The Group Insurance Board established the 2026 insurance open enrollment period to be October 6-31, 2025.

Attend an Open Enrollment Kickoff Meeting

ETF will host two open enrollment employer kickoff events for local government employers for plan year 2026. All kickoff events will be held virtually. These events will follow a similar agenda as in previous years, and a recording will later be available on the ETF website for viewing anytime.

The employer kickoff meeting provides an opportunity to hear from new supplemental plan vendors and ETF about the benefit program changes that are effective January 1, 2026. 

Local It’s Your Choice Kickoff Meetings

Details for this year's live, virtual insurance open enrollment 2026 employer kickoff meeting are below.

Date:  Thursday, September 25, 2025
Time:  1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Register:  September 25 kickoff registration link 

Date:   Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Time:  9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Register:  September 30 kickoff registration link 

Local Insurance Q&A Session

ETF will host its annual local government employer insurance question and answer session. All local employers may register to ask ETF staff any insurance (health, life, income continuation insurance) benefit-related questions.

Date:  Thursday, October 2, 2025 
Time:  9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Register:  Local insurance Q&A registration link 

Employer Application Deadline

As a reminder, employer processing of applications will end on November 21, 2025. Please mark this date on your calendars.

ETF's Virtual Benefits Outreach Activities

ETF will again host a series of virtual benefit vendor forums to provide information for the 2026 health plan year and answer member and employer questions. These virtual forums are intended to provide the same personal interaction with benefit vendors as a kickoff event or benefit fair from the comfort of your own home or office. Employer benefits staff and members are encouraged to participate in as many sessions as desired in order to learn more about important changes, where to find resources, and how to help members make the most of their benefits. Registration details will be available on the ETF website this fall.

Decision guides are targeted to be mailed to employers the week of September 22, 2025. The insurance 2026 web pages are scheduled to go live that same week.

Please check the Member Education section of the ETF website for benefit education opportunities this fall.

Contact ETF Outreach by email at ETFSMBOutreach@etf.wi.gov with any additional questions.

Vendor Contact List

The Health Plan & Vendor Contacts (ET-1728) contains each health plan and vendor partner’s contacts for membership and coverage, claims, supplies, employee assistance programs, and complaints/grievances. The form is for employer use only; do not provide to employees. Employees must contact health plans using the contact information in the insurance materials.

Questions

Call ETF at 1-877-533-5020 or email ETFSMBEmployerInsurance@etf.wi.gov.

Reminder

If you prefer to provide your employees with a paper copy of the guide, we will automatically send you the same number of guides as you received last year. If you would like to change the number of copies, contact name, or mailing address, email ETF by June 18, 2025.

If you plan to send an email notification to all of your employees with a link to the guide on the ETF website, but have previously ordered paper copies, notify ETF that you no longer need any paper copies. See the previous employer news for details.