Beaufort County staff outline benefits, recommend 3% COLA and begin pay-scale review

Beaufort County officials presented an overview of employee benefits and a proposal to include a 3% cost-of-living adjustment in next year’s budget, saying the county’s health plan remains a recruitment and retention advantage.

The Human Resources presentation, led by Catherine Mead, HR director for Beaufort County, opened with enrollment and cost data for the county’s self-insured medical plan and a summary of recent cost-control steps. "The average cost for a Beaufort basic employee only is $130 a month," Mead said, and staff noted total enrollment on the county’s medical and prescription plan was 2,164 people including employees and dependents.

Mead and administration staff told the council the county moved from a fully insured to a self-insured plan in the 2016 plan year and that change has produced substantial savings. "Total savings over the last 9 years has been roughly $19,500,000," Mead said, while noting several one-time factors — including a small number of high claimants and 27 ineligible…