What to Expect for 2026

As part of our ongoing commitment to provide a comprehensive and competitive benefits package, we regularly review our offerings to ensure they meet the needs of our employees while remaining financially sustainable.

What's Changing

• As part of the Multi-Year Strategic Medical Benefits and Fiscal Sustainability Project presented in Spring 2024, Medical Premiums will be increasing to 12.9% of the medical plan costs. 

  • See 2026 Employee Premium Rate Charts

• Update for Breast Cancer Screening of Women at Average Risk: Supplementary imaging, such as MRIs and Ultrasounds, as well as pathology evaluations, which were previously considered diagnostic with out-of-pocket costs, will now be considered preventive, effective January 1, 2026.

• Medical Premium Subsidy Credit Ending After 2025 Plan Year

• Dental Premium Rate Changes: Increase of 2%

• MetLife Supplemental Life Insurance Guarantee Issue (GI) Amount: increasing by $50,000

• Voluntary Short Term Disability Coverage Increase

• The FSA Dependent Care contribution limit increases to $7,500 for a household or $3,750 for married couples filing separately

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Beginning January 1, 2026, only full-time benefit-eligible employees will have access to the Aetna Resources for Living Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

What's New

Our new voluntary plans will help you manage your out-of-pocket costs when the unexpected occurs off the job.

• Voluntary Accident Insurance Plan:  Accident plans pay a fixed cash benefit directly to you after a covered accidental injury, providing funds for medical expenses not covered by your primary health plan, like deductibles and copays.  Not only will the payments sent to you pay for those items, but you can also use them for non-medical costs such as rent, utilities, or childcare. It offers financial flexibility and peace of mind by supplementing your primary health coverage for accident-related costs.  There is coverage for fractures, paralysis, dismemberment, dislocation, burns, concussion, coma, and more.

• Voluntary Critical Illness Plan: A critical illness (CI) plan provides a lump-sum, tax-free cash benefit that can be used for any purpose. While a medical plan pays for treatment, the CI benefit provides financial flexibility to handle related life expenses, preventing major illnesses from leading to financial hardship. Here are a few of the most common items payable under the benefit:

  • • Advanced Parkinson’s Disease

    • Cancer

    • Diabetes (Type 1 only)

    • Heart Attack

    • Kidney Failure

    • Multiple Sclerosis

    • Stroke

• Voluntary Hospital Indemnity Plan: A hospital indemnity plan pays a fixed cash benefit directly to you for a covered hospital stay, rather than paying providers. This lump sum helps cover out-of-pocket medical costs like deductibles and copays, as well as non-medical expenses.

• Voluntary Worksite Whole Life with Long-Term Care: A worksite whole life insurance policy includes a long-term care (LTC) option. This hybrid policy is designed to provide you and your family with financial security for the future and peace of mind today. What this new benefit offers:

  • • Protection for your loved ones: The life insurance portion of the policy provides a death benefit to your beneficiaries, helping to ensure their financial security after you are gone.

    • Coverage for future care needs: The LTC option gives you access to a pool of funds to help pay for qualified long-term care expenses, such as care at home, in an assisted living facility, or in a nursing home. This can help protect your retirement savings from being depleted by care costs.

    • Streamlined coverage: This combined policy is a simple way to access benefits for both life insurance and long-term care under one plan.

• Voluntary Legal Insurance Plan: We are excited to announce a new standalone legal plan from LegalEASE, designed to give you and your eligible family members access to expert legal support when you need it most. Life is full of major milestones and unexpected events—from buying a new home and estate planning to dealing with a traffic stop. This new benefit provides a simple, affordable way to get help with these issues.

  • • LegalEASE provides for all your personal legal matters

      • Concierge matching: A dedicated member specialist helps you find the right attorney for your specific legal needs.

      • National attorney network: Access a vast network of experienced attorneys specializing in areas like family law, estate planning, real estate, and more.

      • Coverage for common issues: The plan covers a wide range of legal services, including preparing a will or trust, navigating tenant disputes, and handling civil lawsuits.

      • In-network and out-of-network benefits: You have the flexibility to use an attorney within the network or choose one outside of it.

      • Care.com: Members have access to Caregiver Services for seniors, children, pets, housekeeping, etc. 

      • LawAssure:  You have the capability to use their software to create Healthcare Directives, Estate Planning, Promissory Notes, Complaint Letters, Wills Trust, Power of Attorney, to name a few.  

    • This plan also includes optional coverage for the TurnSignl Mobile App for roadside interactions :

      • Real-time legal guidance: Through the TurnSignl mobile app, you can connect face-to-face with an attorney via live video chat during a traffic stop or car accident.

      • Live recording: The app records the interaction, with the video saved to the cloud for future reference if needed.

      • De-escalation support: The attorney on the call can help de-escalate the situation, protect your civil rights, and provide calm, expert guidance.

• Voluntary Pet Insurance Plan: While we mainly focus on your mental and physical well-being, we feel it is important to offer a program that is near and dear to many by adding a new voluntary pet insurance option to help cover your pets' unexpected veterinary bills. Many of us consider our pets part of the family, and this benefit is designed to provide you with peace of mind and financial support when your furry friends need it most.

Please Note: The benefit options available during open enrollment are offered through a limited group of approved vendors. The inclusion of any vendor or service in the open enrollment options does not represent an endorsement or recommendation by Maricopa County Community College District. Employees are encouraged to carefully review all available options and make independent decisions based on their individual and family needs.

Benefits that WILL NOT ROLL OVER: 

• Flexible Spending Accounts. You must enroll each year during open enrollment to begin or continue your Health Care FSA or Dependent Care FSA, even if you are not changing your contribution amounts.  See updates on 2026 FSA Account limits.

FSA Tax Advantages

The main tax advantage of a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is that it allows you to pay for eligible health care or dependent care expenses with before-tax dollars. This means the money you contribute to your FSA is deducted from your applicable taxable wages before federal, state, and FICA (Social Security and Medicare) payroll taxes are calculated, which lowers your overall taxable income and leads to tax savings. These savings can be substantial, effectively giving you more money in your paycheck. 

How the Tax Advantage Works

• Before-tax Contributions: When you contribute money to your FSA, it's subtracted from your gross income before taxes are calculated. 

• Reduced Taxable Income: By lowering your taxable income, you pay less in federal, state, and FICA (Social Security and Medicare) taxes. 

• Immediate Savings: You receive more money in your paycheck as the tax savings are immediate.

Example:

If you contribute $2,400 annually to an FSA and your combined federal tax, Social Security, and Medicare tax rate is 30%, you'd save $720 on taxes ($2,400 x 0.30 = $720) over the course of the year. This means an extra $720 in your take-home pay over the calendar year.

Eligible Expenses: 

• Health Care FSA: Covers out-of-pocket medical expenses not covered by insurance, such as copays, deductibles, prescription drugs, and medical supplies. View the link to see the complete listing of all eligible expenses. 

• Dependent Care FSA: Covers costs for a qualifying child or other dependent to allow you and your spouse (if married) to work or attend school.

Key Considerations: 

• "Use-it-or-lose-it" rule with Grace Period: Be aware that FSA funds must be used by March 15th after the plan year ends, and all claims must be submitted by 134 days after the plan year ends.

• Contribution Limits: There are annual limits on how much you can contribute to an FSA, which are set by the IRS and adjusted each year.

• Employer-Sponsored: FSAs are offered as part of an employee benefits package, so you must work for a company that provides them.

You must enroll each year during open enrollment to begin or continue your Health Care FSA or Dependent Care FSA, even if you are not changing your contribution amounts.

2026 MCCCD Legal Notices Booklet

MCCCD has updated the Annual Benefits Legal Notices in our Benefits Guides. These Annual Notices have been at the end of the guide each year. In order to make them easier for our employees to find, we are taking them out of the guide and publishing them on our existing Benefits Forms, Documents, and Links webpage. 

The Annual Acknowledgements & Disclosures typically include the following information:

• Important Plan Information, including the “No Surprises Rule,” Plan Documents including the Plan Summaries, Health Plan Notices, COBRA Continuation Coverage, Availability of Privacy Practices Notices, and ACA Disclaimer

• Medicare Part D Notice

• Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act

• Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health Protection Act

• HIPAA Notice of Special Enrollment Rights

• Premium Assistance under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP