The 2027 premium rates for the WELS VEBA Group Health Care Plan are now available. To find the 2027 rates for the plan options available in your area, visit the 2027 health rates page.

The 2027 WELS VEBA health plan rates were affected by the following factors:

• A 5.0% increase was applied to all plan options due to continued cost inflation (“trend”) for health care services and prescription drugs;
• The relative benefit value factor for each plan option was adjusted due to the 2027 plan design update; and
• The geographic regional rating factor was updated for all areas.

The total 2027 health rate change will therefore vary by plan option and sponsoring organization and range from a 4.1% decrease to a 20.7% increase.

---

2027 Plan Design Update

Important! The deductibles, coinsurance percentages, and out-of-pocket maximums (“out-of-pocket amounts”) for all plan options will change effective 1/1/2027. A summary of the 2027 plan design is provided in the table below.

Benefit	Plan 1	Plan 2	Plan 3¹	Plan 4
Medical Deductible Individual	$1,000	$2,000	$3,500	$4,000
Medical Deductible Family	$2,000	$4,000	$7,000	$8,000
Member Coinsurance for Covered Medical Expenses After Deductible	15% In-Network 30% Out-of-Network	20% In-Network 30% Out-of-Network	20% In-Network 30% Out-of-Network	20% In-Network 50% Out-of-Network
Medical Out-of-Pocket Maximum Individual²	$3,000	$5,000	$6,000	$8,000
Medical Out-of-Pocket Maximum Family²	$6,000	$10,000	$12,000	$16,000
Rx Out-of-Pocket Maximum Individual	$1,000	$1,000	Applied to Medical Deductible; then Plan pays 100%	$1,000
Rx Out-of-Pocket Maximum Family	$2,000	$2,000	Applied to Medical Deductible; then Plan pays 100%	$2,000
Total Plan Out-of-Pocket Maximum Individual³	$4,000	$6,000	$6,000	$9,000
Total Plan Out-of-Pocket Maximum Family³	$8,000	$12,000	$12,000	$18,000

1. Plan 3 is a Health Savings Account (HSA)-compliant High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). Benefits and coverage under Plan 3 may be different from other plan options. Please consult the Plan 3 Summary Plan Description for additional details or contact the Benefit Plans Office.
2. Medical Out-of-Pocket Maximum amounts include Medical Deductible amounts.
3. Total Plan Out-of-Pocket Maximum amounts for Individual and Family are the total of Medical Out-of-Pocket Maximum amounts and Rx Out-of-Pocket Maximum amounts for Individual and Family, respectively.

Over the past several years, the WELS VEBA Commission has reviewed with its consultants and actuaries the benefit levels provided by WELS VEBA and other employer plans in its peer group. The Commission found that WELS VEBA benefit levels were generally higher than most other plans mainly because, unlike other plans, the WELS VEBA out-of-pocket amounts have not increased in recent years to maintain pace with inflation. In fact, the out-of-pocket amounts for Plans 1 and 2 have not changed since 1/1/2005, and the out-of-pocket amounts for Plan 4 have not changed since 1/1/2014.

In previous years the Commission kept these out-of-pocket amounts unchanged to avoid shifting additional costs to workers, and instead allowed flexibility by passing through increasing costs to organizations in the form of higher rates and allowing each organization to determine the best cost-sharing approach given its financial resources and worker needs. However, for 2027 the Commission approved the plan design update so that WELS VEBA out-of-pocket amounts better align with industry standards and current health care cost levels, and to provide some rate relief to sponsoring organizations. The 2027 WELS VEBA rates likely would have been 5% higher without the plan design update.

The Commission encourages sponsoring organizations to review the plan design update and consider any potential changes to worker benefits (e.g., Health Reimbursement Arrangement plan design, worker premium cost-sharing, etc.) before this fall’s open enrollment materials are mailed by the end of October. A flyer with additional information on ways that sponsoring organizations can prepare for the upcoming open enrollment and 2027 plan design update will be mailed to participating sponsoring organizations in September.

---

Geographic Rate Region Update

The three-year transition to the ultimate five-region rate structure will be complete as of 1/1/2027. 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 regional rating factors applied to the 2027 rates are provided on each rate region’s 2027 health rates page.

Going forward, the Commission intends to regularly review the relative differences in health care costs across local markets in consultation with the plan’s actuaries. Incremental adjustments to the rate regions and regional rating factors will be made periodically so that WELS VEBA rates remain in line with local market conditions over time.

---

Fall 2026 Limited Open Enrollment

The WELS VEBA Commission approved a limited open enrollment period this November for new coverage effective January 1, 2027. Eligible workers serving at sponsoring organizations that participate in WELS VEBA will have the opportunity to enroll for new coverage or make changes to their existing WELS VEBA coverage. Limited open enrollment materials will be mailed to eligible workers by the end of October.