Aransas County approves 2026 health-plan renewal; commissioners choose two-plan option amid employee cost concerns

Aransas County Commissioners Court voted to approve renewal of the Texas Association of Counties Health and Employee Benefits Pool plan for plan year 2026 and authorized the county judge to sign the renewal agreement, selecting Plan 1400 NGS as the base plan and Plan 1100 NGS as a buyout option.

The decision matters because staff reported a roughly 9.7% rate increase and presented alternative ways to share the cost between the county and employees. Commissioners and staff pressed through details about premium increases, deductible choices and how many employees would be affected.

Desiree, the county benefits presenter, told the court the pool’s renewal showed multiple options for how to handle the increase. She said one option — which she displayed as a “blue” table — would have the county absorb the increase for employee-only coverage at a county cost she identified as $205,000. She described a second option in which the county pays nothing, which she said…