On July 17, the Public Employees Benefits (PEB) Board met. Members attended in person at the Health Care Authority (HCA) in Olympia and remotely. The meeting was open to the public both in person and via Zoom.
Meeting recap
Highlights are listed below. See the briefing book for all presentation materials.
The Board approved the following resolutions:
- PEBB 2025-05 – Rescinding Resolution PEBB 2023-03: UMP Hearing Instruments: Effective January 1, 2026, resolution PEBB 2023-03, as adopted on June 8, 2023, is rescinded.
- PEBB 2025-06 – UMP Hearing Instruments: Beginning January 1, 2026, prescribed hearing instruments in all Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) plans will be covered at 100 percent of the allowed amount every 36 months. Coverage for members enrolled in UMP Classic, UMP Classic Medicare with Part D, and UMP Select is not subject to the member meeting the plan deductible. Coverage for members enrolled in UMP Consumer-Directed Health Plan (CDHP) is subject to the member meeting the plan deductible.
- PEBB 2025-13 – Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest (KPNW) Non-Medicare Premiums: The PEB Board authorizes the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest employee and non-Medicare retiree 2026 plan premiums.
- PEBB 2025-14 – Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington (KPWA) Non-Medicare Premiums: The PEB Board authorizes the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington employee and non-Medicare retiree 2026 plan premiums.
- PEBB 2025-15 – Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) Non-Medicare Premiums: The PEB Board authorizes the Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) employee and non-Medicare retiree 2026 plan premiums.
The Board passed the premium resolutions, but there were “no” votes on the KPNW and KPWA premium resolutions. The board members concurred that they do not endorse or support the rate increases and expressed concerns about rising costs for members, but several board members chose to vote for the resolutions to keep as many plan choices as possible for PEBB Program members — especially those who are in current treatment plans and would be severely impacted if the plans closed. Plan choices are important because PEBB members are in the best position to weigh their own financial and health circumstances when selecting a plan. Board members strongly encouraged HCA to pursue a new procurement that could result in additional, or different, plan choices in the future.
HCA staff provided presentations on the following:
- Follow up on UMP hearing aid benefit design.
- Preview of open enrollment and preparations to ensure a successful member experience.
- Overview of the HCA request for proposal (RFP) process.
Next meeting
This concludes the 2025 PEB Board season. The next public meeting of the PEB Board is scheduled for January 29, 2026. Board members and the public may attend in person or virtually via Zoom. A link for virtual attendance will be noted on the meeting agenda and posted on the PEB Board Meetings and materials webpage.
