What this guide covers
- Why your BILH employer matters
- How BIDMC and BID Plymouth retirement benefits differ
- How Lahey’s current 403(b) differs by employee group
- Why older Lahey balances may follow different rules
- What to check when you move between BILH employers
- The 2026 contribution and catch-up limits
- How to estimate what is going into your retirement plan
- Seven retirement-benefit details worth checking
Why your BILH employer matters
Beth Israel Lahey Health was formed in 2019 and now includes academic medical centers, community hospitals, physician groups, and other healthcare organizations. Sharing the BILH name does not mean every employee participates in the same retirement plan.
The retirement benefits available to you depend on the legal employer and plan that apply to your employment. Current public benefit materials illustrate the differences clearly: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center describes a traditional 401(k) plus a voluntary 403(b), while Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Plymouth describes its own 403(b) retirement plan. Lahey Hospital & Medical Center publishes a current retirement structure for residents and fellows, while current Lahey job postings for some non-resident roles advertise a 403(b) match without publishing the match formula. Exeter Hospital currently lists both a 403(b) and a pension plan among its retirement savings programs.
A costly mistake to avoidDo not assume that a colleague elsewhere in BILH has the same match, employer contribution, eligibility, or vesting rules that you do. Start with the legal employer shown on your W-2 and the current Summary Plan Description or benefits material for that employer.
How BIDMC and BID Plymouth retirement benefits differ
A current side-by-side comparison makes the point more clearly than relying on older legacy-plan material. Both employers are part of BILH, but their published retirement provisions differ in plan type, match formula, and employer core contribution.
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Plymouth | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary savings plan | Traditional 401(k), plus a voluntary 403(b) | 403(b) retirement plan through Fidelity |
| Employer match | 60% of the first 4% of pay deferred to the 401(k) | 50 cents for each dollar contributed, up to 4% of pay |
| Maximum match, based on the published formula | 2.4% of pay | 2.0% of pay |
| When the match begins | After one year of eligible service | After one year of service and at least 1,000 hours |
| Employer core contribution | 2% to 5% of eligible pay, based on years of service; no employee contribution is required to receive it | 2% of base compensation if the employee works at least 250 hours during the quarter |
| Vesting in published employer contributions | Employer match and CORE contribution are immediately vested | Match and core contributions are 100% vested when made after the stated eligibility requirement is met |
The difference matters in practice. At BIDMC, an employee contributing 4% is at the point where the published 60%-of-4% match formula is fully used; the separate CORE contribution is based on years of service and does not require an employee contribution. At BID Plymouth, the published match is 50 cents per dollar up to 4% of pay, while the separate 2% core contribution depends on the employee working at least 250 hours during the quarter.
Why this comparison is usefulThese are current employer-published provisions, but they still do not describe every BILH employee. Other BILH entities can sponsor different plans or apply different eligibility rules. Use this comparison to understand why the employer name matters, not as a substitute for your own plan document.
How Lahey’s current 403(b) differs by employee group
Lahey Hospital & Medical Center’s publicly available retirement information does not support one contribution formula for every Lahey employee. The clearest current published terms are for residents and fellows, while current Lahey job postings show that at least some non-resident positions have a 403(b) match.
Residents and fellows
Lahey’s 2025 Benefit Plan Overview for residents and fellows describes the Beth Israel Lahey Health 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan administered by Fidelity Investments. Subject to eligibility requirements, Lahey states that it makes a 2% employer core contribution to the 403(b) each pay period, and residents and fellows do not need to contribute to receive that core contribution. The same document states that there is no matching contribution to the 403(b). Lahey’s current 2026–2027 residency information also lists a 2% employer retirement contribution for residents and fellows.
Other Lahey employees
Do not assume the resident-and-fellow formula applies to other Lahey employees. Current 2026 BILH recruiting material for a non-resident Lahey Clinic physical therapist position advertises a 403(b) match. That is direct evidence that at least some current non-resident Lahey positions can have a matching contribution. However, the public posting does not state the match percentage, the portion of pay eligible for the match, service or hours requirements, core-contribution terms, or vesting schedule.
For nurses, therapists, administrative staff, physicians, and other Lahey employees outside the resident-and-fellow population, use the current Summary Plan Description, Fidelity plan information, and employer benefits materials that apply to your job classification before entering a match or core percentage in the calculator below.
Do not apply one Lahey formula to everyoneThe current public evidence supports a 2% employer contribution with no match for residents and fellows, while at least some current non-resident Lahey job postings advertise a 403(b) match. Your plan documents should guide your contribution strategy.
Why older Lahey balances may follow different rules
Older Lahey retirement materials are still useful when you are trying to understand a legacy balance or a benefit earned under earlier plan terms, but they should not be presented as Lahey’s current 403(b) formula.
Lahey’s 2020 benefits summary described a 50-cent-per-dollar employer match on the first 4% of pay and an annual non-elective core contribution based on age. A 2021 Lahey benefits orientation showed that the historical core formula varied by both age and whether compensation was up to or above the Social Security wage base, with published percentages ranging from 2% to 10.5%. The 2021 material also said the employee had to work at least 1,000 hours during the year and be actively employed on December 31 to receive the core contribution.
For residents and fellows, Lahey’s 2025 plan overview describes a 2% core contribution each pay period and no matching contribution, and Lahey’s 2026–2027 residency information continues to list a 2% employer retirement contribution. For other Lahey employees, current public recruiting material shows that at least some non-resident positions have a 403(b) match, but it does not publish the formula. If you have been with Lahey for many years, the right question is therefore not simply “What is the Lahey match?” but rather which plan provisions governed the money already in your account, and which provisions govern new contributions now?
What to check when you move between BILH employers
An internal move within BILH can involve more than a change in department or hospital. If the legal employer changes, the retirement plan may change too. That can affect where new contributions go, which match or core formula applies, and what happens to an account left with the prior employer.
Older Lahey materials specifically stated that transferring within a BILH affiliate did not, by itself, provide access to the vested Lahey account balance; those materials generally required separation from all BILH employment or another permitted distribution event. Because that statement comes from legacy Lahey material rather than a current systemwide BILH rule, employees should confirm today’s distribution and rollover provisions before acting.
Confirm the new plan type, contribution election, employer contribution formula, eligibility, and vesting rules.
Review the prior plan’s current distribution, transfer, and rollover rules before assuming an internal move creates access to the account.
The 2026 contribution and catch-up limits
If you participate in more than one workplace retirement plan, the IRS limits deserve special attention. The basic 2026 elective-deferral limit for 401(k) and 403(b) plans is $24,500. In general, elective deferrals to the applicable plans in which you participate are aggregated when determining whether you have exceeded that limit.
| 2026 figure | Amount | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Basic elective-deferral limit | $24,500 | Your elective salary deferrals across applicable 401(k) and 403(b) plans |
| Age-50 catch-up | $8,000 | If the plan permits it, the general catch-up for participants age 50 or older |
| Higher catch-up at ages 60–63 | $11,250 | For participants who turn 60, 61, 62 or 63 during 2026; this higher amount applies instead of the standard $8,000 age-50 catch-up |
| Defined-contribution annual-additions limit | $72,000 | Generally applies to employee elective deferrals plus employer matching and nonelective contributions, excluding catch-up contributions |
| Annual compensation limit | $360,000 | The 2026 annual compensation limit under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a)(17), where applicable to the plan calculation |
Some 403(b) participants may have another catch-up opportunity. If the plan permits it, an employee with at least 15 years of service with the same eligible 403(b) employer may qualify for the special 15-year-service catch-up. A separate IRS formula and lifetime cap limit the amount. This article’s calculator does not model that special 403(b) catch-up, so long-service employees should check their plan documents before treating the calculator’s age-based limit as their maximum possible deferral.
Beginning in 2026, a catch-up-eligible participant whose 2025 FICA wages from the employer sponsoring the plan exceeded $150,000 generally must make 2026 catch-up contributions on a Roth basis under an applicable plan that permits catch-up contributions. This rule applies to catch-up contributions; it does not require regular elective deferrals below the applicable limit to be Roth.
If you use more than one planTrack your elective deferrals across every applicable 401(k) and 403(b) plan you use during the year. Your employer may know what you contribute to its own plan, but it may not know what you deferred through another employer or another plan.
How to estimate what is going into your retirement plan
The calculator below is currently configured as a general BILH retirement snapshot. Because BILH plan terms vary by employer, use the match and core contribution figures from your own current plan documents rather than assuming another BILH employer’s formula applies to you. The calculator models the general age-based catch-up rules shown above; it does not model the special 15-year-service catch-up that some 403(b) plans may permit.
Beth Israel Lahey Health retirement snapshot
Have your current plan information handy. Enter the match and employer contribution figures shown in your plan documents, then add your own pay and contribution rate.
Your estimated annual contributions
Are you getting the full match?
Your 2026 contribution room
About this tool. This educational calculator performs arithmetic on the figures you enter. It does not retrieve your account or plan information, and Finivi Inc. does not transmit, collect, or store the figures you type.
Assumptions and limitations. The calculator uses the match rate, match cap, and employer core contribution that you enter. It does not determine whether you are eligible for those contributions or whether service, hours, employment date, compensation definition, vesting, true-up, or other plan rules apply. It applies general 2026 elective-deferral and age-based catch-up limits and does not model every plan-specific or tax rule. Confirm the results against your current Summary Plan Description, plan documents, and account records.
Not advice. Educational only and not personalized investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice.
Seven retirement-benefit details worth checking
- Your legal employer and current retirement plan. Don’t rely only on the BILH name or a colleague’s plan.
- Your current employee contribution rate and employer match formula, including any service or hours requirement before the match begins.
- Whether your employer makes a separate core or nonelective contribution, what formula it uses, and whether you must contribute to receive it.
- Your vesting status and any prior BILH account, especially if you have changed employers within the system.
- Any legacy plan provisions attached to older money. Long-tenured Lahey employees in particular should distinguish historical account terms from the current provisions that apply to their own employee group.
- Your total elective deferrals across applicable workplace plans, measured against the 2026 limit.
- Your catch-up eligibility and Roth catch-up status, including whether your 2025 FICA wages with the plan sponsor exceeded the $150,000 threshold used for 2026.
Ready for a second set of eyes?
Finivi advises healthcare professionals and can review the retirement plan that actually applies to your BILH employment alongside the rest of your financial picture.
A review typically covers:
- Which plan governs you and what the current provisions say
- Whether your contribution rate captures the employer money available to you
- Core contributions, vesting, and balances left at another BILH employer
- Pre-tax versus Roth contributions and the 2026 catch-up rules
- How workplace plans fit with Social Security, outside investments, taxes and your retirement timeline
Sources
- Beth Israel Lahey Health: 5-year anniversary and system background
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: Employee Benefits
- Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Plymouth: Employee Benefits
- Lahey Hospital & Medical Center: 2025 Benefit Plan Overview — Residents and Fellows
- Lahey Hospital & Medical Center: 2026–2027 resident benefits (2% employer retirement contribution)
- Beth Israel Lahey Health Careers: current Lahey Clinic non-resident job posting advertising a 403(b) match
- Lahey Hospital & Medical Center: 2020 Benefits Summary (legacy-plan reference only)
- Lahey Hospital & Medical Center: 2021 Benefits Orientation (legacy CORE formula reference only)
- Exeter Hospital: 2026 Benefits
- IRS: 401(k) and profit-sharing plan contribution limits
- IRS: 403(b) contribution limits
- IRS: Catch-up contributions
Finivi Inc. is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Beth Israel Lahey Health, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Plymouth, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Exeter Hospital, Fidelity Investments, or any affiliated entity. These employers and organizations are named only to identify groups of employees this material is written for. This article is educational and is not personalized investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice. Retirement-plan provisions can vary by legal employer, hire date, job classification, collective bargaining status, hours worked and legacy plan history, and they are subject to change. Current employer and plan documents govern if they differ from this article. Historical Lahey provisions are included only to help readers understand legacy-plan history and should not be used as a current Lahey contribution formula. Current Lahey retirement provisions can differ by employee group; the resident-and-fellow terms described above should not be assumed to apply to other Lahey employees. Confirm your current plan terms, account records, and Summary Plan Description before acting. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Advisory services are offered through Finivi Inc., an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Registration does not imply any particular level of skill or training.
