Meeker County selects Hartford for life insurance and MetLife for paid family leave and short‑term disability administration

The Meeker County Board of Commissioners on July 15 approved three human resources recommendations from the county’s insurance committee: switching the county’s basic life‑insurance carrier to The Hartford for 2026–2028, selecting MetLife to administer paid family and medical leave starting Jan. 1, 2026, and choosing MetLife as the county’s short‑term disability carrier for 2026–2028.

Human Resources Director Michael Johnson told the board the county’s basic employer‑paid life coverage is $20,000 for employees who work 30 hours or more; that portion is county‑paid. The insurance committee solicited proposals and recommended The Hartford because it would allow eligible employees to enroll in additional coverage without completing a health questionnaire, increase the child life benefit from $2,500 to $10,000 under the voluntary buy‑up product, and reduce the county’s premium for the employer‑paid $20,000 basic life plan by approximately $3,780 compared with the current carrier.

On paid family and medical leave, Johnson said the county could use the State of Minnesota’s administration or contract with a private vendor; MetLife proposed a 0.79% payroll rate with a two‑year guarantee, below the state’s 0.88% payroll tax rate that the state has announced. MetLife already administers family‑leave programs in other states, Johnson said, and the committee favored MetLife for expected faster claim turnaround and an established administration platform. The county must still negotiate the employer/employee split of the payroll rate with unions and employer groups; Johnson also said there is a one‑time $500 fee to register with the state if the county later chose to move to the state program.

For short‑term disability, vendors submitted bids and the committee again recommended MetLife. Johnson said MetLife proposed a lower premium, a two‑year rate guarantee, increasing benefit coverage from 60% to 70% of salary and reducing the waiting period for benefits after illness or injury from 15 days to seven — changes intended to align short‑term disability with the paid‑leave program and to simplify claims administration by having one vendor manage both programs.

Motions and votes: The board voted to adopt the committee’s recommendations. The Hartford was approved as the county’s life insurance carrier for 2026–2028; MetLife was approved as the county’s paid family and medical leave claims administrator for the initial implementation period and as the short‑term disability carrier for 2026–2028.

Johnson said employers and employees will receive implementation details and that human resources staff will meet with union representatives to agree the premium split and other bargaining items. Commissioners asked about portability and COBRA continuation options; staff said continuation and conversion options will apply and that employees would be responsible for payments if they continue coverage after separation.