Brightwave is Keel’s demonstration employer. Every number on this page is sample data, shown so you can feel the real thing.

Plan year 2027 · enroll Nov 2 – Nov 20

Your 2027 Benefits

Plans from
$44a paycheck
Brightwave adds
$1,200a year, on the HSA plan
You have until
November 20to choose

This is an active enrollment. You have no medical plan for 2027. Elections do not roll over. This is an active enrollment, so a plan only exists if you pick one.

Answer three questions and go straight to the plan that fits you, what it costs you a paycheck, and what to do before the deadline. Or read the whole thing: every plan, every option, every perk, in plain words, with Amanda one tap away.

Find my fitor ask Amanda anything →

02 Your fit, in three taps.

Every plan gets graded for your answers, with the reasoning shown.

Three taps.0 of 3 answered
1

Who are you covering?

2

What kind of year do you expect?

3

Anything big ahead?

— Take it off the screen.

PDFThe 12-page benefit guideEvery plan, price and deadline, print-readyPDFThe break-room flyerOne page, with a QR back to this guideDECKThe enrollment meeting deckTwelve slides, widescreen, ready to present
In a hurry? The five questions everyone asks

03 Four words run this whole book.

Learn these four and every plan becomes arithmetic.

01Premiumwhat leaves your paycheck

The subscription. You pay it either way; everything else only matters when you actually use care.

02Deductibleyou pay first

What you cover before the plan joins in. Preventive care skips this line entirely, on every plan.

03Coinsurancethen you split it

Past the deductible you pay 20% of each bill and the plan pays 80%.

04The capthen it ends

The out-of-pocket max. Hit it and the plan pays 100% of covered care for the rest of the year.

A $20,000 hospital year, drawn
Choice Plus PPO
You payYou pay 20%Plan pays 100%
Your whole year: $4,500, no matter what
Value HSA 3300
You payYou pay 20%Plan pays 100%
Your whole year: $5,500, no matter what

Harbor HMO runs on copays instead: no deductible to cross, capped at $3,500, inside its narrow network.

Copays are the shortcut: a flat price for a visit that skips the deductible math entirely. The PPO and HMO run on them; the HSA plan trades them for the lowest premium and free money.

04 Your three medical plans, in plain words.

The lowest paycheck cost, and Brightwave puts $1,200 a year into an account that is yours forever.

Your paycheckDeductibleDoctor visitWorst case, a year

Different because: $884 a year cheaper than the PPO, plus $1,200 of free money.

What does the whole year cost?Premiums, plus your share of care, minus Brightwave’s money.

Assuming $3,500 of care: a few thousand dollars of care.

Value HSA 3300$3,492$1,352 premiums + $3,340 care − $1,200 from BrightwaveLowest, this year
Choice Plus PPO$4,136$2,236 premiums + $1,900 care
Harbor HMODepends on visitsNo deductible, so there is no formula. You pay $20 copay a visit, and the year cannot pass $3,500.
Put two side by side.The differences carry the gold.
1 of 9 rows match, hidden
Value HSA 3300Choice Plus PPO
Your paycheck$52$86
Deductible$3,300$1,500
A doctor visitYou pay until the deductible, then 20%$25 copay
A specialistYou pay until the deductible, then 20%$45 copay, no referral
Emergency roomYou pay until the deductible, then 20%$250 copay, waived if admitted
Generic prescription$10 after deductible$10
Worst case, a year$5,500$4,500
Out of networkCovered at 60% after a separate $6,600 deductibleCovered at 60% after a separate $3,000 deductible

Premiums shown for just you. Change who you cover in the paycheck chapter and this table follows.

05 Who you can cover.

Family means your family, paperwork and all.

Your spouseCovered on every plan and every line: medical, dental, vision, voluntary.
Your domestic partnerCovered the same as a spouse. No marriage certificate required; a signed partnership affidavit does it.One honest wrinkle: the IRS taxes the value of partner coverage as imputed income unless your partner is your tax dependent. Amanda can walk you through what that means for your paycheck.
Your childrenCovered to age 26: biological, adopted, stepchildren, and children of your covered partner.
A child in your guardianshipCovered with the guardianship or foster placement paperwork on file.
A disabled adult childCoverage continues past 26 with a doctor’s certification, no age limit.
Parents and grandparentsNot eligible on Brightwave plans, even if they live with you.
Twenty minutes at the kitchen table settles most of it.

06 The HSA, the plan that pays you back.

Three tax breaks, free money from Brightwave, and it is yours forever.

  1. 1Money goes in before tax
  2. 2It grows untaxed, and you can invest it past $1,000
  3. 3It comes out untaxed for care, forever, even in retirement
Free money, no strings, even if you contribute nothing
$4,400 you + Brightwave combined ($8,750 family) in 2027, +$1,000 at 55How much can go in
Yours forever. Job changes, retirement, whatever: the account and every dollar in it leave with you.The part people never believe
What you'd expect
  • Doctor visits and prescriptions
  • Dental work, including braces
  • Glasses, contacts, and LASIK
  • Therapy and mental health care
And these, which surprise people
  • Over-the-counter medicine: allergy, pain, cold
  • Period products
  • Sunscreen, SPF 15 and above
  • Chiropractic and physical therapy

07 Teeth and eyes, two ways each.

Dental splits on the big work; vision splits on how hard you are on glasses.

Dental PPO Plus/paycheck, just you
  • Cleanings2 a year, free
  • Fillings80% after a $50 deductible
  • Major workCrowns, root canals, implants at 50%
  • BracesBraces at 50%, to a $2,000 lifetime max, kids AND adults
  • Yearly max$2,000 a year per person

Pick Plus if anyone might need braces, a crown, or an implant this year.

Dental PPO Basic/paycheck, just you
  • Cleanings2 a year, free
  • Fillings80% after a $50 deductible
  • Major workNot covered
  • BracesNot covered
  • Yearly max$1,000 a year per person

Pick Basic if your teeth mostly need cleanings and the occasional filling.

Vision Basic/paycheck, just you
  • Exam$10 copay, once a year
  • Frames$150 allowance every other year
  • Contacts$130 allowance instead of glasses
  • ExtrasDiscounts on lens coatings

For the annual-checkup-and-maybe-glasses crowd.

Vision Plus/paycheck, just you
  • Exam$10 copay, once a year
  • Frames$250 allowance every year
  • Contacts$200 allowance, fitting exam covered
  • ExtrasBlue-light and progressive lenses covered in full

For contacts wearers, progressives, and anyone who breaks frames annually.

08 Extras that pay you cash.

Six plans that pay cash straight to you, with the moment each one earned it.

Accident insuranceCash when life leaves a markper paycheck, just you · $11.80 with family
  • Broken arm (surgical)$1,400
  • ER visit$200
  • Ambulance ride$400
  • Physical therapy$50 a session, up to 10
  • Stitches$200
What this looked like for someone
Mia broke her wrist at her kid’s trampoline party. Her medical plan handled the bills; the accident plan wrote HER a check for $2,000. It covered her deductible with money left over.

Pays cash on top of any medical plan. Kids are covered for sports injuries automatically.

Critical illnessA lump sum on the worst dayper paycheck at age 40 if you don’t smoke · $15,000 benefit
  • Heart attack, stroke, invasive cancer$15,000, all at once
  • Early-stage cancer$3,750
  • Spouse or partnerCovered at 50% of your amount
  • Annual wellness visit$50 back, every year, just for going
What this looked like for someone
When Ray had a heart attack at 51, the check arrived before his second cardiology appointment. It paid the deductible, the mortgage that month, and his wife’s flights.

Pays no matter what your medical plan covers. The price steps up with age; no medical exam to join when hired or at open enrollment.

Hospital indemnityFlat cash for hospital nightsper paycheck, just you · $19.60 family
  • Admission$1,500 flat
  • Each day admitted$200, up to 30 days
  • ICU day$400
  • Having a babyAdmission + daily benefits apply
What this looked like for someone
The Okafors’ delivery meant three nights in the hospital: $1,500 + $600, in cash, two weeks later. It out-paid what the plan cost them for the whole year, and then some.

Pairs especially well with the HSA plan, where a hospital stay means meeting the deductible.

Legal planA law firm on retainer for $4 a checkper paycheck, covers your whole household
  • Wills + estate documentsFully covered
  • Home purchase or saleFully covered
  • Traffic tickets, disputes, lettersFully covered
  • Identity restorationFully covered
What this looked like for someone
Priya and her partner finally did their wills, power of attorney, and healthcare directives in two video calls. Retail cost, about $1,800. Their cost, $0.

Network attorneys in all 50 states. Pre-existing matters excluded.

Identity protectionSomeone watching your credit so you don’t have toper paycheck, family plan $7.55
  • Credit + dark-web monitoringAll three bureaus
  • $1M restoration coverageStolen funds + expenses
  • Full-service restorationA case manager does the calls
What this looked like for someone
Dan’s SSN turned up in a breach dump on a Tuesday; the service froze, flagged, and filed everything by Friday. His total time spent: one phone call.

Covers everyone in the household, kids’ identities included.

Pet insuranceBecause the dog is family tooa month per pet, paid direct, priced by breed + age
  • Accidents + illness90% after a $250 deductible
  • Surgery, cancer care, medsCovered
  • Wellness add-onVaccines + annual exams
What this looked like for someone
Biscuit ate a sock (again). The $2,900 obstruction surgery came back at $2,385 reimbursed. Biscuit has learned nothing; his humans are covered anyway.

Group-discounted through Brightwave; keep it even if you leave.

The years these plans were built for.

09If you couldn’t work tomorrow.

The quiet chapter that matters most, and Brightwave already pays for most of it.

Basic life + AD&DEveryone, automatically1× your salary (to $250,000), doubled for accidental deathBrightwave pays
Voluntary lifeOptional, you + spouse/partner + kidsUp to 5× salary for you ($150,000 guaranteed when you join, no medical exam), $50,000 spouse or partner, $10,000 childFrom $2.10 per paycheck at 30
Short-term disabilityEveryone, automatically60% of pay to $1,500 a week, up to 12 weeks. Covers childbirth recovery.Brightwave pays
Long-term disabilityEveryone, automatically60% of pay to $10,000 a month after 90 days. For the first two years, unable to do YOUR job counts, not just any job.Brightwave pays

10 The 401(k) match is a raise. Take it.

The matchDollar for dollar on your first 3%, then 50 cents on the next 2%
Getting startedYou start at 3% automatically on day one (change or stop anytime)
VestingYour money is always yours. The match vests 25% a year, fully yours at 4 years.
Pre-tax or RothTraditional pre-tax or Roth, or both · $24,000 employee limit in 2027, +$8,000 catch-up at 50 · at Fidelity

Put in 5% and Brightwave adds $3,400 a year. Stop at the 3% default and you leave $850 of it on the table.

11 FSA vs HSA, settled in one page.

Healthcare FSA$3,300 in 2027

$660 rolls over; the rest is use-it-or-lose-it.

Only if you are NOT on the HSA plan
Limited-purpose FSA$3,300, dental + vision only

Pays for dental and vision while your HSA keeps growing untouched.

The one FSA you CAN pair with the HSA plan
Dependent-care FSA$5,000 per household

Daycare, after-school, summer camp, elder care. Pre-tax. Any medical plan.

Stacks with any medical plan

The one rule: on the HSA plan you cannot hold the regular healthcare FSA. The HSA is the better account anyway; add the limited FSA on top if you want the dental and vision money pre-tax too.

A doctor at the kitchen counter. Free on two of the three plans.

12 Already included, already paid for.

Nothing to enroll in. All of it starts on day one.

8 sessionsCounseling, freePer issue, per year, for anyone in your household
$0 visitsTelehealth, 24/7On the PPO and HMO; $49 before the deductible on the HSA plan
$30/moMove-your-body stipendGym, yoga, climbing, whatever moves you
$325/moCommuter, pre-taxTransit and parking, straight off your taxable pay
$2,500/yrTuition assistanceToward degrees and certifications
$150Wellness rewardOff next year’s premiums for an annual physical

13 Time off, in plain numbers.

33+paid days off a yearbefore parental leave even enters it
PTO · 15Holidays · 10Floating · 2Sick · 6+ 12 weeks parental, full pay, both parents
PTO15 days to start, 20 at year threeAccrues per paycheck; carry over 5
Holidays10 company holidays + 2 floatingFloating days are yours to place
Sick time6 days, separate from PTONobody audits a sick day
Parental leave12 weeks at full payBirth, adoption, foster placement; both parents
Bereavement5 daysExtended family counts
Jury + votingPaid, as long as it takes
Fifteen days to start. Use them.

14 A bill arrives. Here is what happens.

A bill lands. Watch where it goes.Pick a bill and see how each plan splits it: your first, your 20% after, the plan past your .
Choice Plus PPOYou pay $1,760 · plan pays $1,040
Value HSA 3300You pay $2,800 · plan pays $0
Harbor HMOCopays instead of a split: no deductible, set amounts per visit, capped at $3,500. Narrow network.

An estimate for one in-network bill with an untouched deductible. Preventive care is free on every plan.

Your 30-day windowNew hire or life event, the clock runs 30 days. Put in your date; it does the counting.

15 Your paycheck, live.

  • Value HSA 3300$52
  • Dental PPO Plus$11
  • Vision Plus$5
Your paycheck$68$1,768 a year
Every figure from the 2027 rate tables.

16Don’t read. Ask.

Ask in your own words. She answers with the source attached, any hour.

The five questions everyone asks