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 regional trends and the city’s recent utilization.

The recommended package includes: a 1% premium increase for active employees; a 10% premium increase for retirees; no changes to the high‑deductible health plan; copay adjustments to the PPO plan; a 9% reduction in vision premiums with a four‑year rate lock; a 3% increase in dental premiums; and new voluntary products (short‑term disability, identity‑theft protection and pet insurance).

Staff described the short‑term disability product as providing roughly 60% wage replacement (with a stated cap) for up to about 90 days, and said adding a short‑term option enables a one‑time open enrollment that would allow employees to increase voluntary life coverage without providing evidence of insurability. Benefits staff also said renegotiation of the family savings/shared‑savings fee produced roughly a 5% reduction to that administrative fee.

During committee discussion and public comment, resident Mark Bergland said he and his household rely on the PPO plan and raised concerns that PPO enrollees are losing value: he described Prevea’s managed‑care card discounts being removed, limited reduced‑cost urgent‑care access in Green Bay and a closed urgent‑care facility that was cited in open‑enrollment materials. “It just seems like we are getting less and less on the PPO plan,” Bergland said. Benefits staff responded that Prevea discontinued its prior program and replaced it with two employer‑sponsored sites (Fox Commons in Appleton and a Cormier Road site in Ashwaubenon) that open Jan. 1; staff also emphasized that Bellin’s near‑site program and urgent‑care access at Bellin locations remained unchanged.

Committee members asked about pharmacy copay changes and communications during open enrollment; staff said they had received little feedback to date, pointed to an outreach program with CanaRx and said a communication campaign was being mailed to members. On retiree rates, staff said retiree utilization is substantially higher than actives and that the recommended 10% increase reflects that utilization; staff noted fewer than 10 retirees use the city plan.

After discussion, a committee member moved to recommend the benefits package as presented; the motion was seconded and the committee voted in favor. Staff noted the committee’s recommendation will be considered by the full City Council at its next meeting.