HPInc and HPE Benefits Enrollment 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  (Updated Dec 5, 2025) 

Situation: HPInc and HPE are changing how retiree health coverage is provided. Take action now to be sure you still have coverage on Jan 1. The necessary changes cannot be made automatically.

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

Deadline extended if losing your health plan (because HPInc or HPE dropped your group plan -- or because your current insurer in no longer offering plans in your county) you have another week or two after the Dec 7 national policy-change deadline to buy a plan for 2026. Buy your new policy well before Dec 31 to avoid having a gap in coverage due to delays or errors. 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. HPInc 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.

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

What HPInc is doing. No group Medicare plans will be offered by HPInc for 2026. Instead, for certain* HP and DEC retirees HPInc is offering a special Retiree Reimbursement Account to subsidize open-market individual Medicare plans -- as well as non-Medicare drug, dental and/or vision (but not hearing) 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.

If your coverage is *not* subsidized, there are many ways to select and buy health 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

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.

"For retirees and covered family members not yet eligible for Medicare (including surviving spouses), Alight can help you choose from insurance options available in the federal marketplace, or if you live where state-based marketplaces exist, such as in California [i.e. Covered California], they can help refer you to local options... Then, when you reach Medicare age, Alight can continue supporting your coverage needs." [State Exchange Directory https://www.cms.gov/cciio/resources/fact-sheets-and-faqs/state-marketplaces on the official Medicare site.]

There are many ways to select and buy health 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

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:

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

- 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 HPInc or HPE Healthcare Benefits Center account:

- HPInc 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 HPInc 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 HPInc 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 health 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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