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County insurance committee: benefits fund balance strong; stop-loss and state family-leave law could raise costs
Summary
Pine County's insurance committee reported a healthy fund balance and employee satisfaction with a new four-tier benefit option, but committee members flagged potential stop-loss cost increases and uncertainty about the Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave Act and whether the county will join the state plan.
County staff reported to the board on May 20 that Pine County’s employee health plan is financially sound but faces potential pressures from stop-loss costs and the pending implementation of Minnesota’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Act.
An unnamed member of the county’s insurance committee told commissioners the county’s insurance “is in good shape” and that the committee expects the county may see increases in stop-loss premiums and will try to negotiate with Blue Cross Blue Shield. The speaker also said the committee is exploring whether the county will adopt an alternate insurance plan or enroll in the state plan when the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act takes effect.
A county administrator added detail on enrollment after the county moved from single vs. family options to a four-tier structure (single; employee plus spouse; employee plus children; family). He reported enrollment distributions of roughly 50 percent single, 28 percent family, 12 percent employee-plus-children and 17 percent employee-plus-spouse. He said employees generally reported satisfaction with the options and that most favored staying with Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Board members asked staff to bring any decisions about the state family-leave law to the personnel committee so the board can review financial obligations and options; staff said a fuller update would come over the summer. No formal action was taken at the meeting on the family-leave question or on negotiations with Blue Cross.
The discussion preceded other agenda items, including the medical examiner report and a child-protection presentation that raised separate budgetary concerns for Health and Human Services.
