COUNTY. THE COUNTY BOARD IN THE DARK FOR WEEKS. >> WE ARE HERE TODAY REQUESTING YOUR COOPERATION TO HELP US CORRECT A SIGNIFICANT ERROR. >> AT AN EMERGENCY MEETING FIRST THING MONDAY MORNING, IT WAS CLEAR THAT ERROR RISKS THE COUNTY BEING LEFT WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN MEDICAL BILLS FOR MORE THAN 5000 EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES, WITH NO WAY TO PAY THEM. AFTER A CONTRACT WITH UNITEDHEALTHCARE WAS ALLOWED TO LAPSE AT THE END OF LAST YEAR. >> IF UHC WERE TO WALK AWAY FROM THE COUNTY, WE WOULD WE WOULD REALLY HAVE NO ABILITY TO PROCESS THOSE CLAIMS. WE FOLKS WOULDN’T HAVE HEALTH CARDS THAT THEY COULD PRESENT TO THEIR HEALTH PROVIDERS TO SHOW THAT THEY HAVE COVERAGE. >> MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT WOULD MAKE EVERY MEDICAL SERVICE OUT OF NETWORK. WITH THE COUNTY ON THE HOOK FOR THE DIFFERENCE. >> OUR EMPLOYEES, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. WE’RE THINKING ABOUT DELAYING CARE BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T KNOW IF THEY HAD COVERAGE. >> WHILE UHC IS HONORING THE PAST CONTRACT FOR NOW, THE ERROR BACKED THE BOARD INTO A CORNER WITH FEW OPTIONS OTHER THAN RENEWING FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS. >> I’M ACTUALLY OVERWHELMED BY. >> ANGER RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE ONLY LEARNED ABOUT THIS THURSDAY. >> THE MISTAKE LED TO THE ABRUPT FIRING OVER THE WEEKEND OF THE COUNTY’S BENEFITS. DIRECTOR, TONY MAYS, WHO THEREFORE WASN’T AT THE MEETING MONDAY TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED. >> ONE THING THAT FRUSTRATES ME IN MY TIME ON THE BOARD IS WE’VE HAD A FEW DEPARTURES IN DEPARTMENT HEADS, AND THEY’VE OCCURRED IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE DON’T HAVE A CHANCE TO QUESTION THEM IN COMMITTEE. THEY’RE JUST GONE AND WE DON’T KNOW. >> SO, NICK, THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION ABOUT WHETHER EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES HAD HEALTH INSURANCE AT ALL. >> RIGHT. AND THEY MADE IT CLEAR AT THE MEETING THAT THEY DO HAVE COVERAGE. THE COUNTY IS ACTUALLY SELF-INSURED. THAT MEANS THEY PAY THE MEDICAL BILLS FOR THE EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES. BUT THE UNITEDHEALTHCARE CONTRACT PROVIDES THEM THOSE NEGOTIATED RATES, WHICH ARE CONSIDERED IN-NETWORK, WHICH, AS YOU KNOW, ARE MUCH LOWER. SO WITHOUT A DEAL, THE COUNTY TAXPAYERS WOULD BE ON THE HOOK FOR THOSE HIGHER RATES, EVEN POSSIBLY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE FOR THIS YEAR ALONE. A FINAL VOTE IS EXPECTED LATER THIS WEEK, AND WE SHOULD ALSO NOTE THAT COUNTY EXECUTIVE DAVID CROWLEY RELEASED THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIRING IN AN EMAIL THIS MORNING. WE TRIED TO GET AHOLD OF HIM FOR AN INTERVIEW
Milwaukee County benefits director fired over insurance contract lapse
Milwaukee County’s benefits director was dismissed after a lapse in the health insurance contract left thousands of employees uncertain about their coverage.
Updated: 6:51 PM CST Feb 2, 2026
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Milwaukee County’s benefits director, Tony Maze, was fired Monday after a lapse in the health insurance contract with UnitedHealthcare left thousands of employees and retirees uncertain about their coverage, risking millions of dollars in medical bills.The issue came to light late last week when county supervisors discovered that the contract had expired on Dec. 31, leaving the county potentially responsible for much higher bills. At an emergency meeting on Monday morning, officials expressed concern over the county’s inability to process claims without the contract.”If UHC were to walk away from the county, we would really have no ability to process those claims,” Deputy Corporation Counsel William Davidson said. “Folks wouldn’t have health cards that they could present to their providers to show that they have coverage.”The lapse in the contract means that all medical services would be considered “out of network,” with the county responsible for the difference in costs.”Our employees, their family members, were thinking about delaying care because they didn’t know if they had coverage,” Milwaukee County Chief Human Relations Officer Margo Franklin said.United Healthcare is currently honoring the expired contract, but the board is left with few options other than renewing it for another five years.”I’m actually overwhelmed by anger right now because we only learned about this Thursday,” Supervisor Kathleen Vincent said.Maze’s firing over the weekend left him absent from Monday’s meeting, preventing him from explaining the situation.”One thing that frustrates me in my time on the board is that we’ve had a few departures in department heads,” Supervisor Justin Bielinski told WISN 12 News Monday. “And they’ve occurred in such a way that we don’t have a chance to question them in committee. They’re just gone. And we don’t know.”The county is self-insured, meaning it pays the medical bills, but United Healthcare provides negotiated rates that are significantly lower. Without a deal, the county could face tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars in higher costs for those bills this year alone. A final vote on the contract is expected Thursday.County Executive David Crowley announced Maze’s firing via email on Monday morning. Despite multiple requests for an interview since Friday afternoon, Crowley has not responded to WISN 12 News.Top Headlines’We do in fact have a crime scene,’ at home of ‘Today’ host Savannah Guthrie’s mom, sheriff saysBad Bunny wins album of the year at the 2026 Grammy Awards, a first for a Spanish-language albumBrookfield shootout leaves man hospitalized and under arrestWATCH: Milwaukee firefighter hurt after rescuing people hanging from burning apartment
Milwaukee County’s benefits director, Tony Maze, was fired Monday after a lapse in the health insurance contract with UnitedHealthcare left thousands of employees and retirees uncertain about their coverage, risking millions of dollars in medical bills.
The issue came to light late last week when county supervisors discovered that the contract had expired on Dec. 31, leaving the county potentially responsible for much higher bills. At an emergency meeting on Monday morning, officials expressed concern over the county’s inability to process claims without the contract.
“If UHC were to walk away from the county, we would really have no ability to process those claims,” Deputy Corporation Counsel William Davidson said. “Folks wouldn’t have health cards that they could present to their providers to show that they have coverage.”
The lapse in the contract means that all medical services would be considered “out of network,” with the county responsible for the difference in costs.
“Our employees, their family members, were thinking about delaying care because they didn’t know if they had coverage,” Milwaukee County Chief Human Relations Officer Margo Franklin said.
United Healthcare is currently honoring the expired contract, but the board is left with few options other than renewing it for another five years.
“I’m actually overwhelmed by anger right now because we only learned about this Thursday,” Supervisor Kathleen Vincent said.
Maze’s firing over the weekend left him absent from Monday’s meeting, preventing him from explaining the situation.
“One thing that frustrates me in my time on the board is that we’ve had a few departures in department heads,” Supervisor Justin Bielinski told WISN 12 News Monday. “And they’ve occurred in such a way that we don’t have a chance to question them in committee. They’re just gone. And we don’t know.”
The county is self-insured, meaning it pays the medical bills, but United Healthcare provides negotiated rates that are significantly lower. Without a deal, the county could face tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars in higher costs for those bills this year alone.
A final vote on the contract is expected Thursday.
County Executive David Crowley announced Maze’s firing via email on Monday morning. Despite multiple requests for an interview since Friday afternoon, Crowley has not responded to WISN 12 News.
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Clinton Mora is a reporter for Trending Insurance News. He has previously worked for the Forbes. As a contributor to Trending Insurance News, Clinton covers emerging a wide range of property and casualty insurance related stories.