Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Employee Benefits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Meeker County approves MetLife dental plan and adopts Prime Health 2026 rates for nonunion staff
Summary
The board selected MetLife as the county's dental insurance carrier for 2026–2028 and approved Prime Health medical insurance rates and county contributions for nonunion employees for 2026; staff cited rising premiums and a three-year rate guarantee from MetLife.
At its Sept. 16 meeting the Meeker County Board of Commissioners approved two employee-benefit items: the county selected MetLife as its dental insurance carrier for 2026–2028 and approved Prime Health medical insurance rates for nonunion employees for 2026.
Michael Johnson, Meeker County Human Resources Director, said the county's current dental vendor, Humana, proposed large premium increases and that MetLife's proposal offered a three-year rate guarantee with a smaller first-year increase and a cap on years two and three. "There is an increase, a smaller increase each year. It's a guarantee of 3 years," Johnson said. He noted MetLife's proposal includes preventative services as part of the overall benefit rather than subtracting cleanings from the annual maximum benefit.
The board voted to approve MetLife as the county dental carrier for 2026–2028. The motion was moved by Commissioner Oberg and seconded by Commissioner Zomtke and carried on a voice vote.
Nut graf: County staff also presented Prime Health rate information for nonunion employees. Staff said the Prime Health plans averaged a 7.5 percent increase across plans for 2026; the county will increase its HSA contribution and continue to pick up 50 percent of the change in the lowest-cost Emerald plan under the county's existing approach. For single HSA plans the county contribution would increase to $1,700; the county contribution to the family HSA would increase to $4,000, matching the negotiated amount for union employees.
The board approved the Prime Health rates for nonunion employees by motion; commissioners voiced approval and the motion carried. Staff said they would continue negotiations and internal discussions about balancing insurance costs and wages in future bargaining rounds.
Ending: Human Resources will implement the carrier change and rate adjustments for 2026, notify affected employees and continue to work with the county's benefits broker on network issues and member questions.
