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Cooke County keeps current employee health plan, ties HRA top-up to annual physicals
Summary
Cooke County Commissioners voted 4-0 to renew the county’s existing employee health plan for fiscal year 2026 while tying a $300 HRA top-up to completion of annual physicals by employees and covered spouses.
Cooke County Commissioners voted 4-0 to renew the county’s existing employee health plan for fiscal year 2026 while tying a $300 Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) top-up to completion of annual physicals by employees and covered spouses.
The measure responds to premium increases: “the health plan has a 10.7% increase, dental 9.6%,” said Elizabeth, the county’s HR representative, during the meeting. Commissioners discussed three options presented by TAC: keep the current HRA plan, keep the plan but fund $1,700 of the HRA with the remainder contingent on physicals, or switch to a PPO with different deductibles and copays.
Under the approved motion, the county will fund $1,700 of a $2,000 HRA. If an employee — and a covered spouse, when applicable — completes the required annual physical, the county will add the remaining $300 so the employee is “fully funded” when the plan takes effect Oct. 1. Elizabeth said a physical completed before the end of the current plan year will count toward funding for the new plan year. “That would mean that the county will fund $1,700 of the $2,000,” she said.
HR also warned of a network change affecting retail pharmacies: Elizabeth told employees that TAC no longer allows employees to use some CVS Pharmacy locations at the same cost as other pharmacies because CVS locations are more expensive. “If you choose to continue using CVS Pharmacy, it’s going to cost more,” she said, and she suggested employees check whether their local pharmacy falls under the affected group. She added that local hometown pharmacies remain in-network.
Commissioners discussed outreach to employees about the change. The court asked HR to coordinate with TAC to provide on-site presentations so employees can ask questions; Elizabeth said TAC had agreed to visit and explain the program. Commissioners noted other voluntary wellness activities TAC offers that could earn incentives in future years but said those would not begin this plan year.
The motion to retain the current plan with the physical-based HRA top-up passed by a 4-0 vote with one member absent. The vote followed an executive-session consultation earlier in the meeting under the Texas Open Meetings Act. The court also recorded “no action” on a separate agenda item brought up during the executive session.
Staff will schedule TAC’s informational visits and prepare written notices for employees explaining the HRA funding condition, pharmacy network change, and the Oct. 1 effective date.
