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Minot council approves health-plan adjustments to trim 2026 renewal increase
Summary
Council approved recommended changes to the city's self-funded health plan that city staff and broker said would reduce the 2026 renewal from a projected 10.5% increase to about 2.9%, shifting plan design and pharmacy formularies while keeping employee contribution percentages unchanged.
City employees’ health coverage changes proposed by Human Resources and benefits broker Brown and Brown drew council approval on Aug. 18 as part of the 2026 renewal process.
Britney Thurston of the city’s human-resources department introduced Katie Bridal, account manager with Brown and Brown, who reviewed options for the city’s self-funded medical plan. Bridal said the consultant team examined plan design, employer/employee contributions, stop‑loss premiums and administrative fees across about 16 scenarios to find a more sustainable path.
Key elements of the proposal approved by the council include maintaining a $250 individual deductible, moving from 90% to 80% coinsurance (which applies after the deductible), changing to flat copays, increasing the individual out‑of‑pocket maximum to $7,000, and moving to Blue Cross Blue Shield with Prime Therapeutics’ closed formulary (NetResults) for pharmacy coverage. Bridal said the plan changes would bring the insurer renewal from an estimated 10.5% increase to about 2.9%, and would result in an estimated $25 monthly increase for an individual plan rather than an earlier estimate near $90 per month.
Bridal said the change to a $7,000 out‑of‑pocket maximum does not mean every affected employee will pay that amount; modeling of historical claims suggested about 28 employees could see higher liability than under the current structure. The broker also said the proposed design would bring the plan into compliance with federal mental‑health parity requirements while keeping employer/employee contribution percentages the same.
Council discussion focused on long‑term sustainability and the value of preserving a low deductible for employees. Alderman Blessum said preserving rich benefits while moving toward sustainability is important. The council approved the three-part recommendation from staff unanimously.
The motion authorizes staff to implement the proposed plan design and procurement steps for the 2026 renewal.
