Green Bay committee recommends 2026 benefits changes including 1% active premium increase, new voluntary offerings

City of Green Bay staff and benefits consultant M3 on Nov. 4 recommended changes to the city’s employee benefits package effective Jan. 1, 2026, and the Personnel Committee voted to forward the recommendation to the full council for final approval.

Staff and Beck, a consultant from M3, said the proposal would keep the city self‑insured and that a combination of plan design changes and negotiated savings limited the recommended increase for active employees to 1%. “By adding in the specialist visit copay as well as the emergency room visit copay increase and the changes to the prescription drug plan … that brings our overall increase on the active plan down to that 1%,” Beck said during the packet review. M3 projected about $10.4 million in medical claims for the coming year based on…