Gilpin County commissioners on Aug. 26 approved the county’s 2026 employee benefits renewal after staff and benefits broker representatives briefed the board on higher-than-expected claims.

Shanda Johnson, the county’s human-resources director, told the board the renewal request covers medical, dental and vision plans and that the proposal includes a 20% medical premium increase, a 15% dental increase and a 10% decrease for vision. Johnson said county claims totaled more than $3 million over the last year while premiums paid were roughly $2.5 million, placing the county in a higher renewal category.

Terry Brook, a benefits adviser with CBT (the county’s trust), described the county’s historical move from a partially self-insured model to CBT and said that despite recent claims the county remains in a comparatively favorable position because CBT is a nonprofit trust with relatively low fixed expenses and protections such as specific stop-loss coverage for very large claims.

Johnson said the county will keep the existing HRA design (employee cards funded at $3,000 individual / $6,000 family) and that employee contributions will increase by 2.5% in 2026 to offset part of the cost. The board approved the renewals and the staff recommendation to proceed to open enrollment in October.

Ending: The board approved the 2026 benefits renewal package. County staff and the benefits broker said they will continue to monitor claims activity and present possible cost-savings options to the board in coming months.