Benefits committee approves Securian for voluntary accident and critical-illness plans

The Rutherford County Benefits and Insurance Committee voted May 29 to accept a recommendation to award voluntary accident and critical-illness insurance to Securian Financial, with coverage to be effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Committee members and the county’s broker said the decision bundles the accident and critical-illness products with a single carrier and includes a five‑year rate guarantee. The county’s benefits broker said the competitive bidding process produced lower rates and that employees and the school system could collectively save roughly $440,000 on three employee-paid products (short-term disability, accident and critical illness) compared with prior arrangements.

Committee members pressed the broker on why rates fell. West Dozier, the benefits broker who led the procurement, told the committee that the market produced many competitive bids and that underwriting changes in the accident-product market have reduced costs; Dozier said carriers’ pricing and claims experience over the last five years were factors in the lower premiums. Dozier said the committee narrowed an initial field of 14 carriers to three finalists — the incumbent MetLife, Unum and Securian — and recommended Securian for having the “overall best benefits.”

Ed Elam concurred with the recommendation and confirmed the proposal’s effective date would be Jan. 1, 2026, with the rates exhibited in the recommendation. A committee member moved to approve the recommendation; the committee held a roll-call vote and approved the motion. The committee did not record any amendment to the award during the meeting.

The action covers voluntary, employee-paid products only; the county does not contribute to premiums for these ancillary plans. Dozier noted one small pricing concession (a decrement) on one element of the accident plan but said overall benefits were “similar, if not better” while producing substantial premium savings.

The committee did not discuss a change to base-funded life, short-term disability, long-term disability or other employer-paid plans at this meeting; Dozier said those items previously had been reviewed because they affect the county budget. Questions about precise percentage savings were raised in the meeting; one member observed an apparent “2730%” savings in the presentation slide, and Dozier explained that the figure reflected a large percentage decrease (his remarks characterized it as a competitive-bidding effect and industry underwriting shifts) but did not restate a single consolidated percentage in the meeting record.

The committee’s approval begins the procurement/implementation process with the selected carrier; staff indicated the selection relies on the exhibited rates and will move forward with implementation steps needed before the Jan. 1, 2026 effective date.