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Contra Costa Board approves 2026 non‑PERS health benefit renewals; open enrollment set for October
Summary
The Board authorized renewal of non‑PERS medical, dental, vision and life insurance plans for 2026 and set the county's open‑enrollment schedule. Changes reflect plan premium increases led by Kaiser and a county subsidy formula tied to HMO pricing.
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 9 authorized county staff to finalize the county's non‑PERS health, dental, vision and life insurance contracts for Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2026, and approved the county's open‑enrollment schedule.
County staff said the proposed renewals reflect premium increases across medical plans, with Kaiser Permanente identified as carrying an approximate 9.7% premium increase in the county's rate materials. The county's monthly subsidy is calculated from 80% of the second‑lowest‑price, non‑deductible HMO plan; staff said CCHP Plan A will be the anchor plan for the subsidy calculation in 2026.
The nurse/benefits presentation noted about 81% of employees in the non‑PERS medical plans will see the same or reduced employee contribution under the proposed calculations. County staff also reported there will be no 2026 increases for dental, life insurance, or the county vision plan.
Anthony Phillip, a county staff presenter, said the county and the Joint Labor Management Benefits Committee worked with the county's broker, Siegel Consulting, to identify cost‑effective options. He said the county negotiated stability measures in prior years that moderated rate growth but that the Kaiser increase falls near the higher end of comparator counties for 2026. Staff and unions also agreed to waive mandatory minimum employee contributions for Kaiser B tiers (the $20, $40 and $60 tiers) for 2026 to reduce out‑of‑pocket employee costs.
Open enrollment for the county's non‑PERS plans is scheduled for Oct. 13–30, 2025, and staff said the calendar aligns with CalPERS' open enrollment, which runs Sept. 15–Oct. 10 and affects plans that include county dental coverage.
No public commenters spoke on the item. Supervisor Candace Anderson called for the motion to approve, and the board voted 4–0 to adopt the renewals and open‑enrollment schedule.
The action authorizes the county administrator or designee to execute the 2026 renewals and to implement the employee contribution schedule reflected in the staff materials. The county will notify enrollees ahead of the October open‑enrollment window.
The board packet contains the county's rate sheets and sample three‑tier rate examples for employee contribution calculations; staff said the full, final rate tables will be posted with the open‑enrollment materials.
