The 2026 premium rates for the WELS VEBA Group Health Care Plan are now available. To find the 2026 premium rates for the plan options available in your area, visit the 2026 health rates page.

The 2026 rates will increase by 8.5% for all plan options due primarily to continued cost inflation (i.e., “trend”) for health care services and prescription drugs. In addition, 2026 will be the second year in a three-year effort to update the geographic rate regions and regional rating factors for all areas. This means that the total 2026 health rate change for each sponsoring organization will be a combination of the 8.5% trend increase and the organization’s new regional rating factor. The total 2026 health rate change will therefore vary by organization and range from a 1.3% increase to a 21.0% increase.

The WELS VEBA Commission approved the new rate regions and rating factors so that WELS VEBA rates will better reflect current health care costs across the country. The health care industry has changed significantly since the current WELS VEBA rate regions were developed approximately 15 years ago, and improved data has allowed the WELS VEBA actuaries to better assess the relative differences in health care costs across local markets. The new regional rating factors will be implemented over three years (2025 through 2027) to spread out the financial impacts to sponsoring organizations. Due to this transition period, please note that the regional rating factor change that will apply to each sponsoring organization’s rates for 2026 will also apply to that sponsoring organization’s 2027 rates. The estimated regional rating factors that will be applied for 2026 and 2027 are provided on each rate region’s 2026 health rates page.

Important note: Organizations, retired members, and COBRA members located in: (1) the metropolitan areas of Jefferson, Wisconsin, and Waupaca, Wisconsin; and (2) rural South Dakota (generally outside the metropolitan areas of Sioux Falls and Rapid City); will be in a different rate region in 2026 than they were in in 2025. Thus, the regional rating factor that will apply to organizations, retired members, and COBRA members located in these areas will be different in 2026 and 2027 than the regional rating factor that applied in 2025. We encourage these organizations and members in particular to visit the 2026 health rates page to determine the rate change that will apply to them in 2026.

The Plan 3 deductible amounts will increase to $3,400/individual and $6,800/family to remain compliant for use with Health Savings Accounts in 2026. No significant changes to covered services or health benefits are anticipated for 2026.

The WELS VEBA Commission approved a full open enrollment period this fall for new coverage effective January 1, 2026. All eligible workers will have the opportunity to enroll for new coverage or make changes to their existing WELS VEBA coverage. Sponsoring organizations that do not currently participate in WELS VEBA will have the opportunity to participate by offering WELS VEBA to their eligible workers for 2026. Open enrollment materials will be mailed to eligible workers and sponsoring organizations by the end of October.