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Open Enrollment

Benefits Plans & What's New

What’s New

Back to top Open Enrollment

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Scroll through this page to learn about your benefits plans and to see what’s new for open enrollment this year. What’s NOT new is that you will use the two enrollment portals in ConnectCarolina to make your benefits selections for open enrollment: State Enrollment Portal for health insurance with State Health Plan and UNC System Enrollment Portal for dental, vision and all other insurance and illness plans with UNC Benefits and NC Flex. For step-by-step instructions for using the two portals, see the How to Enroll webpage.

Everything you need to know about the
State Health Plan

From rate sheets to program highlights to additional resources, the North Carolina State Health Plan Open Enrollment website is your hub for health insurance information.

Open Enrollment Active Members Guide

Use the State Enrollment Portal in ConnectCarolina for your State Health Plan selections and tobacco attestation.

State Health Plan in 2025

  • Aetna is the new third-party administrator for the State Health Plan in 2025. There are no changes to coverage with this administrator.
    • For one of the steps in the State Enrollment Portal, you will select your primary care provider by clicking on the link for the Aetna system. By selecting a primary care provider, you will pay less for the copays when seeing that provider.
    • The State Health Plan website lists in-network providers; see the In-network providers toggle below for instructions on how to search.
    • In 2025, Aetna will be providing some new services for State Health Plan members, including a teledoc platform for virtual visits, a 24/7 Ask-a-Nurse phone line and a new concierge phone service.
  • No rate increases for the State Health Plan for 2025 — no increase in copays or deductibles for the 7th year in a row!
  • You will receive a new health insurance ID card sent to you from Aetna. This card goes into effect Jan. 1, 2025.
    • To be sure the new cards make it to your mailbox, check that your address is updated in ConnectCarolina Self Service in the Personal Information tile, especially if you have moved recently.
  • Insulin (preferred and non-preferred) continues to have a $0 copay for a 30-day supply.
  • Preventive Services remain free — no copay or deductible — on either plan.
  • Members who select a Clear Pricing Project Provider as their Primary Care Provider will continue to enjoy a $0 copay. Clear Pricing Project Providers are noted on the Aetna page when selecting your Primary Care Provider (PCP) in the State Enrollment Portal.
  • Members will continue to enjoy a reduced copay when visiting a Clear Pricing Project Specialist.
The State Health Plan is working with select high-quality orthopedic specialists to offer a joint replacement program for eligible employees in need of knee, hip, or shoulder replacement surgery.

Normally these surgeries would have an out-of-pocket cost to you of over $6,000, but if eligible, all the costs associated with your surgery will be bundled together and you will pay only a copay (no deductible or coinsurance):

  • Base (70/30) Plan copay is $900.
  • Enhanced (80/20) Plan is $600.

Joint replacement bundle pricing is available for eligible members.

For more information about this program, see the Joint Replacement Program page of the State Health Plan website.

Use the steps below to search for your primary care provider (PCP) on the State Health Plan website:

  • Open the State Health Plan’s Find a Doctor webpage.
  • View the section titled NC State Health Plan Network (Aetna 2025).
  • Click on the plan type you are interested in — Enhanced (80/20) Plan or Base (70/30) Plan.
  • Use the Continue as a guest section to enter the ZIP code for your location and begin your search.

Take note!

If you want the Enhanced (80/20) Plan, you MUST opt into that plan in the State Enrollment Portal.

  • All currently enrolled State Health Members will default into the Base (70/30) Plan for 2025 unless action is taken to select the Enhanced (80/20) Plan.
  • Employees NOT currently enrolled in a State Health Plan will not default into the Base (70/30) Plan for next year (for example, if you are covered on another health insurance plan, as through a spouse’s benefits package).

To avoid a $60 monthly surcharge, complete the tobacco attestation in the State Enrollment Portal.

  • Even if you completed the tobacco attestation during last year’s open enrollment OR recently as a new hire, you must make a new attestation during this year’s open enrollment to avoid the $60 monthly surcharge.
  • Tobacco attestation ONLY applies to the employee, not to their spouse or dependents.

If adding new dependents to your health insurance, you MUST upload documentation.

  • For a list of acceptable documentation and instructions on how to upload, see the State Enrollment Portal section of the How to Enroll page of our open enrollment website.

In this video, UNC Benefits Consultant Aaron Adams highlights important information about the State Health Plan. Follow along with the State Health Plan video transcript.

Everything you need to know about
UNC System Benefits & NC Flex

See this comprehensive resource from the University of North Carolina System for all the details about dental, vision and other insurance and illness plans with UNC System Benefits and NCFlex:

    Accident
    Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)
    Cancer & Specified Illness
    Critical Illness
    Dental

    Flexible Spending Accounts
    Group Term Life
    TRICARE supplement coverage
    Vision

2025 University NCFlex Enrollment Guide (pdf)

Use the UNC System Enrollment Portal in ConnectCarolina for your UNC System Benefits and NCFlex selections.

UNC System & NC Flex in 2025

  • Dental rates will increase in 2025.
  • To have a flexible spending account (FSA) for 2025, you MUST enroll (or re-enroll) during this year’s open enrollment period.
    • Even if you had an FSA for 2024, you MUST re-enroll during this year’s open enrollment to have an FSA for 2025.
For information about disability plans, see the UNC System Long Term Disability Plans webpage > See Supplemental Disability Programs section > Click the appropriate retirement program (ORP or TSERS) to view drop-down options.

Take note!

If you do NOT wish to enroll in benefits plans other than health insurance, you only need to complete enrollment in the State Enrollment Portal and do not need to access the UNC System Enrollment Portal for any enrollments.

Check your dependents and/or beneficiaries.

  • For instructions on how to add or change dependent and/or beneficiary information for UNC System and/or NC Flex benefits plans. see the UNC System Enrollment Portal section of the How to Enroll page of our open enrollment website.

Watch this video to hear UNC Benefits Consultant Morgan Morrison share reminders for enrolling in a flexible spending account (FSA) for 2025. Follow along with the FSA video transcript.

Good to know…

If you and your spouse are both state employees, only one of you may cover your eligible dependent children. Additionally, you cannot be covered as BOTH an employee AND a dependent when electing coverage under the State Health Plan, UNC System Benefits and NCFlex plans.

Open enrollment information applies only to UNC-Chapel Hill benefits-eligible permanent employees:
permanent full- and part-time SHRA, EHRA Non-Faculty and Faculty working a minimum of 20 hours a week. Temporary employees working 30 hours or more per week may be eligible to enroll in the State Health Plan’s High Deductible Health Plan; eligible temporary employees will be notified by a UNC Benefits email.
Learn more about benefits eligibility.