Pike County Fiscal Court on May 21 approved insurer renewals for employee health benefits, workers’ compensation and property/casualty coverage for the 2026 fiscal year.

County staff told the court the health-insurance renewal with KECO came with an 8.5% premium increase for fiscal 2026. The court voted unanimously to renew the health plan. County officials described rising health-care costs as an ongoing issue affecting benefits budgets.

The court also approved renewal of workers’ compensation insurance; staff reported a slight reduction in that premium year-over-year and cited safety practices for keeping claims low. The renewal was approved unanimously.

Separately, the court approved renewal of property, casualty, cyber and law-enforcement insurance for fiscal 2026. Staff presented an approximate aggregated premium figure of about $2,500,000 for the county’s comp and liability insurance lines; the court approved the renewal and authorized execution of the MASA employer benefit agreement for a cafeteria-style plan.

Court members said the county’s safety record and risk-control efforts help reduce insurance costs and that these renewals are part of routine fiscal management for the upcoming budget year.