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Board hears proposed 2026 plan that would raise some copays, keep premium rates flat
Summary
Benefits staff proposed modest benefit-design changes for 2026 — $5 across many copays, emergency-room copay rising from $100 to $175, and a Flex FSA cap increase — intended to restore the district's 75% employer cost-share target without raising premium rates.
Charles County Public Schools benefits staff outlined proposed changes to employee health benefits for calendar year 2026 at the Oct. 14 Board of Education meeting. Benefits manager Christina Warner told the board that the district is not proposing a premium-rate increase but presented targeted copay and FSA adjustments intended to move the district closer to its 75% employer/25% employee contribution goal.
Warner and staff described the proposals to the health-insurance committee: a $5 increase to many copays (no change to Medicare Advantage this year), diagnostic lab copays increasing from $0 to $10, and a proposal to raise the emergency-room copay from $100 to $175 so members are steered to urgent-care settings for nonemergency visits. Warner said the change is “the wish of the committee” and that emergency-room copays would be waived if a visit results in a hospital admission.
The plan would also raise the flexible spending account cap from the district’s current $2,400 to $3,300, with MS‑IRS limits addressed in communications. Warner noted that projected claim experience could total about $76 million in the coming year and that proposed changes aim to have those who use services contribute a bit more without raising rates for all enrollees.
Board members emphasized clear, early communication to employees and retirees so staff are not caught off guard by any changes. Vice Chair Kramer urged robust outreach; Warner said the health-insurance committee prioritized the changes and communications would follow.
No formal board vote on benefits changes was recorded at the Oct. 14 meeting; staff said the committee has recommended the design changes.
