Open Enrollment is Just Around the Corner
As the City of Tulsa continues to prioritize the health and well-being of our employees, we are pleased to share some exciting updates regarding our benefits program for the upcoming year.
Now let’s talk about some significant changes for 2026:
FSA Maximums Increasing: The maximum allowable contribution for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) will also increase for 2026 in line with IRS guidelines.
Employee Health and Wellness Fair
October 22, 7 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Arvest Convention Center
Did our medical plans change?
No, we will continue with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma (BCBS) in 2026.
Plan Name:
The plans will continue to operate the same; this is a name change only.
Please Note: The in-network deductible for the HSA plan will increase from $3,300 to $3,400 in 2026, per IRS regulations.
What is CareATC Collaborative Care?
Collaborative Care is a health management program consisting of mental health counselors, registered dietitians, and physical therapists with CareATC. Through onsite and virtual visits, you can receive customized care that helps you transform your health at no additional cost.
Are Personal Health Assessments/Biometric Screenings Mandatory? Do spouse’s need to complete a PHA to receive the reduced rate?
No, the PHA/Biometric Screenings are voluntary. However, if you choose not to complete a PHA/Biometric Screening, a $600 surcharge will be applied to your 2026 medical premiums.
Do I need to re-enroll in the Health Savings Account (HSA), Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Limited Use Flexible Spending Account (LUFSA), or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) plan?
Yes. Per IRS regulations, you must re-enroll into these plans annually and select a new annual dollar amount.
If you want to receive the employer contribution for the HSA, you must re-enroll in the City’s contribution for the new plan year.
Can I enroll in a Limited Use Flexible Spending Account (LUFSA) if I’m enrolled in an HSA plan?Yes. You may contribute to LUFSA in conjunction with an HSA medical Plan. The LUFSA can only be used for dental and vision expenses.
Can I make changes to my Supplemental Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)?
Yes. During open enrollment you can decrease, increase, or drop coverages independently. The employee must be enrolled for coverage to have spouse or dependent coverage.
Reminder: Review and update your life insurance beneficiary designations as needed.
Note: You must be actively at work for coverages to take effect, unless your first day is a scheduled day off.
Did the Dental plans change?
There are no changes to the dental plans in 2026. Design and networks remain the same through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma.
Did the Vision plans change?
There are no changes to the vision plan designs in 2026. Coverage will continue through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma utilizing the EYEMED network.
Did the Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, & Accident coverages change?
No. These plans remain the same for 2026 with no changes to premiums or design.
Did the Identity Theft & the Legal Plan change?
No. These plans remain the same for 2026 with no changes to premiums or design.
If you have any questions regarding your benefits or enrollment, you may contact Insurance@cityoftulsa.org.
What is a tobacco/nicotine surcharge and how much does it cost?
A tobacco/nicotine surcharge is an extra charge on medical premiums for employees who use tobacco/nicotine. The City of Tulsa will charge an additional $600 annually ($23.08 per pay period) if you are a tobacco/nicotine user.
Plan members will need to attest their tobacco/nicotine status during Open Enrollment, October 20 – 31, 2025, for the 2026 plan year.
Plan members who are tobacco/nicotine users can avoid a surcharge by enrolling in and completing a City-approved Tobacco/Nicotine Cessation program.
What does the City of Tulsa consider a tobacco/nicotine user?
You are considered a tobacco/nicotine user if you have used tobacco/nicotine products in the past three months. Products include cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, vapor products, chewing tobacco, snuff, and pipe tobacco.
If you completed a cessation program, you must submit proof of completion to insurance@cityoftulsa.org and you can consider yourself a non-tobacco/nicotine user.
Why does the City of Tulsa charge more for tobacco/nicotine users?
The City of Tulsa cares about the health of employees and families. Tobacco/nicotine use is linked to serious health risks and higher medical costs. By applying a surcharge, the City helps offset these costs and encourage healthier choices. Support and resources to quit are provided at no cost to you.
Who does the tobacco/nicotine surcharge apply to?
The surcharge applies to non-sworn employees enrolled in the City of Tulsa medical plan.
How do I declare my tobacco/nicotine status?
You must attest your tobacco/nicotine use status when:
Any misrepresentation or failure to provide this information is a violation of City policy and may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
Will I pay the surcharge if I only enroll in dental and/or vision plan?
No. The surcharge applies only if you are enrolled in the medical plan.
What if I say I don’t use tobacco/nicotine products but I do?
Providing false information is a violation of the City policy and may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or benefits.
If I don’t use tobacco/nicotine, do I still need to attest during open enrollment?
Yes. If you enroll in a City of Tulsa medical plan, you must attest each time you enroll. If you don’t provide your status, the City will assume you are a tobacco/nicotine user and apply the surcharge.
Does the City of Tulsa provide services to help me quit?
Yes. Resources include:
Other cessation programs may also qualify with prior approval from insurance@cityoftulsa.org.
Enrollment Window: October 20 – October 31, 2025, at 7 p.m. CT
Where:
Who needs to take action
If you take no action
Have this ready
Dependent info (full name, SSN, date of birth)
Confirm your choices
Need Help?
The Enrollment Lab will be available during Open Enrollment to assist employees with logging in, making benefit elections, and uploading dependent documentation.
Location: City Hall, 14 Floor
Dates: October 20-31, 2025
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Or Email Insurance at City of Tulsa Insurance Section
BCBS with HSA
Provider: BCBSOK | Summary | Preventative Drug List | Website
BCBS With HSA Plan Includes:
BCBS with CareATC
Provider: BCBSOK | Summary | Formulary | Website
BCBS with CareATC Plan Includes:
CareATC Clinic Access
CareATC Clinic Highlights:
Personal Health Assessment Scheduling:
Please be aware that CareATC is NOT a walk-in clinic.
Patient Portal | (918) 948-6360 | CareATC Brochure
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15th Street |
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Jackson |
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First Place Tower |
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Sand Springs |
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Owasso |
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Broken Arrow |
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Muskogee |
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Provider: BCBSOK | Website
Network: EyeMed Select Network
Vision Annual High Summary | Vision Annual Low Summary | Vision 2 Years High Summary | Vision 2 Years Low Summary
Provider: BCBSOK | Website
Network: BlueCare Dental (Traditional National PPO)
Dental High Plan Summary | Dental Medium Plan Summary | Dental Low Plan Summary
Short-Term Disability
Provider: BCBSOK | Website | How to File a Claim
STD High Summary | STD Medium Summary | STD Low Summary
Long-Term Disability
Provider: BCBSOK | Website
LTD High Summary | LTD Medium Summary | LTD Low Summary
Medical Flexible Spending Accounts, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Provider: Health Equity/Wageworks | FSA Summary | DCFSA Summary | Website
Requirements to Submit a Receipt | EZReceipts App
BCBSOK Accident Coverage | Summary | Claim Form
BCBSOK Critical Illness Coverage | Summary | Claim Form
BCBSOK Hospital Indemnity Coverage | High Plan Summary | Low Plan Summary | Claim Form
LegalShield Prepaid Legal Coverage | Summary | Website
Identity Theft Protection | Features Guide | Video Overview
The City of Tulsa will reimburse non-sworn active employees up to $180 (taxable) for six consecutive months of paid memberships in local gyms, or for their participation in six paid fitness competitions if the activity occurred during the City’s fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025, ending June 30, 2026. The Gym Reimbursement must be submitted through MUNIS to be processed. To claim reimbursement, employees must submit itemized receipts with the name and contact information of the Gym or a statement within the fiscal year via Employee Self Service (ESS). Employees should always check with their physician before starting any exercise program.
I. Gym
A “gym” is a workout or exercise class facility with regular monthly, quarterly, or yearly payments, at which an employee primarily engages in exercise. Examples include yoga studios, karate studios, health centers focused on exercise, and traditional gyms. Sole proprietors and independent instructors are not considered gyms, unless they have public facilities accessible to anyone who pays dues. A facility with golfing, tanning, spas, etc. may not be considered a gym: Human Resources will make final determinations.
II. Adult Fitness Competitions
Instead of a gym membership reimbursement, an employee may be reimbursed for adult fitness competitions. An adult fitness competition is a race, walk, marathon, or other fitness competition that is open to the public at which you represent yourself or the City of Tulsa. Examples include marathons, bike races, triathlons, and walks. Motor vehicle races, golf tournaments, and cosmetic competitions, including body building, are not reimbursable. An employee who chooses to be reimbursed for competitions will need to submit receipt of payment listing what event they participated in, the cost, and the date. The receipt must also be in their name. Employees who seek adult fitness competition reimbursement may not seek additional reimbursement for gym membership. Employees should be healthy enough and physically capable of exercise in the competition for which they submit reimbursement.
III. Reimbursement
Reimbursement means the City of Tulsa will pay employees for six months of gym expenses or the entrance fees for six fitness competitions, races or marathons, up to $180 per fiscal year.
Races will be reimbursed if they total 6 adult competitions within the fiscal year. A 26.2-mile marathon will be reimbursed as 6 competitions with submission of an official, timed online results page, or certificate of completion from the organization sponsoring the marathon. Only the most recent month receipts before a claim submission will be reimbursed. All receipts must include the name, address, and contact number of the gym or sponsor of the competition.
Reimbursement will only be paid for services related to exercise: additional membership, or entrance tiers for items or services unrelated to exercise will not be reimbursed, and the next lowest tier focused solely on exercise will be reimbursed instead. Only the employee who is listed on a Family gym membership shall be reimbursed if the employee is healthy enough to exercise at the gym and is the primary on the account. Employees must be employed for six months within the fiscal year prior to making a submission to be considered eligible for reimbursement. The City of Tulsa will not reimburse employees for free services, unpaid services, payments in advance, future memberships, future race expenses, or services paid for someone other than the employee. The City of Tulsa will only issue one reimbursement per employee or employee family per fiscal year, regardless of whether the $180 limit has been met. You must submit reimbursement receipts for six months of consecutive membership or six competitive events when you request reimbursement, even if those receipts total more than $180. The City of Tulsa will not reimburse employees for programs it provides or subsidizes. Local gyms that offer discounts to City of Tulsa employees are reimbursed at the reduced rate. Reimbursement will be by direct deposit. If a check is deposited, it will not be reissued.
The City of Tulsa reserves the right to review employee requests for reimbursement before and after payment is issued. By submitting a claim for reimbursement, employees submit to all review procedures, which may become investigations involving verification of gym membership, employee participation at the facility or Fitness event in question, and/or financial statements from banks and credit card companies. By submitting a claim for reimbursement, employees acknowledge that this reimbursement is not compensation for work performed at the City of Tulsa. The amount paid to the employee may be refunded to the City of Tulsa through employee payroll deduction if it is determined that the request for reimbursement was false or fraudulent.
Employees suspected or accused of fraud will be investigated by Human Resources. Investigations that find violation of work rules may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. See Personnel Policies and Procedures (PPP) §411.3 R-9 & R-37 or Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) Appendix B R-9 & R-37.
IV. Substantiation
Uploaded receipts representing six months of expenses at a gym or six entrance fee expenses for adult fitness competitions during the fiscal year July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, will be considered for reimbursement. *Do not attach personal bank or credit card statements.
Only one reimbursement claim per family or employee will be processed and issued per fiscal year. Two people who are married/living together in the same household cannot submit 2 claims for shared membership unless they have their own individual account/membership. Employees on Workers Comp, Leave Without Pay, Administrative Leave, or whose status is Inactive in MUNIS are ineligible to receive a gym reimbursement. Online exercise classes or videos are not eligible for reimbursement.
All claims for reimbursement will be accepted for processing until 4 p.m., June 30, 2026. Any claim submitted for reimbursement beyond the June 30, 2026, cutoff date will be denied and returned to the employee.
Non-sworn employees who are enrolled in the City of Tulsa Benefit Plans will incur an annual spouse surcharge of $1,800 ($69.23 per pay period) if their spouse has access to healthcare benefits through their employer but chooses to enroll through the City of Tulsa plan.
What is a spouse premium surcharge?
The spouse premium surcharge is a monthly charge in addition to your regular medical coverage contribution/premium for a spouse who is working and who is eligible for medical coverage through their employer and is covered on the City of Tulsa medical plan.
Why am I being charged the spousal surcharge on my benefits?
During enrollment, employees who enroll a spouse on their medical benefits are required to indicate whether their spouse has access to other health care coverage through their employer. If this question was left unanswered, the spousal surcharge is automatically applied by default.
How much will it cost?
The spouse premium surcharge will be $69.23 per pay period
Is the surcharge deducted before or after income taxes?
The surcharge is a “pre-tax” deduction like your medical premiums.
Why is the City of Tulsa implementing a spouse premium surcharge?
The spouse premium surcharge encourages those participants eligible for other group insurance to take advantage of that coverage. It allows the City of Tulsa to keep our medical plans more affordable. A spousal premium surcharge is a method adopted by many large employers.
Who pays the spouse premium surcharge?
It applies to all active employees whose spouse is a dependent on a City of Tulsa medical plan unless one of the following conditions applies:
(Note: The Marketplace, Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare are not considered other employer group health plans.)
How will the City of Tulsa know if my spouse has other medical coverage available?
During open enrollment the employee will attest to spouse having access to other coverage or not having access to other coverage. If your spouse has access to medical coverage through their employer, they are subject to a monthly spouse surcharge if you enroll them for City of Tulsa medical coverage. If your spouse does not work, works part time with no access to medical benefits, is not eligible for coverage, has lost coverage as an active employee but has been offered COBRA or is covered by Medicare, the surcharge does not apply.
Note: The company reserves the right to verify if your spouse is provided coverage elsewhere. This information must be consistent with the information you report. Misrepresenting whether your spouse has access to medical coverage may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
What if I submit documentation later in the plan year that my spouse did not have access to medical coverage through his/her employer?
The spouse premium surcharge will be removed as soon as administratively possible upon receiving the supporting documentation. We will not retroactively reimburse for amounts already paid.
Does the spouse premium surcharge apply to the dental or vision plans?
No, it only applies to the City of Tulsa non-sworn medical plans.
Does the City of Tulsa have a right under data privacy to ask if the spouse is eligible for insurance coverage from another company?
Yes, an employer has a right to inquire about a spouse’s other insurance coverage. Data privacy involves health information specific to an individual’s medical condition or treatment.
If my spouse was offered medical coverage through his/her employer, but the open enrollment window is different from the City of Tulsa, and he/she opted out at the time of open enrollment or the initial offer and isn’t offered coverage access until the next annual enrollment, does the spouse premium surcharge apply?
Yes, the spouse premium surcharge applies if an individual is offered healthcare coverage at any capacity and opts out of that coverage for the City of Tulsa medical benefits plan.
(The spouse should check with their employer regarding whether their employer will allow him/her to enroll in their health coverage within 31 days of the spouse surcharge change.)
If a spouse is newly employed during the plan year and becomes eligible for benefits elsewhere, would the spouse premium surcharge be applied at that time?
Yes, if your spouse becomes eligible for a medical plan at their employer, and you choose to keep your spouse covered under the City of Tulsa medical plan, you will need to update your spouse information online at https://compass.empyreanbenefits.com/COT to add the surcharge.
Voluntary Critical Illness Insurance
Voluntary Hospital Indemnity Insurance - High
Voluntary Hospital Indemnity Insurance - Low
Voluntary Long Term Disability - High
Voluntary Long Term Disability - Medium
Voluntary Long Term Disability - Low
Voluntary Short Term Disability - High
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