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Dunn County approves 13% hike to health premiums for 2026; county absorbs employee share, dental premiums rise 11%
Summary
The Committee on Administration approved a 13% increase to the county's self-funded health insurance premiums for 2026 and an 11% increase to Delta Dental premiums for dental coverage. The county will keep employee contributions unchanged and forward the plan to the county board.
The Dunn County Committee on Administration unanimously approved recommended health and dental premium rates for 2026 after personnel staff presented claims history, fund balances and enrollment data.
Personnel told the committee the county's self-insurance fund fell from a recommended funding level of $3,500,000 (per audit guidance) to an ending net position of $1.9 million at the end of 2024 after high claims. The county's consultant initially recommended an 18% premium increase for 2026; staff and the consultant settled on a 13% premium increase to fund anticipated costs while trying to limit the drawdown on the self-insurance fund.
Two health-plan options were presented: Option 1 with a $2,500 single deductible / $5,000 family deductible, and Option 2 with a $3,500 single / $7,000 family deductible. Staff reported 820 total covered members (employees and dependents) as of August 2025; 64% of covered employees are on family plans and 36% on single plans. The most selected family option is the $5,000 family-deductible plan. Staff said about 35% of claims are spousal claims and that adding more plan tiers (for example an employee-plus-spouse tier) would not reduce county costs under current claim patterns.
Personnel recommended and the committee approved keeping the county's employee contribution amounts unchanged so that the county would absorb the full premium increase in the proposed 2026 budget. For dental coverage, staff reported a proposed 11% premium increase from Delta Dental; Dunn County currently pays $50 per month per employee toward dental premiums, a contribution the presenter said is unchanged in the recommendation.
Committee members asked about enrollment trends, plan design options and multiyear contracts; staff said vendors have been less willing to offer multiyear guarantees given volatility in claims costs. After discussion, the committee voted to forward the premium decisions to the county board.
The committee did not take any additional structural action on plan design but asked staff to provide counts and further details if requested by board members.
