U.S. Benefits 2027 Open Enrollment
Your Health. Your Family. Your 2027 Benefits.
Healthcare is personal. We’re putting your health and wellbeing first with new offerings and resources that protect your health and your paycheck.
Healthcare is personal. We’re putting your health and wellbeing first with new offerings and resources that protect your health and your paycheck.
Open Enrollment is your once-a-year chance to make sure your benefits fit your life and make any changes for the coming year.
For 2027, we’ve added new resources to help you and your family catch health issues early, get expert support when you need it, and focus on your wellbeing.
During Open Enrollment, you can:
Open enrollment is October 26 - November 6, 2026. If you do not make any changes, your current benefits will stay the same, except for Flexible Spending Accounts, which require a new election every year.
Your benefits are an important part of your Snowflake Total Rewards. In 2027, you’ll have even more ways to support your health and wellbeing. This year, we’re updating our medical and pharmacy benefits, introducing cancer-care navigation through Transcarent, increasing your short-term disability benefit, streamlining family-forming benefits, and more.
As you review your benefits options, if you have questions or need more information, reach out to a Benefits Advocate at (925) 378-6485 and snowflake@alliant.com.
If you're on the Cigna PPO or HDHP, your deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums are being updated for 2027. Even if you love your current plan, take a few minutes to review the changes; especially if you use your benefits frequently or need ongoing care. The updates affect how much you pay before insurance kicks in and your annual spending cap.
Your pharmacy coverage through CVS continues in 2027, but certain copay amounts are changing. If you or a family member takes a regular medication, review the updated costs. Tier changes can affect how much you pay for both brand-name and generic drugs.
Maven will be Snowflake’s primary partner for fertility, family-building, and related support services, replacing Kindbody. Cigna members will have access to Maven as the preferred fertility partner.
Back pain. Knee pain. Hip or shoulder issues. Pelvic Health. These are common and costly, health problems. Starting in 2027, Cigna members and their families have access to Hinge Health, a digital program that pairs you with a physical therapist and an at-home exercise plan. No referral needed. Hinge Health is built on the idea that catching and treating musculoskeletal problems early, before they turn into chronic pain or require surgery, leads to better outcomes. If you've been putting off addressing an ache or injury, this is your on-ramp.
A cancer diagnosis comes with a flood of decisions, appointments, and uncertainty. Starting January 1, 2027, eligible Cigna members have access to Transcarent, a dedicated team that provides personalized guidance through every step: understanding your diagnosis, finding the right specialists, navigating treatment options, and supporting the people caring for you. Transcarent provides a dedicated nurse navigator and care team. You don't have to wait for a diagnosis to learn what's available; take 10 minutes now to know who to call if you ever need it. Learn more about Transcarent.
Specialized neurodiversity coaching, resources, and assessments may be available to those enrolled in a Snowflake-sponsored Cigna plan, through our expanded partnership with Lyra.
If you or a family member receives a serious diagnosis or is facing major surgery, a second opinion from a top specialist can change everything. Through 2nd.MD (through Transcarent), empoyees enrolled in a Snowflake-sponsored medical plan, has access to free virtual second opinion consultations with nationally recognized medical experts. No referral needed.
Conditions where second opinions most frequently change treatment plans: cancer, orthopedic surgery, cardiac procedures, and rare diseases. Access 2nd.MD.
For California employees enrolled in the Kaiser HMO, 2027 updates include changes to out-of-pocket maximums, office-visit copays, emergency services, prescription tiers.
If you or a family member receives a serious diagnosis or is facing major surgery, a second opinion from a top specialist can change everything. Through 2nd.MD (through Transcarent), empoyees enrolled in a Snowflake-sponsored medical plan, has access to free virtual second opinion consultations with nationally recognized medical experts. No referral needed.
Conditions where second opinions most frequently change treatment plans: cancer, orthopedic surgery, cardiac procedures, and rare diseases. Access 2nd.MD.
Eligible employees and dependents will have access to up to 16 Lyra-sponsored sessions per year, at no cost (down from 25 sessions in 2026).
Starting January 1, 2027, Snowflake's existing partnership with RethinkCare will be terminated. Lyra will be expanded to include neurodiversity support for those enrolled in a Cigna plan only.
The 2027 IRS limits for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Health Savings Accounts (HSA), and Commuter Benefits are listed below.
FSA Contribution Details
HSA Contribution Details
You can enroll in or stop your participation in the commuter pre-tax account program at any time. Contributions in the account can be used in future months or plan years, and does not require an election during the Open Enrollment period. To learn more, visit the commuter page.
Life insurance helps protect your loved ones in the event of an unexpected death. Snowflake provides Basic Life and AD&D coverage to all U.S. employees at no cost. Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance allows you to purchase additional protection for your family's financial security.
Coverage is available for yourself, your spouse/domestic partner, and/or your child(ren). To purchase coverage for your dependents, you must first elect coverage for yourself. Consider your current and future financial needs when evaluating how much coverage you need.
During the 2027 Open Enrollment period, you may increase your voluntary employee life insurance election by up to $40,000 without providing Evidence of Insurability (EOI) — also called a Statement of Health — as long as your total coverage does not exceed the $300,000 Guaranteed Issue (GI) limit.
Previously, participants could only increase coverage by $10,000 without EOI. The new $40,000 threshold gives existing enrollees an opportunity to increase protection without needing a medical review.
Examples — No EOI Required
Any coverage elected **above** $300,000 remains subject to EOI review.
Example: An employee currently enrolled at $280,000 elects an additional $40,000.
The first **$20,000** is approved automatically (bringing them to the $300,000 GI limit).
The remaining **$20,000** requires EOI review
Total elected coverage: **$320,000** — with $20,000 pending approval
Election changes outside the Open Enrollment period are only permitted if you experience an **IRS-defined qualified life event** (such as marriage, birth or adoption of a child, or divorce) — and you must submit your change request within 31 days of the event.
Beginning in 2027, the maximum weekly benefit for Short-Term Disability (STD) and California Voluntary Disability Insurance (VDI) for employees on a qualified medical leave will increase from $3,500 to $4,000 per week. STD and VDI benefits provided under the Snowflake plan are tax-free.
California Voluntary Disability Insurance changes:
For California employees covered by our VDI plan, in addition to the increase in benefits above, you will also see an increase in the tax-free portion of your benefits for Caregiver and Parental leaves from a weekly maximum of $2,000 to $4,000.
Starting in 2027, employees will be responsible for applicable benefit-plan contributions while on a leave of absence. For more information please see the LOA Toolkit on The Lift.
During paid leave:
Your regular benefit deductions will continue to be withheld from your paycheck as normal, including medical, dental, vision, FSA, and voluntary benefit contributions. Since many of our leave pay benefits are tax-free, these deductions will only come from any taxable income you receive. If your leave pay is insufficient to cover the full deduction amount, deductions will be taken in the following priority order: [1. medical, 2. dental, 3. vision, 4. voluntary benefits]. Any amounts that cannot be withheld will accumulate and be reconciled upon your return.
Please note: Certain benefits like your 401(k) contribution or your Commuter Benefit contributions will pause during leave, as these require eligible compensation.
During unpaid leave:
Your regular benefit deductions will stop since you will not have any eligible income. Contributions will accrue and will be reconciled when you return to work.
Healthcare costs continue to rise nationally, and as a result, employee bi-weekly contributions for medical, dental, and vision coverage will increase modestly in 2027. Snowflake still covers the majority of the cost of your care, and we remain committed to offering comprehensive, competitive benefits for you and your family.
Take a moment to review the updated 2027 contribution rates and consider what coverage best fits your needs before finalizing your elections.
Three plans. Different tradeoffs. Here's how to think about them.
HDHP: High Deductible Health PlanHMO: Health Maintenence Organization HSA: Health Savings AccountFSA: Flexible Spending Account OAP: Open Access PlusPPO: Preferred Provider Organization
If you're generally healthy and want to pay less monthly while building a tax-free savings account. Snowflake contributes to your HSA.
If you want lower out-of-pocket costs when you use care, without managing a deductible before coverage kicks in.
If you're in California and prefer coordinated care with a primary care doctor managing your referrals.
We're hosting short virtual sessions throughout October. One per vendor, 30 minutes each. These are the fastest way to understand what's available to you, including several benefits that don't require enrollment. Calendar invitations will be sent out; attendance is optional.
Recordings will be posted as they become available.
These are optional benefits you pay for, available at group rates through Snowflake. If you want to add or remove coverage, this is your window.
If you are currently enrolled in any of the programs listed above, your current enrollment will carry forward into 2027.
This is what comes out of your paycheck every two weeks. These are your premium costs — separate from what you pay when you actually use care.
Not sure which plan is right for you? ALEX is a free decision-support tool built specifically for Snowflake's benefits. Answer a few questions about your health, your family, and how often you use care. ALEX will estimate your total annual costs across plans and recommend what fits your situation best. Most people finish in under 10 minutes. Use it before and then complete your enrollment in Empyrean.
Head to Empyrean to review your current elections and make changes. If you're adding a new dependent, have their legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address ready before you start. Your elections go live January 1, 2027. Changes made after November 6 aren't possible until next year's Open Enrollment, unless you experience a qualifying life change.