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Council approves moving city employee health and dental plans to Cigna for 2026
Summary
After an RFP process, council approved staff recommendation to switch the city’s 2026 medical plan to Cigna (EPO option) and to renew dental with Cigna; staff said the recommended package would result in an estimated 2.2% overall increase versus higher renewals from the incumbent.
Heath’s City Council voted to adopt staff and consultant recommendations to shift the city’s 2026 medical coverage to Cigna (EPO model) and to renew dental with Cigna.
Andrew Weager of HUB International presented the RFP analysis and said UnitedHealthcare’s original renewal quote had been 32% higher; after negotiations UHC’s best‑and‑final renewal equated to an 18.7% increase. By comparison, Weager said the recommended Cigna package would result in an estimated overall increase of about 2.2% for medical and dental combined. He added that network disruption is expected to be minimal, noting a 99% network match between Cigna and the city’s current provider and that emergency care would remain covered at in‑network levels.
Weager also highlighted a one‑time $2,500 wellness allowance for the city (for entity‑level wellness initiatives, not per employee) and a $25,000 bundling credit tied to combining lines of coverage. Council members asked clarifying questions about the wellness allowance and about bundling impacts on vision and other supplemental lines. After discussion, Councilwoman Thurgood moved to award the 2026 medical plan to Cigna (EPO) and renew dental with Cigna at a 5% increase maintaining the bundling incentive; the motion passed unanimously.
City staff said open enrollment will begin following the decision and implementation activities will follow the standard transition schedule for an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026.
