Open Enrollment
Canisius University’s annual Open Enrollment period for health insurance benefits runs through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 8, 2025. During this time, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to review and select benefit options for the upcoming year.
The last open enrollment information session will be held today, Wednesday, June 4 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. on Teams: Join the meeting now
While many aspects of the benefits remain the same, there are several important changes and new offerings to share:
CHANGES AND UPDATES
- New Enrollment Platform: Canisius University is transitioning to a new online enrollment platform, Navigator, as the previous platform (Maxwell) is no longer supported. This transition is necessary to ensure continued and secure access to the benefits selection process.
- All benefit-eligible employees will receive an Email from Navigator on Thursday, May 22, with instructions on how to create their accounts.
- Once set up, employees must re-enroll in all benefits, including health insurance, dental, vision, life insurance, long-term disability, health savings account (HSA), and dependent care.
- Re-enrollment is required to maintain coverage. Employees who do not complete the re-enrollment process by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 8, will be deemed to have waived all benefits and will not be eligible to re-enroll until next year.
- *Employees may log into the Maxwell Health website to verify their current benefits. To log in, employees should use their Canisius email address as their username. Anyone who has forgotten their password can click “trouble logging in” and then select “password reset.”
- Premium Adjustments: Independent Health, the university’s health insurance provider, has announced premium increases for the upcoming year. While these adjustments are unfortunate, they reflect broader, industry-wide trends and are not unique to Independent Health. The impact on individual employees will vary depending on plan selection and salary level.
- Canisius remains committed to maintaining its overall 75:25 cost-sharing ratio, meaning the university contributes 75% of total premium costs across all health plans to help ensure healthcare remains an essential employee benefit.
- Detailed information about premium adjustments is available on the MyCanisius portal (Human Resources -> Benefit Information).
- Increased Health Savings Account (HSA) Contributions: To help offset the impact of rising premiums, Canisius University will increase its contributions to employees’ Health Savings Accounts. Contribution amounts will vary based on plan coverage and salary level and are intended to offer meaningful assistance for healthcare expenses. The new HSA contribution amounts can be found on the MyCanisius portal (Human Resources -> Benefit Information.)
- To receive these contributions, eligible employees must complete the attestation form, even if completed in previous years. Employees will be prompted to sign the attestation form once they create their new account on the Navigator platform.
- Deductible Adjustment: Due to new IRS regulations, there will be a change to the $1600/$3200 iDirect annual deductible:
- Single coverage: $1,650 (previously $1,600)
- Family coverage: $3,300 (previously $3,200)
No Other Benefit Changes: All other benefits, copays and coverage details will remain unchanged. The costs for voluntary supplemental insurance, including dental and vision, will also remain unchanged.
NEW VOLUNTARY BENEFIT OPTIONS
To further support employees, Canisius is introducing new voluntary supplemental insurance options through Guardian Insurance, in addition to the existing vision and dental plans:
- Critical illness insurance: This benefit provides added financial protection in the event of a serious health diagnosis. It is designed to help cover unexpected expenses that can accompany conditions such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and other serious illnesses.
- Accident insurance: This supplemental coverage helps offset the out-of-pocket costs that can result from an accident, including ambulance fees, X-rays, or deductibles.
- Special enrollment for voluntary life insurance: Guardian is offering a special enrollment period for voluntary life insurance. Employees will be eligible to enroll or increase voluntary life insurance coverage up to the guaranteed issue amount without providing any health history.
NEXT STEPS
- Visit the MyCanisius portal for complete plan details, premium information, and new benefit options (Human Resources -> Benefit Information).
- Attend an Open Enrollment informational session. Session dates and times will be emailed later today, Wednesday, May 21.
- Create a new account in Navigator. Instructions will be emailed on Thursday, May 22.
- Re-enroll in all benefits by 11:59 p.m. on June 8, 2025.
All benefit-eligible employees are encouraged to view their options carefully during this Open Enrollment period to make informed decisions that best support their individual and family needs. Anyone with questions prior to the informational sessions is welcome to contact the Human Resources Department at Ext. 2240 or at hr@canisius.edu.
Submitted by: Human Resources
