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HR director recommends keeping township self-funded for 2026 renewal
Summary
Human Resources Director Melanie Hermes recommended Delhi Hills remain self-funded for health benefits in 2026, retaining Surest as TPA and Companion Life as stop-loss carrier; trustees were briefed on fixed costs, stop-loss details and wellness incentives including a $2,500 reimbursable wellness credit.
Melanie Hermes, Delhi Hills' human resources director, presented the township's annual self-insurance review at the July 29 trustees meeting and recommended remaining self-funded for 2026.
Hermes said brokers MMA recommended staying self-funded, retaining Surest as third-party administrator and using the UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus network. She outlined plan elements including a $75,000 specific stop-loss deductible per member, an annual aggregate cap and fixed administrative costs of roughly $386,000. Hermes cited a maximum-claims figure of $1,900,000 in the materials she presented and described premium-equivalence recommendations that hold employee costs flat: "MMA recommends that we hold our premium equivalence at a 0% increase," she said.
Hermes also described wellness programs and incentives that aim to reduce claims. The township offers Marathon Health clinic access for full-time employees, wellness premium deductions for completion of annual physicals and engagement activities, and a new Surest-provided $2,500 reimbursable wellness credit. Trustees thanked Hermes for the work required to negotiate the renewal and said they would consider seven related health resolutions at the August 12 meeting covering TPA selection, stop-loss, dental renewal and other vendor renewals.
The presentation included enrollment and cost details but trustees asked staff to clarify which employee activities qualify for reimbursement and to share enrollment-management outcomes with staff prior to open enrollment. Open enrollment is scheduled after Labor Day for plan year starting Oct. 1.
