RICHMOND, Va. — Sequoia Ross loves her job as a Richmond Public Schools (RPS) educator. Not only is she an English teacher at Henderson Middle School, she's a product of RPS herself and a parent of RPS students.
“It’s in my veins," Ross said about how the district has shaped her life.
While she enjoys nearly every aspect of her career, one thing about it brings her some anxiety every year: open enrollment.
“Anytime things like health insurance increase, it makes you uncomfortable," she said.
And that's exactly what's happening.
According to an email she received from RPS, the in-network deductible for the Cigna medical plan she relies on for her and her family is increasing from $1,000 to $1,500 in 2026.
While RPS said monthly premiums remain unchanged, Ross is concerned about the extra $500 she'll need to budget for to cover out of pocket costs before insurance kicks in.
“I have a child that has severe allergies. She also has asthma. She also has braces. She's already eating a hole in my pocket. And I try not to get sick. I try to stay as well as I can. I try to do holistic things, but I have an elementary school child—I don't want to say that—but they're gross, and so she's always sick. I'm always having to take her to the doctor," Ross said.
In offering its health plans, spokesperson Alyssa Schwenk said the district had to balance affordability and sustainability while staying within budgetary parameters. She said it was important to RPS to ensure premiums did not go up, because that was a priority among feedback from employees.
"Like many large employers across Virginia and the country, we are seeing increases in overall healthcare costs. We join many other employers in asking for a long-term solution for rising healthcare costs," Schwenk said.
Across the board, a national survey by Mercer found that employer-sponsored health insurance plans in 2026 would see the biggest increases in cost in 15 years, citing the price of healthcare services and the rate of utilization— both of which are rising.
“Right now, everything is expensive. I don't need my insurance to also be a thorn in my side. I have to have it. I think that's where they know they have us. They got us by the you know what. They've got us. They know we need it," Ross said. “It’s a lot. I’m laughing to keep from crying. That’s what’s happening.”
Deductibles aside, Ross showed CBS 6 her final benefits package for 2026, which totals $526 per pay period. Medical benefits make up a majority of that amount, but it also includes dental, vision, and life insurance.
She joins her employer in calling for change so that middle-class workers like herself stop feeling the squeeze.
“We are serving the people, and we are feeling it the most, and that's not okay. Someone has to speak up for us," Ross said. “So where does it cap? Where does it stop? Where do we stop bleeding? Because right now, I feel like the bandage has been ripped off.”
CBS 6 reached out to Cigna for this story. A company spokesperson referred us to the trade association that represents health insurance plans: AHIP.
An AHIP spokesperson provided a general statement saying, "Health insurance reflects the underlying cost of health care, which is driven primarily by drugmakers’ exorbitant prices and hospitals’ opaque billing practices. Health plans are doing everything in their power to shield Americans from the full impact of these rising costs, and policymakers should advance common-sense solutions to promote affordability for consumers.”
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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