Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Employee Benefits Health Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City hears presentation on moving employee health plan toward partial self-funding
Summary
City benefits consultant JTS told the Little Rock Board of Directors it will evaluate a partially self-funded employee health plan alongside fully insured options and return with claims analysis and preliminary pricing by late August or early September.
Little Rock city officials on May 20 heard from benefits consultant JTS about the city—mployee health plan and an evaluation the firm plans to do of partially self-funded alternatives alongside fully insured options. The board did not take action; JTS and city HR said they will return with detailed claims analysis and preliminary stop-loss pricing late this summer.
JTS representatives told the board the city has been fully insured with Cigna since 2023 after moving from UnitedHealthcare; the firm credited Cigna with managing pharmacy spend but said national pharmacy and medical trends are increasing premiums. The consultant said the city—urrently runs its plan at about 100% of expected cost and that exploring a partial self-funding model could provide better transparency into claim drivers and more levers to control prescription costs. JTS said self-funding would allow access to more granular claims analytics and potential cost-containment strategies, such as a local clinic, that are harder to deploy under a fully insured arrangement.
JTS said it will perform a deeper claims review and expects to have sufficient initial pricing and analysis to present options in late August or early September; the firm noted that a complete stop-loss quote and final pricing for a self-funded structure may lag initial estimates. City HR staff were thanked in the meeting for their work and were identified as contact points; no additional work would be required of employees during the evaluation, JTS said.
Directors asked about timing; JTS said the goal is to provide the board information in time for any 2026 plan decisions and that it will share interim information promptly. The presentation was informational; there was no motion or vote to change the plan at the May 20 meeting.
For employees seeking details, the consultant and HR staff offered to provide explanatory materials and asked directors to give the analysis time to proceed so the board can make an informed choice later this year.
