Wright County supervisors approve 2027 insurance funding increase, raise employee contributions

The Wright County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt Plan 1 Option 3 for the county’s 2027 health insurance program, increasing county-side fund deposits and modestly raising employee contributions.

Staff presented two funding options for the county’s insurance side fund. The board heard that the county currently has roughly $444,000 in the side fund and that a recommended target deposit was about $472,000 under the preferred option; the larger alternative would have put about $497,916 into the fund. Under the chosen option, monthly employee contributions rise modestly (presented as increases of about $30 for single coverage and $31 for family-side‑fund deposits in the county’s materials) and the family plan county cost was presented as increasing by about $1,004.34 per family policy.

Why the board acted: presenters said the county’s previous maximum out‑of‑pocket levels (cited in briefing materials as roughly $5,010) would rise under the new plan design (to roughly $7,515), so the board needed to increase reserves to limit county exposure if employees reach the higher maximums. “We need to make sure that we put enough money into the side fund to cover the cost,” said Unidentified Speaker 1 during the discussion.

County staff explained the arithmetic: the smaller option (adopted) would generate approximately $472,000 for the side fund, while the larger option would have generated roughly $497,916. The recommendation in the packet was described as coming from “Bob,” who urged the board to increase the fund to the recommended level.

Motion and vote: Unidentified Speaker 1 moved to adopt Plan 1 Option 3; Unidentified Speaker 2 seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote and was announced as carried.

What this means: The board approved a plan that increases county-side reserves and shifts a portion of cost to employees through slightly higher monthly premiums; staff said the visible employee benefits (copays, networks) remain the same while deductible and out‑of‑pocket maximums change. The county will reflect the higher side-fund target in budget calculations for FY2027.

Next steps: Staff will implement the chosen plan option for the coming plan year and incorporate the increased side-fund target into the county budget process.