The 2026 Open Enrollment period has officially ended. The deadline for all benefit selections, changes, and submission of supporting documentation, was Friday, November 21, 2025, at 5:59 PM CST.
The next opportunity to make changes to your benefit plans or enroll in Health Flexible Spending Account or Dependent Care Reimbursement Program will be during the subsequent Open Enrollment period, which will be next fall. You may also make a change if you experience a qualifying life event and notify the Benefits Division within 31 days of the event.
If you have any questions regarding your current benefit status or need further clarification on future enrollment processes, please reach out to the HR Benefits Division at 832-393-6000 or benefits@houstontx.gov.
Open Enrollment Links
- 2026 COH Employee Benefits Decision Guide
- 2026 Open Enrollment Presentation (Coming soon)
- Medical Comparison Chart
- Medical Rate Chart
- Vision Rate Chart
- Dental Rate Chart
- Pharmacy Plan Chart
ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Initial Enrollment
(New Employees)
You have only thirty (30) days from your hire date to make initial enrollment elections and submit supporting documents for any eligible dependents you would like to cover. After enrollment, your benefits will begin the 1st or 16th day of the month following your 30th day of employment.
Annual Open Enrollment
(All Employees)
Open Enrollment is an annual opportunity to review and make changes to your benefits elections. During this time, you can add, drop, or change medical, dental and vision, as well as enroll or re-enroll for a Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (HFSA), Dependent Care Reimbursement Program (DCRP), supplemental, and life insurance coverage.
The open enrollment period for plan year 2026 is Monday, November 3 - Friday, November 21, 2025. Changes made during this time will be effective January 1, 2026. Voluntary life insurance will be effective on January 1, 2026 or the 1st or the 16th of the month following the date of Evidence of Insurability (EOI) approval.
Special Enrollments
(Qualified Life Events)
Life happens. A change in your situation, like getting married, having a baby or losing health coverage, can make you eligible for a special enrollment period, allowing you to enroll or make changes to your coverage outside the annual open enrollment.
To a change to your benefits due to a Qualifying Life Event (QLE), log into Benefitplace and request the change within 31 days of the event and upload supporting documentation. If documentation is not uploaded within 31 days, your newly elected dependent coverage will not be processed.
Newborns are temporarily covered for medical for 31 days. After 31 days, if you do not enroll your newborn your newborn’s coverage will terminate, even if you have Employee + Child(ren) or Employee + Family coverage. The coverage will be terminated back to date of birth.
Examples of QLE:
- Losing existing health coverage, including job-based, and individual plans
- Losing eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP
- Turning 26 and losing coverage through a parent’s plan
- Getting married or divorced
- Having a baby or adopting a child
- Death in the family
- Moving outside of the HMO network
