Larimer County to switch third‑party administrator and offer new zero‑deductible plan for 2026

Larimer County benefits staff announced on Sept. 4 that the county will change medical third‑party administrators from Meritain to UMR (UnitedHealthcare) and replace its current Choice and Standard plans with a new Surest zero‑deductible, variable co‑pay plan for the 2026 benefit year. Jennifer Whitener, benefits manager for Larimer County, said new ID cards will be mailed in December and the Surest plan’s provider/cost lookup site will be available in October prior to open enrollment, which runs Oct. 27–Nov. 7.

The change matters because most county claims are with UCHealth and the county prioritized a vendor with stronger contracted rates in Northern Colorado. Whitener said the move aimed to slow rising plan costs and to meet a county budget requirement that limited departmental premium increases to about 3%.

Under the Surest zero‑deductible plan, members pay a single co‑pay for a bundled service that accumulates toward an out‑of‑pocket maximum of $5,000 for single coverage and $10,000 for family coverage. Whitener described the plan as a “variable co‑pay plan” that uses a UnitedHealthcare “care rating” (1–10) combining quality and cost metrics to set co‑pay tiers. “What’s nice about this plan is that you will know the cost for the service you’re going to receive before you go,” Whitener said, adding that the Surest app and website will allow members to compare providers and see the co‑pay for a given provider and service in advance.

Whitener gave examples used to determine care ratings: complication and readmission rates for surgical procedures, use of imaging and diagnostic tests for acute conditions, diabetes‑related outcomes for primary care management, and measures around maternity outcomes such as cesarean rates and NICU use. She said care ratings and associated co‑pays are set annually and “will not change during the course of the year.”

Key benefit changes described by staff: - Network and vendor: third‑party administrator changes…