2026 U.S. Benefits Open Enrollment
Changes for 2026
The following changes will be effective on January 1, 2026, and may require you to make new elections during Open Enrollment:
Costs of Medical Plan Coverage
As a result of rising healthcare and prescription drug costs, contributions to the cost of coverage for some of our medical plans are increasing—for both Samsara and employees.
Samsara will continue to cover the majority of the cost of medical plan coverage, paying 85% of the cost to cover employees and approximately 70% to cover dependents, rather than passing on the full amount of any increases to employees.
Your contributions to the cost of medical plan coverage, which you pay through pretax deductions each pay period, vary by the plan you choose and the number of dependents you cover. Your contributions may increase in 2026; please refer to the 2026 Samsara U.S. Medical Plans document for more information on costs of coverage.
NEW! Voluntary Supplemental Health Plans
If you’re injured in an accident, diagnosed with a critical illness, or admitted to the hospital, your Samsara medical plan will help cover the cost of your care. However, you may still have some out-of-pocket costs, and likely some unexpected expenses as well.
To enhance your Samsara medical plan coverage, you have the opportunity to enroll in three new supplemental health plans administered by Aetna.
Accident Plan: You receive a payment from the plan when you’re treated for an accidental injury. The amount of your payment varies by the service you receive.
Critical Illness Plan: You receive a payment from the plan when you’re diagnosed with a serious health condition or illness, like a heart attack or cancer. You can elect $10,000 or $20,000 of coverage for yourself, and 50% of that amount for your spouse or partner and/or children.
Hospital Indemnity Plan: You receive a payment from the plan when you’re admitted to the hospital. As with the Accident plan, the amount of your payment varies by the service you receive.
You can use the payments you receive from these plans to help pay out-of-pocket medical expenses (deductibles, copays), personal expenses (rent, groceries, utility bills), or anything else you choose.
Costs vary by the amount of coverage you elect and/or age, as detailed in the Voluntary Supplemental Health Plans Rate Sheet. You pay for coverage through after-tax deductions each pay period.
Kaiser HMO Plan Fertility Services for Participants in California
The Kaiser HMO Plan in California will cover services to diagnose and treat infertility, including laboratory and imaging services, medications, artificial insemination, and in vitro fertilization.
IRS-Mandated Changes
Health Savings Account (HSA): The maximum annual HSA contribution limits are increasing from $3,300 to $3,400 per individual, and from $6,750 to $8,750 per family. (You can only contribute to the HSA if you participate in the Aetna High Deductible Health Plan.)
Aetna High Deductible Health Plan: Annual deductibles are increasing from $3,300 to $3,400 per individual, and from $6,600 to $6,800 per family.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): The maximum annual contribution limit for the Dependent Care FSA is increasing from $5,000 to $7,500. Contribution limits for the Healthcare and Limited Purpose FSAs will likely increase as well; we’ll share the new amounts when they become available in November.
2026 Benefit Plan Options
Elections You Can Make Only During Open Enrollment
When you complete the Open Enrollment process, you’ll be prompted to select coverage under the plans listed below. Carefully consider your options before enrolling. You can change your elections in 2025 only if you experience a qualifying life event, such as getting married or adding a child to your family. To learn more about any plan, click the section heading.
When you complete the Open Enrollment process, you’ll be prompted to select coverage under the plans listed below.
Samsara offers up to three medical plan options, depending on where you live. Please review the side-by-side comparison of medical plan benefits for information on your costs of care under each plan.
Aetna Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) Plan–Available to all employees, except those in Hawaii
Aetna High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)–Available to all employees, except those in Hawaii
Kaiser Permanente Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Plan–Available to employees in California, Georgia, and Hawaii; plan provisions vary by location
Voluntary Supplemental Health Plans
If you’re injured in an accident, diagnosed with a critical illness, or admitted to the hospital, your Samsara medical plan will help cover the cost of your care. However, you may still have some out-of-pocket costs, and likely some unexpected expenses as well. To enhance your Samsara medical plan coverage, you have the opportunity to enroll in three new supplemental health plans administered by Aetna: Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity.
Samsara offers two dental plan options: the Guardian Dental PPO Plan and the Guardian Dental PPO Preferred Plan. Both plans allow you to visit the provider of your choice whenever you seek care, but your out-of-pocket costs are lower when you visit a provider in each plan’s network. The annual maximum benefit and the lifetime maximum orthodontia benefit is higher under the PPO Preferred Plan, which also covers adult orthodontia.
Our Vision Plan, which is administered by Guardian, allows you to visit the provider of your choice whenever you seek care, but your out-of-pocket costs are lower when you visit a provider in the Vision Service Plan (VSP) Signature Network. The plan offers discounts on eyeglasses, contacts, LASIK and PRK procedures, and even hearing aids.
Samsara partners with Forma to open HSAs for participants in the Aetna HDHP. Each pay period, Samsara will deposit money in your HSA to help you pay for eligible healthcare expenses, such as medical and dental office visit costs, prescription drugs, and eyeglasses. You can elect to make additional contributions to your HSA through pretax payroll deductions.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
Healthcare, Limited Purpose, and Dependent Care FSAs allow you to make pretax payroll contributions to savings accounts and submit claims for reimbursement as you incur eligible expenses.
Supplemental / Voluntary Life Insurance Plan
You can elect Supplemental / Voluntary Life Insurance Plan coverage for yourself and your dependents. (Samsara automatically provides you with Basic Life Insurance Plan coverage equal to two times your annual salary (base + bonus/commissions) up to a maximum of $500,000.
Samsara’s commuter benefits allow you to contribute to transit and/or parking savings accounts through pretax payroll deductions.
The ARAG Legal Plan offers access to a network of local attorneys with expertise in estate planning, contract disputes, identity theft resolution, elder law, and more. They can provide advice, review and draft documents, and represent you in court if needed.
When you complete the Open Enrollment process, you’ll have the option to contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA) if you enroll in the Aetna HDHP, and to contribute to our Commuter Benefit Program. You can elect to contribute to these plans during Open Enrollment or anytime throughout the year. You can also stop, increase, or decrease your elections at any time.
Samsara partners with Forma to open HSAs for participants in the Aetna HDHP. Each pay period, Samsara will deposit money in your HSA to help you pay for eligible healthcare expenses, such as medical and dental office visit copays, prescription drugs, and eyeglasses. You can elect to make additional contributions to your HSA through pretax payroll deductions.
Samsara’s Commuter Benefit Program allows you to contribute to transit and/or parking savings accounts through pretax payroll deductions.
Additional Benefits
In addition to the plans outlined above, you’re eligible for all of the following programs and services. You don’t need to elect these benefits during Open Enrollment; they’re available to you whenever you choose to take advantage of them.
401(k) Plan & Financial Planning Services
Samsara’s 401(k) plan includes both traditional and Roth contribution options, as well as a “mega backdoor Roth” after-tax contribution option. Samsara matches 100% of the first 4% of your traditional and Roth contributions, and you own 100% of the matching contribution as soon as it’s deposited in your account. (When you join Samsara, you’re automatically enrolled in the traditional plan at a 1% contribution rate. You can change this rate anytime.) You also have access to financial planning services if you need help setting savings goals, assessing your tolerance for investment risk, selecting investment options, and more.
Basic Life & Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance Plans
Samsara provides Basic Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance Plan coverage equal to two times your annual salary (base + bonus/commissions), up to a maximum of $500,000. Your Basic Life Insurance Plan coverage pays your beneficiary if something happens to you. Your Basic AD&D Insurance Plan coverage pays a benefit to you in the event of your accidental injury, or to your beneficiary in the event of your accidental death. You don’t need to enroll in either plan, but you do need to designate beneficiaries. You can designate any person or entity as your beneficiary for either plan and update your designations at any time in Workday.
Carrot provides personalized fertility care (testing and diagnosis, egg freezing, in-vitro fertilization, and more) and family-building services for employees who are adopting or having a child through surrogacy. Services are provided regardless of gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or geographic location. The lifetime maximum benefit is $25,000.
Cleo Parenting Support Services
Whether you’re planning a family, new to parenting, or preparing to return to work after a leave, Cleo can help you build confidence in your parenting with the personalized support of a Cleo coach and educational programs. This benefit is available to all parents.
The ESPP gives you the opportunity to purchase shares of IOT through after-tax payroll deductions at a 15% discount. That’s a 15% return on your investment when shares are purchased, regardless of the price of IOT at that time. The plan also includes a “lookback provision,” which means your discount might be even more than 15%.
Samsarians receive $150 each fiscal quarter through the Hootfund for use on wellness, professional development, and family and home expenses.
Samsara’s leave of absence policies, which include bereavement leave, jury duty, and parental leave, allow you to take time off work to care for yourself or your family members, or fulfill civic or military responsibilities.
Nationwide administers our pet insurance plan. You can choose basic coverage that reimburses you for medical expenses related to accidents and illnesses, or basic coverage plus wellness coverage, which reimburses expenses for annual checkups, vaccinations, and other routine care.
Short- and Long-Term Disability Plans
If you’re unable to work due to an illness or injury, Samsara’s short-term disability plan pays 66.67% of your pre-disability base salary + bonus/commissions, up to $2,500 per week, until you’re able to return to work. If your disability lasts longer than 180 days, our long-term disability plan pays 66.67% of your pre-disability base salary + bonus/commissions, up to $12,000 per month, until your disability ends or you reach age 65, whichever comes first.
Samsara offers paid time off through a combination of vacation days and holidays.
Medical Plan Semi-Monthly Costs of Coverage
Dental Plans Semi-Monthly Costs of Coverage
Vision Plan Semi-Monthly Costs of Coverage
Resources
Alliant (our benefits advocate):
samsara@alliant.com or 925-378-6828
Representatives available Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific time
Note: Some of the links on this page go to documents that can only be accessed by Samsara employees.