Westford Select Board Delays Health Insurance Plan Changes to March 2027

Select Board · Meeting of July 23, 2026

Westford Select Board resets health insurance timeline, targets March 2027 for any plan changes. At a July 23 listening session at Stony Brook Middle School, Select Board Chair Chris Barrett and Town Manager Kristen presented a revised seven-step timeline pushing any health insurance plan design changes to March 1, 2027, after the town's broker, Hub International, confirmed that mid-year adjustments are possible under state law — information not available when the Health Insurance Trust voted on a faster schedule on July 1. The board acknowledged receiving more than 100 emails from concerned employees and retirees.

Select Board member Sean Kelly, the board's appointee to the Health Insurance Trust, said plan design changes could "reduce overall premiums" and allow the town to increase its employer contribution over time, while Highway Department employee Tyler Butts countered that the data "punishes the people who actually use it." The Health Insurance Trust is now expected to meet July 30 to review potential plan proposals; health insurance costs have grown from 9 percent to 11 percent of the operating budget since fiscal 2019, with Medicare costs up 13.4 percent over five years.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,897 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.