IPBC Newsletter | June 2026

Click the video preview for a recap of information shared in this Enewsletter - so you can prioritize.

Welcome to Ryan Somppi:

IPBC's New Financial Program Manager

Ryan Somppi is the newest team member at the IPBC and will serve as the Financial Program Manager. Ryan has more than four years of experience across various finance-related fields. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater in 2023 with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance. Ryan will be responsible for driving data-informed decisions, and will oversee critical financial reporting processes - to ensure the accurate and timely execution of budgeting and underwriting activities that support the entire Cooperative.

Job Opening: Member Services Consultant

The IPBC is seeking to hire a Member Services Consultant - Employee Benefits to join our team. This role is critical to building strong relationships with clients, and ensuring they receive exceptional service supporting government entities. Learn more about this position here.

May 14 Executive Board Meeting Recap

The IPBC Executive Board met on May 14, 2026, and below is a summary of the meeting:

● Appointment of the Committees for the 2026-27 Plan Year

● Admittance of the City of Peoria to IPBC effective January 1, 2027

● Approval of an Agreement with Alera Rx for Ongoing Management

● Updates on Delta Dental Annual Review, RxSaveCard program, ESI Accredo Dispensing Fees, BCBS Invoice Payment Terms, March 2026 Monthly Financial reports, IPBC Marketing Report

Details on all Executive Board items can be found on the IPBC website. The next Executive Board meeting is scheduled for July 9, 2026 at 9:30 a.m.

Milliman Memo on Plan Design Chage Impact

In this memo, you will find information about estimated plan design change impacts. Provided are IPBC average impacts for common changes to PPO, HDHP/HSA, BAHMO, and HMOI plans. These estimates are intended to be used to guide IPBC members and benefits consultants in the selection of plan changes to be included in underwriting requests. These values are not intended to be used for underwriting purposes.

The impact values represent the best estimate of the average impact for 2027, but they are expected to be relatively stable over time – so they may continue to be appropriate for the intended use for the next two to three years.

The IPBC Needs Your Help!

Maintaining accurate contact lists is essential for the IPBC to reach you with timely news and information. Please check your member pages to ensure your contacts are correct: you can make updates using this form.

Prime Healthcare Will Stay in BCBS Networks

Earlier this year, Prime Healthcare notified the IPBC of plans to leave our networks, effective on June 1, 2026, but those plans have now changed.

This applies to all groups, individuals and family markets, Medicare and Medicaid.

New Illinois Law Alert for NICU Leave!

The State of Illinois has approved a new law regarding Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Leave.

Beginning today (June 1, 2026), the State will require employers with 16 or more employees to provide unpaid, job-protected leave when an employee has a child in the NICU. The amount of leave is based on employer size.

Click this link for important, additional details about this new Illinois law.

Monthly Financial Reports

The April Monthly Financial Report is now available on the IPBC website and you can find it - and previous reports for 2025-2026 - at this link.

IPBC/Alera Quarterly Compliance Webinar

Tuesday, July 14

11am-Noon

Please attend a joint IPBC/Alera compliance webinar entitled, Mandatory Health Plan Reporting. Discussion will center around reporting requirements of individual IPBC members, as well as those that the IPBC completes on behalf of its members.

Topics will include:

PCORI reporting and associated fees
RxDC reporting
ACA reporting and affordability calculations
Annual notice packet distribution, and more

And - the Alera Group monthly Wellbeing Newsletter can be found here.

Wellness Program Updates

In this month's newsletter, you will find information about the Wellness Program Tier Checklist, a Wellness Fund Spotlight, helpful reminders, and on planning ahead for upcoming wellness initiatives.

You can view the newsletter here.

Upcoming Meetings

Tuesday, June 2

10-11am

(via Microsoft Teams)

ASK IPBC: Overview of Cancer Navigator

Click here for details and to register.

Thursday,

July 9

9am

(via Microsoft Teams)

Operations Committee Meeting

Click this link to view the agenda and meeting information.

*Agenda is provided a few days prior to the meeting.

IPBC Programs