HP Inc and HPE Benefits Enrollment for 2026 - Tips and Traps.

Based on reports from HP Alumni Association members who have completed enrollment. Join forums: https://www.hpalumni.org  Not officially endorsed or supported. Question? Email us: info@hpalumni.org  (Page updated Jun 9, 2026)

Situation: For 2026, HP Inc and HPE changed how retiree health coverage is provided. The necessary changes cannot be made automatically.

December 7 Sunday midnight was the national deadline to change your Medicare health or drug coverage for 2026.

If you join a new plan after Dec 31, coverage in the new plan won't start until the month after you join. (As stated in the notice from your current insurer.)

This is more cost-efficient for your former employer and for you. In addition, you are able to choose a plan that better suits your personal situation.

Group vs individual plans?

Group plans are purchased from an insurance carrier or HMO by the employer. The retiree pays the employer. HP Inc has been using group Medicare Advantage plans from UnitedHealthcare, Kaiser, and Tufts. Group plans may cover dependents. Premiums reflect the cost of care only for the employer's retiree population -- and have been dramatically increasing for several years.

Publicly-available individual plans are available through insurance sales agencies, directly from health systems, and from insurers such as UnitedHealthcare. More coverage choices are available. Premiums are based on the highly-competitive open market and across all customers of the insurer.

HP Inc first offered subsidized open-market plans in 2017. Now used by thousands of HP Inc retirees.

What HP Inc is doing. No group Medicare plans will be offered by HP Inc for 2026. Instead, for certain long-service HP Inc, HPE, and DEC retirees, HP Inc will automatically fund a special Retiree Reimbursement Account to subsidize open-market individual Advantage and Medigap plans -- if they are bought from one specific nationwide insurance sales agency, Alight Retiree Health Solutions. AlightRHS carries Medicare plans from many, but not all, major insurers.

An RRA can be used for drug, dental, and vision (but not hearing) plans. It is separate from other tax-advantaged accounts -- HSA, FSA, or RMSA -- all of which are managed via your Benefits Center account.

The RRA subsidy applies to retirees who are covered by the HP Inc "Pre-2003 Retiree Medical Program." Note: "Pre-2003" refers to the year when HP implemented the program, not your retirement year. Details: https://www.hpalumni.org/Pre2003

If your coverage is *not* subsidized, there are many ways to select and buy Medicare policies -- aside from the AlightRHS sales agency. You can see all Advantage, Drug, and Medigap policies available in your county from any source, on the official US Government site. https://www.hpalumni.org/enroll-ways-to-buy

For retirees and covered family members not yet eligible for Medicare, including surviving spouses, refer to your current Enrollment Guide https://www.hpalumni.org/EnrollmentGuides

What HPE is doing. No U.S. group plans -- Medicare or otherwise -- will be offered by HPE for 2026. Instead, you need to transition to publicly-available individual plans. To assist with the transition, HPE is referring retirees to a nationwide insurance sales agency, Alight Retiree Health Solutions. AlightRHS carries Medicare plans from many, but not all, major insurers.

There are many ways to select and buy Medicare policies -- aside from the AlightRHS sales agency. You can see all Advantage, Drug, and Medigap policies available in your county from any source, on the official US Government site. https://www.hpalumni.org/enroll-ways-to-buy

Some HPE retirees who worked at HP before the split may qualify for the HP Inc "Pre-2003" retiree medical program. "Pre-2003" refers to the year when HP implemented the program, not your retirement year. HP: "May apply if you retired from HP before 2003, or if you were with HP on December 31, 2002, and retired at a later date with eligibility for the program (this typically meant retiring at age 55 or later with at least 15 years of qualifying service, having at least 62 age-plus-service 'points' as of December 31, 2005, and being within five years of qualifying as of June 30, 2007). This program generally does not apply if you joined HP through the Compaq or EDS acquisitions." Contact the HP Inc Benefits Center. Agents at the HPE Benefits Center may not know about this. Details: hpalumni.org/Pre2003

For retirees and covered family members not yet eligible for Medicare, including surviving spouses, start at the federal marketplace https://www.healthcare.gov

Does this affect me?

Step 1. Study the directions in the annual enrollment documents that were mailed to most retirees in October.

If you don't have a copy handy, download and read the enrollment materials from the independent HP Alumni website:

- HP Inc -- "2026 Retiree Benefits Enrollment Guide" https://www.hpalumni.org/enroll-docs-HP Inc 

- HPE letter and FAQ -- "A new approach to HPE retiree medical benefits for 2026" https://www.hpalumni.org/enroll-docs-hpe

Step 2. Verify whether you currently have a group or individual health plan by signing in to your HP Inc or HPE Healthcare Benefits Center account:

- HP Inc Benefits Center. https://www.myhpbenefits.com 

- HPE Benefits Center. https://www.myhperewards.com 

(You may have to update your password -- or activate online access by entering some identifying information.)

On the first page of your Benefits Center account, click the blue "View details" button partway down the first page.

- If you have an individual plan, it will display "Alight Retiree Health Solution" [The Benefits Center has no information about which specific policies you have or what you are paying -- just that you bought through AlightRHS..

- If you have a group plan, it will display the name of the specific plan. If so, you must buy one or more individual plans, as described in the HP Inc or HPE enrollment documents.

- If you have a group plan, it will display the name of the specific plan. If so, you must buy one or more individual plans, as described in the HP Inc or HPE enrollment documents.

If you currently have a group plan, you must take action. The necessary changes cannot be made automatically. 

If your coverage is *not* subsidized, there are many ways to select and buy Medicare policies -- aside from the AlightRHS sales agency. Other Ways to Buy

If your new open-market plan is chosen properly, you can continue using the same doctors, hospital, and other providers.

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