This browser does not support the Video element.
County insurance contract approved after lapse
Milwaukee County's health care debacle is almost fixed after supervisors approved a new health insurance contract.
MILWAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. - Milwaukee County's health care debacle is almost fixed.
Previous contract lapsed
The backstory:
The county's contract with UnitedHealthcare expired at the beginning of 2026.
County supervisors didn't learn about the lapse until nearly one month later.
The county’s contract expired on Dec. 31, 2025.
Milwaukee County health insurance contract lapses, employee fired
A Milwaukee County Human Resources employee is now out of a job after leaders say an error caused the county's health insurance contract to lapse at the end of 2025.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
It applies to thousands of county employees, their families, as well as retirees.
New contract approved
What we know:
The new contract will be retroactive, running from Jan. 1, 2026 through Dec. 31, 2030.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley blamed an employee for the mistake and said that employee was fired.
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
He also said workers never lost their coverage.
On Thursday, Feb. 5, the Milwaukee County Board approved a new contract with UnitedHealthcare and Optum Rx. UnitedHealthcare administers health care claims for the county.
"The director of benefits managed this badly, terribly, put fear into people's hearts about their health care, let a critical contract lapse. That is totally unacceptable," said Milwaukee County Supervisor Shawn Rolland.
"We all have questions, and we need to make certain that not only the employees, but the taxpayers don't get caught paying the price for this disheartening situation they put us in," said Milwaukee County Supervisor Patti Logsdon.
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Crowley says he'll sign this legislation once it reaches his desk. That will allow the county to sign the new contract.
He says it was needed to keep costs lower as it will mean workers here are still in network with their providers.
The Source: This story was produced by FOX6 with information from a Milwaukee County hearing and interviews.