2026 UGA Benefits Guide: How to Make the Most of Your University System of Georgia Benefits

University of Georgia employees have access to valuable benefits through the University System of Georgia. But during open enrollment, it can be hard to know what to keep, what to change, and what deserves a closer look.

This guide is designed to help UGA employees and University System of Georgia employees quickly review the major benefit options: health insurance, HSA and FSA accounts, retirement plans, life insurance, disability insurance, and a few other planning items that are easy to overlook.

This is not a replacement for the official USG Benefits Comparison Guide, OneUSG Connect - Benefits, University Human Resources, or your plan documents. The goal is to help you skim the major decisions and identify where your benefits may need more attention.

How to Use This Guide

Start with the sections most relevant to your situation:

If you are thinking about...	Focus on...
Lowering monthly premiums	Health insurance, HSA, spouse surcharges, tobacco certifications
Saving on taxes	HSA, FSA, retirement plan contributions
Preparing for retirement	TRS, ORP, 403(b), 457(b), Medicare, Social Security
Protecting your family	Life insurance, disability insurance, beneficiary information
Planning for known expenses	Prescriptions, dental, vision, dependent care, additional dental work
Nearing age 65	Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B, HSA eligibility, retiree healthcare

1. Start With Your Actual Life, Not Just the Benefit Menu

The best approach depends on your specific situation. Before choosing a new plan or keeping your current benefits, gather a few things:

• Your current USG healthcare plan
• Expected medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug expenses
• A list of doctors, specialists, and preferred hospitals
• Current prescription drugs and whether they are on the approved drug list or formulary
• Coverage available through your spouse’s employer
• Whether any family members need coverage
• Upcoming changes such as marriage, divorce, birth, retirement, or Medicare eligibility
• Beneficiary information for life insurance, HSA, and retirement plans

This makes open enrollment less about guessing and more about comparing real costs and risks.

2. Health Insurance: Do Not Choose Based on Monthly Premium Alone

USG health plans generally differ in four major ways:

1. Monthly premium
2. Deductible
3. Out-of-pocket maximums
4. Network flexibility

The Anthem Consumer Choice HSA plan has the lowest monthly premium, but it also has a higher deductible and requires you to be more comfortable managing out-of-pocket costs. The tradeoff is access to a Health Savings Account, which can be a powerful planning tool.

The Anthem Comprehensive Care plan usually offers more predictable cost sharing than the Consumer Choice HSA plan while still allowing in-network and out-of-network coverage.

The Anthem BlueChoice HMO and Kaiser Permanente HMO may offer more predictable costs, but you need to be comfortable with the network rules. Kaiser Permanente can be a good fit for some UGA employees in Athens or metro Atlanta, but you should confirm that your providers and preferred facilities fit your needs.

Action steps:

• Compare the monthly premium against the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum.
• Confirm that your doctors and specialists are in network.
• Review prescription drugs before changing plans.
• Look beyond premium savings if you expect surgery, pregnancy, expensive medications, or frequent specialist visits.
• Review spouse surcharges and tobacco user status certifications.

A lower premium is helpful only if the plan still works for your healthcare needs.

3. Watch the Surcharges

USG healthcare plan surcharges can create unnecessary additional cost if you miss a certification.

Two important items to review during open enrollment are:

• Tobacco user status
• Working-spouse surcharge

If you cover a spouse who has access to subsidized employer coverage elsewhere, a monthly surcharge may apply. If you or a covered family member uses tobacco products, or if you fail to complete required certifications, a tobacco surcharge may apply.

Action steps:

• Complete spouse certifications during open enrollment.
• Complete tobacco certifications accurately.
• If applicable, review tobacco cessation program options.
• Check your paystub after enrollment to confirm the correct monthly surcharge is or is not being applied.

This is one of the simplest places to avoid an unnecessary cost.

4. HSA: A Strong Option If the Consumer Choice HSA Plan Fits

A Health Savings Account can be one of the most valuable benefits available to USG employees, but it is only available if you are enrolled in the Consumer Choice HSA plan and otherwise eligible.

An HSA can be useful because contributions may reduce taxable income, unused funds can roll over from year to year, and the account can potentially be invested for future healthcare costs.

For 2026, the USG guide lists HSA contribution limits of:

• Single coverage: $4,400
• Family coverage: $8,750
• Catch-up contribution: $1,000 for eligible employees age 55 or older and not enrolled in Medicare

USG also provides an employer contribution match when you contribute through payroll deduction.

Action steps:

• Consider contributing at least enough to receive the USG employer match.
• If cash flow allows, consider increasing contributions toward the annual maximum.
• Decide whether to spend HSA dollars now or invest them for future healthcare costs.
• Stop and review HSA eligibility before enrolling in Medicare.

For higher-income UGA employees, the HSA may be more than a healthcare account. It can become part of a broader tax and retirement strategy.

5. FSA: Useful, But Plan Conservatively

A Flexible Spending Account can help pay eligible expenses with pre-tax dollars, but FSAs require more planning because unused funds may be forfeited if not used by the deadline.

USG offers several FSA options:

Healthcare FSA: Typically pairs with Comprehensive Care, BlueChoice HMO, or Kaiser Permanente HMO.

Limited Purpose FSA: Can pair with the Consumer Choice HSA plan and is generally used for eligible dental and vision expenses.

Dependent Care FSA: Can help pay eligible dependent care expenses, such as daycare or after-school care.

Action steps:

• Use an FSA only for expenses you can reasonably predict.
• Include dental work, orthodontia, vision expenses, recurring prescriptions, and dependent care.
• Remember that FSAs usually need to be elected again each open enrollment.
• Be careful when switching from an FSA to an HSA, because leftover FSA balances can affect HSA eligibility.

The FSA can be valuable, but it is not the place to overestimate.

6. Retirement Plans: TRS, ORP, 403(b), and 457(b)

USG retirement plans are one of the most important parts of your financial picture.

For many salaried employees, the major decision is between the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia and the Optional Retirement Plan. TRS is a defined benefit pension-style plan. ORP is a defined contribution plan where your retirement benefit depends on contributions, investments, and market returns.

This decision is especially important because for eligible employees, the TRS vs. ORP election is generally irrevocable.

USG employees may also have access to supplemental retirement plans, including a 403(b), 457(b), or both. These can be used in addition to TRS or ORP.

Action steps:

• New employees should review TRS vs. ORP carefully before the election deadline.
• Decide whether pre-tax or Roth contributions make more sense.
• Review your retirement vendor and investment allocation.
• Coordinate USG retirement plans with outside IRAs, brokerage accounts, and a spouse’s retirement plan.
• Revisit your contribution rate when income changes.

This is where a financial planner can add significant value. The right answer depends on your career timeline, age, income, tax bracket, risk tolerance, and retirement goals.

7. Life Insurance and Beneficiary Information

USG employees may receive basic life insurance and accidental death coverage, with the option to purchase supplemental life insurance for themselves, a spouse, or children.

Life insurance decisions should be based on the financial loss your family would face if something happened to you. That may include mortgage payments, childcare, college funding, income replacement, debts, or support for a surviving spouse.

Action steps:

• Review how much coverage you actually need.
• Compare group life insurance with private term insurance if you are healthy.
• Update beneficiary information after marriage, divorce, children, or estate plan changes.
• Make sure your beneficiary’s name is accurate and consistent with your estate plan.

Do not treat beneficiary information as a one-time task. It should be reviewed regularly.

8. Disability Insurance: Protecting Your Paycheck

Disability coverage is often overlooked because nobody expects to need it.

USG offers short-term and long-term disability options. Short-term disability may help replace income for a limited period after a qualifying disability. Long-term disability is designed to help if an illness or injury prevents you from working for an extended period.

Action steps:

• Review whether you have enough emergency savings to self-insure a short-term income gap.
• Consider short-term disability if you are planning for pregnancy or have limited cash reserves.
• Strongly review long-term disability if your household depends on your income.
• Understand when benefits begin, how long they last, and whether evidence of insurability is required.

For many professionals, the ability to earn income is one of their largest financial assets.

9. Dental, Vision, Pharmacy, and Other Benefits

These benefits may seem smaller, but they can still matter.

Review the dental plan if you expect cleanings, fillings, crowns, orthodontia, or additional dental work. Review the vision plan if you or family members need glasses, contacts, or regular eye care. Review the pharmacy plan if you take ongoing prescription drugs, specialty medications, or brand-name medications.

Action steps:

• Check the covered or approved drug list.
• Ask whether mail order could reduce prescription costs.
• Compare dental premiums to expected dental expenses.
• Consider the vision plan if you expect glasses, contacts, or frequent eye care.
• Review accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness plans only after your core coverage is in place.

The goal is not to enroll in every benefit. The goal is to choose the benefits that solve a real financial risk.

10. Nearing Retirement or Age 65? Slow Down

If you are approaching retirement, your USG benefits need to be coordinated with Medicare, Social Security, taxes, and your retirement income plan.

If you are still actively working and covered under a USG health plan, review how your USG coverage coordinates with Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. Also pay close attention to HSA eligibility if you delay Medicare enrollment past age 65.

Action steps:

• Review retiree healthcare eligibility before leaving employment.
• Understand how Medicare enrollment affects your HSA.
• Coordinate retirement date, healthcare coverage, Social Security, and portfolio withdrawals.
• Review dental, vision, life insurance, and beneficiary information before retirement.

A retirement date is not just a work decision. It is a benefits, tax, healthcare, and income decision.

Open Enrollment Checklist for UGA Employees

Before finalizing your elections:

• Log in to OneUSG Connect - Benefits.
• Review each USG healthcare plan.
• Compare monthly premium, deductible, and out-of-pocket maximums.
• Check your doctors, hospitals, and prescription drugs.
• Review HSA or FSA contributions.
• Complete spouse certifications and tobacco user status certifications.
• Estimate dental, vision, and dependent care expenses.
• Review life insurance and disability insurance.
• Update beneficiary information.
• Save contact information and confirmation records.
• Ask for help before the deadline if you are unsure.

Want Help Reviewing Your UGA or USG Benefits?

Your benefits are valuable, but the right choices depend on your specific situation.

Arch Financial Planning helps UGA employees and University System of Georgia employees review open enrollment decisions, USG health plans, HSA and FSA contributions, retirement plan options, life insurance, disability coverage, Medicare timing, taxes, and investment strategy.

We are a registered investment adviser based near Athens and Watkinsville, Georgia. We are not affiliated with UGA, USG, OneUSG Connect - Benefits, University Human Resources, or any retirement vendor.

If you want help turning your benefits into a better financial strategy, schedule an intro call so we can learn more about what you’re looking for and see whether our process would be helpful.

Arch Financial Planning is a fee-only financial advisor headquartered in Watkinsville, GA.