For several years UAB has offered four (4) health insurance plans for employees. Three (3) plans have been with Viva Health (Viva) to include Access, Choice and Viva UAB along with one plan offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama (BCBS). Our goal has always been to offer affordable health plans which meet the needs of our employees and their families.
Beginning January 1, 2026, UAB will offer two (2) health plans with Viva (Viva Choice and Viva UAB) and one with BCBS.
- Viva UAB is a traditional plan where an employee can only use a physician who is in the UAB Network (UAB, UAB St. Vincent and UAB Med West).
- BCBS is a traditional plan with a Nationwide PPO Network.
- Viva Choice is UAB’s Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP). A CDHP provides the same coverage as the traditional health care plans. An employee can use a physician in the UAB Network and the Viva Network (Outside of UAB) within the state of Alabama. Viva Choice is paired with a health savings account (HSA) that enables you to set aside pre-tax payroll or after-tax dollars to pay for qualified, out-of-pocket medical expenses. In exchange for lower monthly premiums, employees with CDHPs pay higher out-of-pocket expenses until they reach an annual deductible. For Viva Choice, the annual deductible in 2026 is $1,800 for single coverage and $3,600 aggregate for a family. All qualified medical expenses (doctor visits, medical tests and prescriptions etc.) count toward the deductible. Once the deductible is met, Viva Choice begins paying 90 percent of claims up to the overall out-of-pocket maximum ($3,700 for single coverage and $7,400 for a family). Once the out-of-pocket maximum is reached, the plan pays 100 percent of claims for the remainder of the calendar year.
If you enroll in Viva Choice, you will be enrolled automatically in a Health Savings Account (HSA), and you will be ineligible to contribute to a health care FSA. Employees are still eligible for the dependent care FSA plan. HSAs are employee-owned accounts that can be used for qualified medical expenses now or saved for long-term expenses. Balances carry over year to year and earn interest. UAB will fund the first $600 for single coverage and $1,200 for non-single coverage for employees enrolling during annual open enrollment. These amounts are prorated for electing Viva Choice after January 1 of the plan year.