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2026 Open Enrollment

Welcome to the Open Enrollment period for the 2026 Plan Year! 

We're excited to announce that the Court will continue to conduct Open Enrollment electronically this year through NeoGov.  All relevant documents, including the annual Open Enrollment notification letter, can be found on this page by clicking the appropriate links below.  For detailed information about the Court's benefits, please visit the "Active Employees" and "Other Benefits" section on the Health Benefits page or the Benefits Portal in NeoGov.  To enroll in or change benefit elections for health benefits and the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) plans, you will need to access the quick link "Open Enrollment" in NeoGov. 

Open Enrollment periods are an excellent time to make changes to your health plan, such as adding or dropping dependents, when you would otherwise be unable to do so without sustaining a qualifying life event, such as a marriage, divorce, birth or death, or the gaining or losing of benefit coverage elsewhere during the course of the year.  Additionally, this is the time to enroll in or renew your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) plans.  *Please note: Participation in FSA does not carry over to the next plan year; you must renew your enrollment each year, and any remaining unused funds from the prior year will be forfeited. 

The Open Enrollment period will run for the entire month of October (October 1, 2025 through October 31, 2025).  All forms must be received by Human Resources no later than Friday, October 31, 2025.  Changes made during open enrollment do not take effect until January 1, 2026.  If you wish to add new dependents, please complete the 2026 Benefit Enrollment/Change Form and include supporting documentation, such as a marriage certificate (for a spouse) or a birth certificate (for a child under 26).  You can find the form in NeoGov and submit it along with the required documents. 

The Court will continue to offer employees the ability to enroll in the Court’s PPO Medical, Prescription, Dental and Vision plans; or, if you are presently enrolled in an HMO plan that you are pleased with, but are lacking the Dental and Vision components, you have the ability to obtain just the Dental and Vision component available through the Court.  Unfortunately, our PPO Medical and Prescription plans do not coordinate benefit coverage with HMO plans (unless they are state-funded, such as Medicare or Medi-Cal); therefore, enrolling in full coverage through the Court’s PPO plan while remaining covered by another HMO plan could become problematic for members.  Employees who will be dropping coverage through the Court’s plan, or who are electing the Dental and Vision only component, should be prepared to provide proof of other health insurance.

Rate Changes for 2026 Plan Year:

Since separating from the County of Kern in 2008, the Court has successfully maintained low to no rate increases in Medical and Dental premiums.  However, like many plans nationwide, we have experienced a significant increase in claims activity over the past year.  As a result, the Court's Medical and Dental plan will see an increase in premium rates effective January 1, 2026. 

On a positive note, there will be no increase in Vision rates for the upcoming year. 

The bi-weekly premium rates for the 2026 plan year are as follows:

Rates effective January 1, 2026 (Active, Full-time Employees)

  MEDICAL / RX / DENTAL & VISION DENTAL & VISION ONLY
Employee $0.00 $0.00
Employee + 1 $90.74 $4.22
Employee + 2 or more $181.13 $8.57

*The Court will continue to cover 100% of the bi-weekly premiums for employees and their eligible dependents, if they were hired prior to April 15, 1997.

Enrollment forms can be found in NeoGov and must be submitted through NeoGov. 

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