What's Changing: Retiree Benefits for 2026
You bring your passion and goals to life. Our comprehensive benefits support you at every part of your journey. Open Enrollment is your opportunity to consider your health care needs for the upcoming plan year and choose the plan that works best for you.
For 2026, changes were made to our medical plans for Medicare-eligible employees, and we encourage you to learn about these changes to make informed decisions.
New Medicare health plans
You will continue to have access to our Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage and Blue Shield Retiree PPO plans, along with two new plan options - Alignment Health and Kaiser HI Part D for retirees in Hawaii. Like Blue Shield, Alignment Health provides a robust provider network, including Stanford Health Care and Palo Alto Medical Foundation/Sutter Health. Click the plus (+) sign below to learn more about Alignment Health.
Alignment Health brings high-quality, low-cost care to over 220,000 Medicare Advantage members across the United States by partnering with nationally recognized and trusted local clinicians to deliver coordinated care powered by our customized care model, 24/7 concierge care system, and purpose-built technology.
Through Alignment Health, you get access to RetireeFirst, a retiree benefits management solution and advocacy service provider. RetireeFirst Advocates are US-based and available to help you navigate the complex retiree health care landscape and troubleshoot any issues you may have with your provider’s office or pharmacy.
What’s Included:
- Medicare-covered medical services.
- Access to numerous health facilities and providers at the same cost to you, whether your provider is a participating in-network provider or a non-participating out-of-network provider (as long as they accept Medicare and agree to bill Alignment Health).
- Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (MAPD).
- Allowance of $20 per month towards over-the-counter items via Access On-Demand Black Card.
- Up to 12 routine podiatry visits per year.
- Up to 24 combined routine acupuncture/chiropractic visits per year.
- Access to One Pass fitness benefit.
- One routine eye exam per year
- Access to a hearing benefit that allows two hearing aids per year with a copay ranging from $195 - $1,750.
- Access to RetireeFirst Advocates for assistance with understanding and using your benefits.
You’re Invited to Learn More
Alignment Health hosted a virtual retiree presentation detailing the new plan:
View the presentation slides
If you can’t make the presentation in October, you can watch a recorded version of the presentation, which will be posted to www.retireefirst.com/stanforduniversity after Oct. 23. You can also refer to Frequently Asked Questions to get answers to questions you might have now.
Enrollment Information
If you choose to enroll in Alignment Health, you can make your selection during Open Enrollment, which takes place Oct. 20 - Nov. 7, 2025. Visit the Retiree Open Enrollment page for more information.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this new plan offering through Alignment Health Retiree Options MAPD (PPO), please contact RetireeFirst at (650) 204-9755 (TTY 711) or toll-free (855) 417-7336 (TTY 711) Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. PT.
Medicare plan changes
Effective Jan. 1, 2026, all Medicare-eligible retiree medical plans will move from a Retiree Drug Subsidy type plan to plans with a Part D structure/component. The new retiree plans require you to be enrolled in Medicare Part D to receive the prescription drug benefit.
For 2026, you will have four Medicare plan options:
- Blue Shield Retiree PPO + Blue Shield Medicare Rx Plan
- Alignment Health Retiree Option MAPD
- Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage (Hawaii)
- Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage (California)
For retirees currently enrolled (and planning to remain) in a Kaiser or Blue Shield Medicare retiree plan, Kaiser and Blue Shield will facilitate your enrollment in Medicare Part D. If you enroll in the Alignment Health plan, Retiree First, the support team for Alignment may reach out to you if any information is still needed to assign your Medicare to the plan.
You have the option to opt out by declining coverage in the My Benefits portal by Nov. 7. Please be aware that once you waive Stanford Retiree Coverage, you will not be able to enroll back into the plan in the future.
New ID Cards
All retirees in a Medicare plan will receive new medical and prescription drug ID cards by Dec. 31.
Medicare Premiums
Premiums for medical coverage will decrease, while prescription drug coverage will have a separate Part D premium based on your income. Refer to the chart below for the amount.
| Reitree annual income (per IRA 1040, latest filed 2024) | Monthly IRMAA Tax per person | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Individuals | Couples | Part B | Part D |
| ⇐$109k | ⇐$218k | $0 | $0 |
| $109k-$137k | $218-$274k | $75 | $15 |
| $137k-$171k | $274k-$342k | $187 | $38 |
| $171k-$250k | $342k-$410k | $299 | $60 |
| $250k-$500k | $410k-$750k | $411 | $83 |
| $500k+ | $750k+ | $449 | $91 |
Non-Medicare retiree health plan updates
For 2026, non-Medicare retirees will have access to four health plan options:
- Stanford Select Copay Retiree Health Plan
- Stanford Choice High-Deductible Health Plan
- Kaiser HMO Hawaii
- Kaiser HMO California
New! Expanded Access to Primary Care
If you’re enrolled in the Stanford Select Copay Health Plan or the Stanford Choice High-Deductible Health Plan, you will have access to Crossover Health, which offers virtual care and on-site clinics for primary care and health coaching. This will help you receive care faster at a lower cost while helping you build healthy habits.
Visit Crossover's website to learn more
Kaiser plan changes
The Kaiser prescription plan is changing, and specialty (non-generic) drug prices will go up.
Medical plan changes
There are some changes to the coverage amounts for the Stanford Choice High-Deductible Health Plan.
- The annual deductible will stay the same, but up to $3,400 of an individual’s claims will apply toward the family deductible.
Your cost for coverage
Your cost for coverage may be changing. View the full plan rates for 2026 for details.
Monthly premiums for retiree health care are made directly to Stanford’s third-party billing administrator, Vita Companies. Enroll in auto-debit using the SurePay program, which allows retirees to have payments for various benefits withheld directly from a personal bank account. For more information about the SurePay program, visit Cardinal at Work
Vision plan enhancement
The VSP vision frame allowance will increase from $200 to $250 per calendar year, and from $110 to $135 at Costco® Optical, Walmart, and Sam’s Club.
The My Benefits portal has a new look!
New features include more user-friendly navigation that meets accessibility standards, a Spanish language option, and Emma, a virtual assistant who can help guide your benefits selection. You can also create your own username and password and reset your password at any time.