Posted 9:34 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025
Based on the continued strong financial position of the state Income Continuation Insurance (ICI) Program, the ICI premium rates for 2026 will decrease by 10%.
See the income continuation insurance (ICI) premium rate charts. Additional ICI information is also available in the ICI employer section of the ETF website.
| ICI | Completion Date | Effective Date | Report Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Premium Update | March | April 1 | April report due April 24, 2026 |
Deferred Enrollment with a submitted ICI application Submit ICI Application (ET-2307). (UWs enroll in My Insurance Benefits.) | Application received by March 2 | April 1 | April report due April 24, 2026 |
Report due dates are the 24th of the month. When the 24th falls on a weekend or holiday, the due date is the next business day.
Annual ICI Premium Review and Update
Please remember to complete the annual ICI premium updates in March (effective April 1, 2026). Instructions for completing the annual review can be found in chapter 4 of the Income Continuation Insurance Administration Manual-State (ET-1119). (Note for UWs: please see the UWs ICI Manual (ET-1119uw).)
Premium categories are based on the employee’s accumulated sick leave hours as of the prior year’s last complete payroll period. For 2025, this is pay period 1A (December 14, 2025 through December 27, 2025).
For newly hired employees or employees whose permanent percentage of appointment changed since the last annual review, their estimated earnings should continue to be used for premium purposes until a full calendar year of WRS earnings is available (for new hires) or the employee has worked a full calendar year at their new appointment percentage.
Similarly, if an employee had an unpaid leave during the prior calendar year, premiums should be calculated using the same earnings amount and premium category in effect prior to the leave, until a full calendar year of WRS earnings is available.
Example:
Employee starts Wisconsin Retirement System employment in July 2025 (use estimated earnings):
- 2026 Annual Adjustment – continue to use estimated earnings.
- 2027 Annual Adjustment – use previous calendar year (2026) WRS earnings.
Deferred Coverage - Enrollment Period Ends March 2, 2026
Deferred coverage gives employees (other than UW faculty and academic staff) an opportunity to enroll in ICI based on accumulated sick leave. The employee does not have to provide evidence of insurability. The following conditions apply:
- Employee qualifies for Premium Category 3, 4, or 5 for the first time.
- Category 3 is available to part-time employees on a prorated basis.
- Any year the employee qualifies for Premium Category 6.
Employers should notify eligible employees of the deferred ICI enrollment opportunity and direct interested employees to contact their human resources or payroll/benefits personnel for details. State employees, except for UWs employees, should submit an Income Continuation Insurance Application (ET-2307). UWs employees can apply in My Insurance Benefits. Coverage would be effective April 1, 2026. Applications must be submitted to the employer (or within My Insurance Benefits for UWs) by the close of business on March 2, 2026.
Eligible employees on leaves of absence during the open enrollment period have 60 days from the date they return to work to apply for coverage. Coverage will be effective the first day of the month that first occurs during their 60-day enrollment period, but no earlier than April 1, 2026.
Determine premiums using the same criteria as the annual process.
Reporting Instructions - myETF Benefits (MEBS)
Since there is no longer a supplemental coverage level, employers will have to key a single zero in the Supplemental ICI Contract box and a single zero in the Employee Paid box in MEBS. Then click on Calculate for the Premium Due box to be populated by the system.
ICI Enrollment Application Reminder
This is a reminder to all employers that a new enrollment is not always needed upon return from a leave of absence (LOA). If an employee's ICI coverage did not lapse while on LOA (i.e. they paid the premiums while on leave or their premiums were waived while they were receiving ICI benefits) they do not need to reapply for ICI coverage upon return to work. However, premium deductions from the employee's paychecks will need to be started again.
For more information, see the Income Continuation Insurance Administration Manual State (ET-1119) chapter 2 on eligibility criteria (relating to returning employee eligibility and leave of absence) and chapter 8 on claim processing (regarding the ICI premium waiver).