Methodology Preview:Position titles and range numbers are sourced from the City of Modesto's 2025-2026 Alphabetical Listing of Classifications. Salary, benefit, and pension figures shown here are illustrative — production data populated from City HRIS, CalPERS valuation, and current MOUs at engagement award.

HSG Methodology Demo

City of Modesto · INF-RFP-00096

Benefits · Employer Share

Medical, dental, vision & retiree health

Per-FTE employer monthly share by plan and tier. The Modesto RFP §SCOPE explicitly names “medical benefits” as part of total comp; OPEB (retiree health) liability is the line item most often under-reported in comp studies and most consequential to the City's long-term cost.

Active plans — employer monthly share by tier

Ancillary & retiree health

  • Retiree Health (PEMHCA + ARMP)— Per active EE$410/mo

Retiree health (OPEB) is the long shadow

Modesto's retiree-health obligation appears as a line item but is also a multi-decade liability disclosed in the City's CAFR. Comparator OPEB share varies dramatically based on plan vintage (pre-PEMHCA vs post-PEMHCA), tier eligibility, and Medicare coordination. HSG's methodology compares the live monthly cost AND surfaces the actuarially-determined contribution context so City Council sees the full picture.

Cafeteria / opt-out dynamics

Several Central Valley comparators offer cafeteria-plan cash-back to employees who decline coverage (typically with proof of other coverage). Cash-out values can shift $300–$1,200/mo per declining employee onto the cash-comp side of the ledger and distort apples-to-apples comparisons. HSG's analysis flags cafeteria/opt-out policies in the comparator profile and reconciles cash-equivalent value on a per-classification basis.

Rates illustrative. Production rates pulled from CalPERS health rate sheets, Modesto's benefits broker, and each comparator's benefits administrator at engagement award.