Open enrollment for 2027 benefits begins today [Oct. 1] for MSU employees.

The Mississippi State Human Resources Management Benefits Department is pleased to announce Open Enrollment for 2027 benefits will take place today through Oct. 31. Any benefit elections or changes made during Open Enrollment will become effective Jan. 1, 2027.

This year, all open enrollment elections will be completed through Employee Navigator, MSU's benefits administration system. Since this is the first time many employees will be using Employee Navigator, we encourage you to register your account and become familiar with the system before Open Enrollment begins.

Click here for directions on how to register for Employee Navigator.

Note: The company identifier is msstate (all lowercase).

Additional information and FAQs are available on the HRM website. 

Review Your Benefits During Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to:

• Enroll in benefits if you are not currently participating.
• Change existing benefit elections.
• Add or remove eligible dependents.
• Review beneficiary designations.
• This is a passive enrollment. If you do not login to change elections, your current elections will automatically carry over into 2027.

On-Site Open Enrollment Assistance

HRM Benefits staff will be available at the locations below to answer questions and assist employees with open enrollment. Employees are encouraged to stop by if they need help navigating Employee Navigator or understanding their benefit options.

Open Enrollment Assistance Schedule

• Mississippi State University, Starkville, McArthur Hall, Room 181, Oct. 2, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
• North Mississippi Research and Extension Center, Verona, Oct. 5, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Coastal Research and Extension Center, Biloxi, Oct. 6, 8:30-11:30 a.m. 
• Delta Research and Extension Center, Stoneville, Oct. 7, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center, Raymond, Oct. 8, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Meridian Campus, Downtown, Oct. 9, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 

What's New for 2027?

As you review your benefit elections, please be aware of the following updates for the 2027 plan year:

• The health plan will implement a 6.5% premium rate increase. Click here to view the 2027 rates.
• The base health plan family deductible will increase to $3,500. There are no other deductible changes for 2027.

Please review all open enrollment materials carefully to understand how these changes may affect you and your covered dependents.

Complete Open Enrollment by Oct. 31

We encourage all employees to review their benefit elections carefully and complete Open Enrollment by Oct. 31. No changes will be accepted after this date.

Meet with 403(b) Retirement Plan Vendors

In addition to Open Enrollment assistance, representatives from MSU's approved 403(b) retirement plan vendors will be available on main campus during scheduled visits listed below. These representatives can discuss retirement savings options, investment strategies, account reviews, and help employees better understand their retirement planning opportunities.

• Nov. 2 – Voya
• Nov. 3 – Corebridge
• Nov. 5-Nov. 6 – TIAA
• Nov. 11 – Equitable
• Dec. 9 – Mississippi Deferred Compensation

Appointments are not required but are strongly encouraged.

PERS Pre-Retirement Seminar on Campus – Nov. 4

The Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi will hold an in-person Pre-Retirement Full-Day Seminar on the Starkville campus on Nov. 4 from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Presenters from PERS and partner organizations will cover:

• Estate planning
• Social Security
• The State and School Employees' Health Insurance Plan
• Mississippi Deferred Compensation Plan and Trust
• PERS benefits and options

PERS handles all registration, and registered attendees will receive the location details. To see the agenda and register, click here or call PERS at 601-359-3589 or 800-444-7377. Please send questions about the seminar directly to PERS.

If you have benefit questions, please contact your HRM Benefits Specialist or visit hrm.msstate.edu/benefits.