The State Health Plan recently learned that many of the new 2026 ID Cards have a January 1, 2025, effective date.
While the benefits may change, the effective date on the ID card does not always change, which is a known issue at Aetna.
Regardless of the effective date, the new ID cards will work in 2026.
If you are confused as to whether you have a 2025 or 2026 ID card, you can distinguish the cards based on the plan names. The 2025 ID cards referenced the Base PPO Plan and the Enhanced PPO Plans. The 2026 ID cards have the new plan names: Standard and Plus PPO Plan.
We apologize for any confusion this may cause. The Plan will work with Aetna on a better solution for next year.