What's Changing: Your Benefits for 2025
At Stanford, you matter as much as the work. Our benefits and employee programs support your holistic well-being as you make a difference in our community and in the world.
For 2025, you will continue to have access to the same great benefits with a few enhancements and changes.
Medical plan enhancement
Starting in 2025, all Stanford medical plans will offer hearing aid coverage.
The Kaiser CA and Aetna plans will provide a benefit of up to $3,000 every 36 months toward the purchase of hearing aid devices. Kaiser HI already has a hearing aid benefit.
Medical deductible changes
Stanford Choice High Deductible Health Plan: The individual minimum deductible for family coverage is increasing from $3,200 to $3,300.
ACA Basic HDHP*: The annual deductibles are increasing. In 2025, the in-network and out-of-network deductibles will be:
- In-network: $3,300 individual ($50 increase) / $6,600 family ($100 increase)
Out-of-network: $6,600 individual ($100 increase) / $13,200 family ($200 increase)
*The ACA Basic HDHP meets the minimum essential coverage requirements under the federal health care reform, Affordable Care Act (ACA)
Learn more about your medical plans
2025 Medical plan costs
In 2025, there will be a slight increase in the costs of our medical plans.
While the Kaiser HMO will remain free for all full-time employees with employee-only coverage, the premiums for other levels of coverage under the Kaiser HMO, as well as the Stanford Select Copay Health Plan, Stanford Choice High Deductible Health Plan, and ACA Basic HDHP, will have a modest increase.
These adjustments help us continue offering comprehensive health care options while managing rising costs.
Contribute more to your Health Savings Account (HSA)
When you enroll in the Stanford Choice High Deductible Health Plan or the ACA Basic HDHP, you can set aside tax-free dollars in an HSA for health care expenses now and in the future. Unused funds roll over from one year to the next, and you can invest the balance to grow interest tax-free.
In 2025, you can contribute more to your HSA — $4,300 for employee-only coverage and $8,500 for employee + dependents coverage.
Both your personal contribution and Stanford’s contribution cannot exceed the IRS annual limit.
HSA Rules when enrolling in Medicare: Once you enroll in any part of Medicare (Part A, Part B, or both), you can no longer contribute to your HSA. You can continue using existing HSA funds for qualified medical expenses, including Medicare premiums.
Contribute more to your Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
For 2025, you can contribute up to $3,200 to your health care FSA to pay for eligible medical, dental, and vision expenses for you and your eligible dependents. You may also carry over $640 of your unused 2024 health care FSA funds to 2025.
Dental enhancements
We are enhancing the Delta Dental Enhanced Plan to better support your orthodontic care needs.
The maximum benefit for orthodontia is increasing from $1,500 to $2,000, giving you more coverage to manage the costs of braces and other orthodontic treatments.
The Delta Dental Enhanced Plan basic services is increasing coverage for Premier providers from 60% to 80% and non network providers from 60% to 70%.
Supplemental life insurance
In 2025, rates for supplemental life insurance for employee coverage will decrease, making financial protection more affordable. You will be able to secure additional life insurance coverage at a lower cost.