Neosho County approves Blue Cross renewal option after 17% medical increase

Neosho County commissioners voted 3-0 on Sept. 25 to renew the county's employee health insurance with a Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas proposal that county staff recommended as the least disruptive option.

The new package — adopted as “Option 1” in a motion to renew medical coverage with Blue Cross, move dental to Blue Cross of Kansas, and move vision to Blue Cross/EyeMed — carries an overall 17.3 percent projected increase when the one-time $62,000 premium holiday is included. The commission approved the motion and second, and the clerk recorded the vote as unanimous, 3-0.

County staff and IMA benefits representatives told the commission the renewal year was unusually difficult because medical claims drove the renewal costs. “The loss ratio finished at a 137%,” Nick Johnson, an account executive at IMA who presented the renewal options, said. That figure means claims exceeded premiums by 37 percent during the plan…