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Board approves employee health-premium structure for 2026, creating four tiers and employee contributions
Summary
Facing projected rate increases, Chippewa County approved Resolution 31-25 to implement employee premiums and shift from a two-tier to four-tier contribution structure for 2026 benefits.
Chippewa County supervisors approved Resolution 31-25 by a 20-0 vote to establish health-insurance funding for 2026 that introduces employee premiums and a four-tier contribution structure as the county seeks to manage projected substantial rate increases.
County staff told the board consultants projected a 24.5% rate increase for next year. To respond, the county will move from a two-tier (single/family) premium structure to a four-tier structure (single; employee + spouse; employee + children; family) and introduce employee premiums. Under the approved plan, the single-coverage premium for employees will be 3.2% (about $30 per month), while the other three tiers will carry a 6.7% employee premium (example amounts presented in the resolution: employee+spouse $150/month; employee+children $212/month; family $212/month as stated in the presentation). The county also will increase its employer contribution by 5% and retain the existing Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) at $500 per person up to a $2,000 family cap.
County staff estimated the premium contributions would yield about $629,000 annually based on current enrollment (about 363 employees covered), and projected a modest enrollment shift (estimating roughly 350 covered employees after adjustments) as some employees may transfer to spouses’ plans or otherwise change coverage tiers.
During discussion supervisors asked about wellness incentives and network access; staff said the county includes wellness components and that the third-party administrator (Anthem) and new programs like Amplify will provide ways for employees to find lower-cost providers and consumer-facing navigation. Supervisor Henick asked about potential incentives for healthy behaviors; staff said some wellness programs exist but not cash incentives.
Why it matters: The change reduces the county’s budgetary exposure to projected insurance-rate increases while shifting some cost to employees and keeping core benefits and the HRA in place.
What happens next: Human resources and finance staff will implement enrollment changes and update payroll deduction systems before the 2026 plan year; staff will monitor enrollment shifts and claim patterns and report back to the board.
