Cochise County outlines 2026–27 employee benefits changes; open enrollment runs April 1–30

Cochise County human resources staff presented the county’s 2026–27 open‑enrollment details and urged employees to submit any plan changes through the ADP system by April 30 for coverage effective July 1, 2026.

"Buenos días, soy Jennifer, la directora de recursos humanos," said Jennifer Gram, the county’s director of human resources, opening the session. Sarah, a benefits presenter with the HR team, told employees that open enrollment runs from April 1 through April 30 and reiterated procedural steps for making elections in ADP.

Why it matters: the HR team said premiums will increase across the county’s medical plans and several plan deductibles and out‑of‑pocket maximums will rise, meaning some employees could face higher costs if they keep the same coverage. At the same time, telehealth copays will be reduced for certain plans and new vendor services are being added to the benefits lineup.

Plan changes and costs HR staff said all enrolled members will receive new ID cards and that "there will be an increase in price for all medical plans." The presentation listed a clear change for the county’s Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) plan: the individual deductible for that option increases to $400. Presenters also said the telehealth copay for the EPO and EPO buy‑up plans will be reduced to $30 per consultation.

Speakers described increases to the high‑deductible plan’s deductible and family out‑of‑pocket maximums; the presentation repeatedly read numeric figures but several amounts were garbled in the transcript and are therefore not restated here. HR emphasized that the high‑deductible plan has no copays, that deductible and out‑of‑pocket maximum amounts are the same for that plan, and that using in‑network providers is critical to limit personal costs.

Prescription, dental and wellness Presenters reviewed prescription options (30‑day retail, 90‑day retail and 90‑day mail) and noted an RX Benefits home‑delivery service that includes free delivery and 24/7 pharmacist access. The county will move to Humana as the dental network for the coming year; HR said some providers previously out of network may now be in network and that dental premiums will not change this year.

HR staff also described ongoing wellness offerings (including $50 per year for eligible employees and dependents who participate in wellness activities) and new digital health services. They introduced Digby Health Solutions as a new platform that combines genetics, gut‑microbiome insights and behavioral coaching to support weight management and chronic‑condition care.

HSA, FSAs and retirement assistance Jennifer Gram explained features of the high‑deductible plan and the associated health savings account (HSA), including portability and IRS limits. The presentation cited IRS HSA contribution figures for 2026 (the transcript states $4,400 for individuals and $8,750 for families). HR also described a county per‑paycheck contribution to employee HSA accounts and additional wellness incentives; some employer contribution figures read aloud in the presentation were garbled in the transcript and are recorded in HR materials.

The team reviewed flexible spending accounts (medical and dependent care), noting the "use it or lose it" rule for the dependent care FSA and limited carryover or portability options for the medical FSA. HR also reminded employees that certain supplemental life‑insurance increases may be available during open enrollment and that a Nationwide representative, Clark Crowder, is available for retirement account consultations.

How to act Presenters repeatedly stressed that employees must use ADP to make any elections or changes by April 30. Elections submitted during the open‑enrollment window will take effect July 1, 2026. HR encouraged employees to review the summary of benefits on the department’s benefits webpage and to schedule consultations with vendors or the Nationwide representative if they want help comparing plans.

What remained unclear in the presentation Several monetary figures and per‑paycheck premiums read aloud in the session are garbled in the transcript; where those values are unclear, employees were directed to the official summary of benefits on the HR benefits webpage for exact dollar amounts and premium examples.

Next step HR said a question period would follow the presentation and that ADP reminders will be sent through April. Employees who wish to change medical, dental or vision coverage, enroll or re‑enroll in FSAs, or alter HSA contributions must complete and submit the relevant ADP forms by April 30.