The State of Your Health Plan
A variety of complex and dynamic factors impact the cost and design of the benefit plans for Colorado State University faculty, administrative professionals, and non-classified staff. Human Resources aims to improve transparency when it comes to your medical and dental insurance benefits, including how our healthcare plans are performing and the key factors that drive costs. By sharing this information openly, our goal is to help employees understand the full value of the university’s medical benefits and how we work together to manage healthcare expenses responsibly.
Premiums
Employees contribute a portion of the premium and the university covers the majority of the premium cost on behalf of employees.
Claims Costs
Although healthcare insurance claims are reviewed and processed by third-party administrators (Anthem and Delta Dental), the university pays the cost of claims incurred by employees and their covered dependents.
Fees
In addition to funding premiums and claims, the university pays plan administrators, such as Anthem and Delta Dental, fees for each enrolled member.
Medical Plan Costs
The medical insurance plan incurred $86.4 million of total costs in 2024, which was $8.2 million more than the budget set for calendar year 2024. Here’s how the projected costs for calendar year 2025 are trending currently with plan costs expected to be at least $81.4 million.
Actuarial analysis indicates medical inflationary costs of 8.4% and pharmacy inflationary costs of 11.4% for plan year 2026.
| Enrolled Employees | Per Employee Per Year Costs | |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado State University | 6,352 | $12,814 |
The university contributes a percentage of the total monthly medical premiums on behalf of employees, in order to keep premium costs as low as possible for participants. Below you will find details regarding the medical premium cost share between CSU and employees for 2026.
Dental Plan Costs
The dental insurance plan incurred $4.7 million dollars of total costs in 2024, with was $129,000 more than the budget set for calendar year 2024. Here’s how the projected costs for calendar year 2025 are trending currently with plan costs expected to be at least $5.2 million.
| 2025 | Enrolled Employees | Per Employee Per Year Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado State University | 6,188 | $808 |
The university contributes a percentage of the total monthly dental premiums on behalf of employees, in order to keep premium costs as low as possible for participants. Below you will find details regarding the dental premium cost share between CSU and employees for 2026.
CSU Cost Share Model
For Medical and Dental, the University pays:
100% of the premium cost of employee only coverage under the Ram medical plan and the Dental Basic plan
78.9% of the premium cost of employee + dependent coverage under the Ram medical plan
78.9% of the premium cost of employee + dependent coverage under the Dental Basic plan
If you upgrade to the Green Plan, Aggie Orange or Colorado Pathways medical plan and/or to the Dental Plus plan, you will bear the difference in cost of the selected plan(s) and the institutional support for the Ram plan or Dental Basic plan at the comparable coverage level (e.g., employee only, employee + child(ren), employee + spouse/partner, family).