more information, please reach out to the Benefits department with any questions or visit Tuition Reimbursement. 

Support for Your Well-being: New Digital Tools!

We're introducing new digital tools designed to support your overall well-being: your physical health, mental clarity, and inner balance. We're adding Headspace, Sleepfit, and Aaptiv to provide you with accessible resources.

These digital tools are available anytime, day or night, to help you actively manage your well-being:

Headspace: Develop skills to manage stress, enhance focus, and cultivate calmness through guided meditations and breathing exercises. This resource can help you build mental resilience.

Sleepfit: Receive personalized guidance to improve your sleep quality. Restful sleep is fundamental for sustained energy and clear thinking, contributing to your overall health.

Aaptiv: Access audio-guided workouts led by expert trainers. Whether your preference is running, strength training, yoga, or stretching, Aaptiv can help you stay active and motivated.

These tools are designed to provide you with flexible options for your well-being journey, empowering you to make choices that support feeling your best.

Surgery assistance

We will no longer offer the surgery benefit through Lantern (formerly known as SurgeryPlus), with Sept. 30 being the last day these services can be utilized.

We understand that planning for surgery can be overwhelming, and we want to ensure you still have the support you need. If you’re enrolled in a Cook Children’s medical plan and have an upcoming surgery or procedure, you can work with a MyQHealth Care Coordinator to get help navigating your options, understanding cost and finding high-quality, in-network providers. This personalized support is designed to make your surgical experience as smooth and informed as possible. Call 888-552-6455 from 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday. 

Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Limits

It's important to remember that you need to actively choose to contribute to your Health Savings Account (HSA) and/or Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) each year. If you don't, your contributions will be set to $0 for the 2025-2026 plan year.

Here are the contribution limits for the HSA:

For the 2025-2026 plan year (Oct. 1, 2025, to Sept. 30, 2026):

• You can contribute up to $3,300 to your health care FSA. You can also roll over up to $640 from the 2024-2025 plan year to the 2025-2026 plan year.
• You can contribute up to $5,000 per household (or up to $2,500 if married and filing separately) to your dependent care FSA.

Don't Miss Out!

We encourage you to explore all the details in this year's benefits guide. This is your chance to learn about all the resources available and choose the coverage that fits your life best.

Please remember to enroll or make any changes by Friday, Aug. 22. Open Enrollment will again be Passive. This means that your current elections will rollover automatically with the exceptions of FSA, HSA contributions, and PTO sellback – these 3 elections are required to be made annually, so if you want any of these for next year, you must actively make those elections.  

If you don't take action during this time, you'll have to wait until the next open enrollment period to make changes, unless you have a major life change (like getting married or having a baby).

Thank you for all you do for our patients, their families, and each other. Your generosity and imagination in caring for others is truly inspiring. We are proud to support you in return!