DeKalb County approves employee premium split, HSA matches for 2025 benefits

DeKalb County commissioners on Tuesday approved new employee contribution percentages and Health Savings Account (HSA) matches for the county's 2025 health plan renewal while holding the overall premium-equivalent budget steady.

The county will budget an all-in premium equivalent of $4,951,695 for the plan year and set employee contributions at 8% for employee-only coverage, 14% for employee-spouse, 12% for employee-child and 15% for family coverage. The county approved HSA employer matches of $700 for employee-only, $1,000 for employee + spouse/child and $1,200 for family accounts.

County staff and the benefits consultant presented the recommendation, saying it reflects recent contract terms and the current financial position. "Our recommendation would most likely be a rate hold to the premium equivalence," the consultant said during the meeting. She added, "So no change in premium equivalence for the next plan year," while explaining how stop-loss, administration and HSA contributions were included in the valuation.

The budget recommendation places the county between a midpoint and a maximum-liability budgeting scenario, staff said. The benefits consultant explained that the county's expected claims liability was about $3.3…