Board approves interim premium split as state moves health plan year to fiscal year

San Juan County commissioners voted to adopt an interim employee premium contribution for the state medical plan while the New Mexico Health Care Authority changes plan years from a calendar year to a fiscal year.

Human resources director Melissa Wood told the board the state will move plan years to run July 1 through June 30, which requires an October–November transition open enrollment window for employees. Wood recommended an interim shift in the employer/employee premium split for the six-month transition period to smooth the change and to move toward an 80/20 employer-employee design in the next plan year.

Commissioner Gonzales framed the recommended change as an 18% employee share; county staff clarified the recommended temporary split amounted to roughly $18.82 per pay period for single coverage on a 24-pay cycle and would reduce the county’s six-month general-fund exposure to an estimated $77,000 versus a larger amount if no change were made. The board approved a motion to accept the 18.82 percent split for the state medical plan premiums effective through June 30, 2026. The motion passed with no recorded opposition.

Wood said the county will run two open enrollments during the transition period and begin notices to employees within the month. She corrected two clerical dates in her materials and emphasized staff will return with full plan options for the July 1, 2026 plan-year alignment and a proposed long-term premium-share design.