Committee recommends 2026 health insurance rate increases, keeps family subsidy at 2025 level

At a county committee meeting Tuesday, members voted unanimously to recommend the 2026 employee health insurance premium rates — an average increase of 9.1% with a range of about 7%–11% depending on plan — and to continue a subsidy that applies only to family coverage at the same dollar amount provided in 2025. The committee’s recommendation will go to the full board in October for final action and, if approved, open enrollment will begin in November for coverage effective Jan. 1, 2026.

The recommendation came in a presentation from Loftus, who described three active-employee plan options: a PPO with a $1,000 single deductible, a plan with a $3,500 single deductible, and a qualified high-deductible plan (HDHP) with a $2,500 single deductible. Loftus said the county’s participation in the intergovernmental personnel benefit cooperative (IPBC) means an actuary reviewed claims, and the proposed premiums reflect that review. “Our health insurance premiums are increasing, over an average of 9.1%,” Loftus said during the meeting.

The committee also discussed retiree coverage. Loftus said non-Medicare-eligible retirees will remain eligible to choose one of the three active-employee plans and will pay 100% of that plan’s cost. She said IPBC secured four Medicare-supplemental plans for Medicare-eligible retirees whose 2026 rates will be lower than the plans offered in 2025 and that those supplemental options include comparable vision, dental and hearing benefits.

Committee members and employee representatives described the Health Insurance Advisory Committee (HIAC) as the venue where administration and employee bargaining-group representatives review plan design and rates. Captain Mattel, an employee HIAC member, said HIAC “helped to relieve” concern and gave employees “a really large voice” when the county transitioned plans last year. The committee reviewed enrollment results with HIAC and met with IPBC after actuary results were available.

Loftus and staff noted one exception: premiums for lieutenants, deputies and corrections staff are set by collective bargaining agreement and were not adjusted in this recommendation. Members asked about transparency and tools to help employees choose among plans; Loftus pointed to PlanSource’s decision-guidance features and to HIAC outreach and department surveys that produced positive feedback about the new plans.

The committee voted to forward the recommended 2026 rates and the family-only subsidy to the full board for approval. If the full board adopts the recommendation, open enrollment for employees will begin in November for coverage effective Jan. 1, 2026.