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County staff report 5% health‑insurance increase; commissioners set April 8 deadline for decision
Summary
Broadwater County Finance Officer Debbie Kelly reported a 5% increase in the county's health‑insurance trust premiums — about $76 per covered person per month — and outlined options for how much of the increase the county may absorb. Commissioners set an April 8 deadline to decide employer/employee cost sharing.
Debbie Kelly, Broadwater County finance officer and payroll manager, told the county commission on March 26 that the county’s health‑insurance trust increased premiums from an historical 2–2.5% annual rise to a 5% increase for the current plan year, increasing the monthly premium by about $76 per covered person.
Kelly said the county historically has covered the increased premium for the final three months of the fiscal year and has in recent years absorbed the increase into the following fiscal year so employees did not face higher premiums. She told the commission the trust’s 5% increase would raise monthly premiums by roughly $76 per individual and that the county has several budget mechanisms — including the permissive levy and general health budget — that are used to manage year‑to‑year premium increases.
Kelly said auditors provided a permissive‑levy spreadsheet to help estimate the impact and that the county budgets a small cushion to account for unfilled positions (an average of about three vacancies by June 30) that can produce minor savings. She estimated 68 employees are currently enrolled in the county’s health plan; that number may change before the fiscal year closes.
Kelly told commissioners the absolute deadline for a cost‑sharing decision is April 8 so payroll withholdings and employee records can be updated ahead of the billing cycle. Commissioners discussed waiting until after the compensation board meeting and additional analysis before deciding how much, if any, of the increase the county will absorb.
No formal action was taken at the March 26 meeting; commissioners planned further discussion at the March 27 compensation board meeting and to revisit the item at the commission meeting on the following Wednesday.
Ending: County staff will return with more detailed cost estimates after the compensation board meets so the commission can decide whether the county will absorb part or all of the premium increase.
