Weston County hospital board votes 4–3 to keep employee health contributions unchanged for 2026
Summary
After prolonged debate about premiums and stop-loss exposure, the board approved a plan that keeps employee contribution at current levels and absorbs the projected 2026 increase; the measure passed 4–3.
The Weston County Hospital Board voted 4–3 to approve a benefits package that preserves current employee contributions for 2026, after debating how to cover an insurer-projected rise in medical premiums.
Board members and staff met at the board’s regular session to review options from broker Gallagher, who estimated roughly a 2.8 percent increase in medical premiums for 2026. Speaker 2, who presented the benefits materials, said the administration recommended a 50/50 split of the increase between the district and employees as the least-painful option; board members discussed alternatives including a no-change approach and exploring an ICRA-style alternative that would shift costs to employees.
Speaker 6 moved to accept “the proposal for a no employee contribution increase” so staff would proceed with open enrollment without raising employee premiums; Speaker 1 seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote, recorded in the meeting as 4 in favor and 3 opposed. Board members debating the measure emphasized competing priorities: some said the roughly $11,000 district cost difference made keeping contributions level feasible, while others said uncertain financials and high one-off claims argued for caution. Staff noted stop-loss arrangements (stop-loss attachment reported as $75,000 with reinsurance above $100,000) and that one outlier claim had exceeded a million dollars in the recent period.
The board also discussed timing: staff said Gallagher was still finalizing numbers and that a special meeting might be necessary to finalize enrollment if updated figures arrived late. Staff emphasized the need to finalize open enrollment soon to ensure January 1 coverage. The board directed staff to proceed with the chosen option and report back if Gallagher’s final numbers materially change.
The measure affects employee payroll contributions for 2026; the board’s action was framed as a near-term compromise while staff continues deeper work on the organization’s financials and insurance strategy.
