City of Alpine reviews employee health benefits, directs staff to issue insurance RFP

City of Alpine staff and their insurance broker reviewed the city's employee health benefits and renewal options at a workshop session, and staff said they will issue a request for proposals for the October 1 renewal and budget a 10% placeholder for next-year premiums.

The discussion centered on the city's current plan design, comparative offerings in the area and the trade-offs between staying fully insured and moving to a partially self-funded model. Megan (staff member) summarized employee feedback from a recent compensation study and said some employees asked for "more" on insurance even though the city currently pays the full employee-only premium and contributes toward dependent coverage and an HRA.

Riley Deering, West Texas region leader for Hotchkiss Insurance, described the city's recent renewal history and market context. "I will be the first to say I'm a big proponent of being partially self funded if it makes sense," Deering said, then explained the city moved from partial self-funding to a fully insured plan in 2020 after negotiating a two-year rate guarantee. He told the workshop that Blue Cross is the incumbent carrier and that recent…