2026 HealthCare Trust Benefits Update: Exciting Additions & Important Changes
The annual Open Enrollment period for your City of Seattle and HealthCare Trust benefits starts on October 6 and runs through 11:00 pm, October 31. Be sure to make your benefit selections before the end of the month.
Trust Performance Unlocks New Wellness and Family Support Programs
Your Seattle Fire Fighters HealthCare Trustees are excited to announce a suite of new benefits available in 2026. Thanks to strong Trust performance in 2025—and your continued commitment to preventative healthcare—we are able to provide these new enhancements while continuing the same high-quality plans with no increase to member contributions. It’s your participation and stewardship that make these improvements possible.
Remember, your contribution rate is based on whether you completed your Annual Fire Fighter Medical Evaluation (AFFME) by August 31, 2025. Tiered premium contribution levels are listed on page 18 of the 2026 Benefits Enrollment Guide. Members who completed their AFFME at the Station 2 Clinic will receive the lowest contribution rate for 2026.
Here are some important updates for the year ahead:
Total Wellness Fund (TWF)
The Trustees have approved the creation of a new Total Wellness Fund (TWF) with an initial investment of $2,500 per member in January 2026.
- Funds can be used for IRS-eligible healthcare expenses (IRC 213), including plan cost shares and certain expenses not covered by the plan.
- Unspent money rolls over each year and, at retirement, rolls into the RSF.
- To be eligible, you must: have been an active member for at least one month of 2025 AND are active as of January 1st, 2026 OR retired in 2025 as an eligible RSF participant.
We cannot guarantee a contribution every year; future funding will depend on Trust performance. Watch your email later this year for additional details.
Delta Dental
The lifetime maximum for orthodontia benefits is increasing from $2,000 to $3,000. Members currently in treatment will receive information about special transition rules.
WIN Fertility Programs
The Trust is expanding WIN’s programs to include:
- WINMaternity: maternity support, designed to bridge the gap in prenatal and postpartum support and improve healthy outcomes for families
- Doula services: up to $2,000 per year
- WIN PowerPause: support for menopause and andropause
- WINkid: a parenting platform with evidence-based resources on child development
In addition, the Trust has increased the lifetime maximum benefit for fertility treatments from 2 cycles to 3 cycles, including related fertility medications. WIN will provide more details this fall.
What’s Changing in 2026
EverMedDPC Closing in 2025
We are sorry to share that EverMedDPC recently announced they will be closing their concierge primary care plan at the end of 2025. This news came as a surprise to all of us, especially given the timing. While this change raises important questions about primary care delivery for EverMed members and their families, here’s what we know so far:
- The EverMed model did not gain enough traction to continue operations.
- Beginning January 1, 2026, members previously enrolled in EverMed, will return to using Regence-contracted primary care providers, with services subject to plan cost shares ($15–$25 copay).
- Many EverMed providers are also contracted with Regence, but you’ll need to confirm with your clinic.
- EverMed members should have already received a letter with additional information about this transition.
Stay Informed
Please review the 2026 Benefits Enrollment Guide for complete details, including:
- Benefit plans and eligibility
- AFFME rules and guidelines
- Member cost shares
- Important contact information for Trust partners