Effective July 1, town employees and retirees will see a 24% increase to their health insurance rates over fiscal year 2026 — an increase reflecting the rising cost of health care nationwide. With the Harvard Pilgrim HMO, individuals will pay $258 per month or $699 for a family plan, based on an 80-20 split, in which the employee pays 20% of the cost and the town pays 80%. Those grandfathered into a 75-25 split will pay $322 per month for…