Lakeshore Employers Council
Benefits Plan MonitorNo. 3 · September 2026
Benefits Plan Monitor · WisconsinData to August 31, 2026
Plan year 2025 premiums rose faster than renewals were priced
Filings for 1,013 Wisconsin health plans show premiums per participant up 7.9 percent, well above the 6.5 percent increase members expected at renewal
1Premiums by employer size
Smaller employers pay more per participant and are far less likely to self fund. Across the four size bands, 23 percent of plans are self funded, rising to 64 percent among employers with 1,000 or more participants.1
| Participants | Plans | Covered | Premium each | On 2024 | Self funded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 to 199 | 412 | 58,300 | $15,900 | +8.6% | 9% |
| 200 to 499 | 356 | 108,700 | $15,400 | +8.1% | 21% |
| 500 to 999 | 148 | 101,200 | $14,800 | +7.4% | 38% |
| 1,000 or more | 97 | 196,500 | $14,200 | +6.9% | 64% |
| All bands | 1,013 | 464,700 | $14,900 | +7.9% | 23% |
Source: Department of Labor Form 5500 and Schedule A filings for Wisconsin employers, plan year 2025, received to August 31, 2026
2Premiums by industry
Professional services and manufacturing pay the most per participant. Retail and hospitality pay the least but saw the steepest increase, as several large insured plans in the sector renewed with older and smaller covered groups.
| Industry | Plans | Premium each | On 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional services | 162 | $15,800 | +7.8% |
| Manufacturing | 286 | $15,600 | +8.3% |
| Health care | 141 | $14,900 | +7.2% |
| Other industries | 306 | $14,600 | +7.5% |
| Retail and hospitality | 118 | $13,100 | +8.8% |
| All industries | 1,013 | $14,900 | +7.9% |
Source: Department of Labor Form 5500 and Schedule A filings for Wisconsin employers, plan year 2025, received to August 31, 2026
Source: Department of Labor Form 5500 and Schedule A filings, plan years 2017 to 2025
3What brokers are paid
Schedule A reports commissions and fees paid to brokers on each insured contract. Smaller employers pay almost twice the rate of the largest, which on a typical 150 person plan is worth about $9,800 a year.2
Source: Department of Labor Form 5500 and Schedule A filings for Wisconsin employers, plan year 2025, received to August 31, 2026
4Against our Benefits Design Survey
5What to watch in the next release
Filings on extension, due October 15, which will add most of the remaining large plans, state rate filings for 2027 small group plans, and fieldwork for the 2026 Benefits Design Survey, which closes in November.
How this monitor is built
- Plans are Wisconsin employer health plans with 100 or more participants that file Form 5500, matched to industry by employer identification number
- Premium per participant uses insured contracts on Schedule A and participants at the end of the plan year
- Filings are added as the Department of Labor releases them, and earlier editions are restated when late filings arrive
Approved for subscribersKaren LindqvistDirector of Survey Research · September 22, 2026
1 Self funded plans report no premium on Schedule A, so premium figures cover insured plans and the insured portion of mixed plans only.
2 The example assumes 150 participants at the median premium for the 100 to 199 band, $15,900 each.