Board reviews proposed 2026 non‑Medicare premiums and explains employer contribution method

Tanya Duell, finance manager in HCA's finance and purchasing division, presented the proposed 2026 non‑Medicare employee and non‑Medicare retiree premiums and walked the board through the EMC (employer medical contribution) calculation that sets the state's employer share at 85% of the UMP Classic single‑subscriber bid rate.

Using a simple example, Duell showed how an $800 bid rate would produce an EMC of $680 (85 percent) and a subscriber payment of $120 in that hypothetical. She also explained tier multipliers used to convert single subscriber rates into tiered family rates (for example, subscriber + spouse is x2; subscriber + children x1.75; full family x2.75). Duell said the EMC this year is $759 (an 8% increase), and that employees will experience plan‑specific premium changes depending on how carriers bid relative to the EMC benchmark.

Duell also described proposals submitted by carriers that would lower premiums by increasing deductibles or other cost‑sharing; the agency decided not to include those proposals in the proposed rates because changing benefit design absent an active open enrollment could create confusion and unexpected out‑of‑pocket costs for members. Board members asked about the effect of eliminating UMP Plus and whether alternative plan designs or new plans should be considered in future bargaining cycles; staff said the impact of closing UMP Plus on other plan rates was minimal and that major design shifts would require time and bargaining consideration.