PEB Board reviews proposed 2027 premiums

On June 25, the Public Employees Benefits Board (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 Microsoft Teams.

Meeting recap

Highlights are listed below. See the briefing book for all presentation materials.

At the start of the meeting Dave Iseminger, Employees and Retirees Benefits (ERB) Division Director, shared information about the status of provider network agreement negotiations between MultiCare and Premera Blue Cross. HCA’s new announcement about this network negotiation was since updated on June 29.

HCA staff introduced the following proposed resolutions:

  • PEBB 2026-05 – Medicare Explicit Subsidy: For plan year 2027, the PEB Board authorizes HCA to set the monthly Medicare Explicit Subsidy at the maximum amount allowed by the state operating budget.
  • PEBB 2026-06 – Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest (KPNW) Medicare Premium: The PEB Board authorizes the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest Medicare plan premium.
  • PEBB 2026-07 – Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington (KPWA) Medicare Premium: The PEB Board authorizes the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington Medicare plan premium.
  • PEBB 2026-08 – UnitedHealthcare Medicare Premiums: The PEB Board authorizes the UnitedHealthcare Medicare plan premiums.
  • PEBB 2026-09 – Premera Blue Cross Medicare Premiums: The PEB Board authorizes the Premera Blue Cross Medicare supplement plan premiums.
  • PEBB 2026-10 – Uniform Medical Plan Medicare Premium: The PEB Board authorizes the Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) Classic Medicare with Part D (PDP) plan premium. Consistent with open enrollment operational timelines, HCA has the authority to lower the 2027 premium if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services continues the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration.
  • PEBB 2026-11 – 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 2027 plan premiums.
  • PEBB 2026-12 – 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 2027 plan premiums.
  • PEBB 2026-13 – Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) Non-Medicare Premiums: The PEB Board authorizes the Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) employee and non-Medicare retiree 2027 plan premiums.

The PEB Board will be asked to vote on these premiums at the meeting on July 9.

HCA staff provided presentations on the following:

  • Upcoming benefit design changes.
  • Process for setting premiums and a review of proposed monthly premiums by plan for 2027.
  • Discussion on the 2027 PEB Board meeting schedule.

At the beginning of the meeting the Board met in executive session, to consider proprietary or confidential nonpublished information related to the development, acquisition, or implementation of state-purchased health care services for the 2027 plan year.

Next meeting

The next public meeting of the PEB Board is scheduled for July 9, 2026, starting at 9 a.m. Board members and the public may attend in person or virtually via Microsoft Teams. A link or call-in number for virtual attendance will be noted on the meeting agenda and posted on the PEB Board Meetings and materials webpage.