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Select Board approves health-insurance review steps and task force to assess HealthTrust vs. direct Anthem coverage
Summary
Following budget committee and fire-department discussions, the Select Board approved a plan to schedule HealthTrust and a benefits consultant for presentations, then form a task force (select board, budget committee and department heads) to evaluate 2026 health-plan options and produce a financial-impact summary before open enrollment.
The Brentwood Select Board voted to pursue a structured review of town employee health insurance, asking HealthTrust to present its 2026 plans and rates and asking a benefits consultant to present the alternative of going direct to an insurer such as Anthem.
Jim Hajar, chair of the budget committee, briefed the board on a subteam’s meetings with the fire department and on proposed next steps: 1) schedule a HealthTrust representative (named in discussion as Andrew) to present 2026 plan options and rates; 2) schedule a benefits consultant (identified in meeting as Sean Caron) to present an analysis of going direct to Anthem; 3) form a task force composed of two Select Board members, two budget committee members and at least three department heads to review rates, determine recommended plans and identify cost-saving improvements for employees (FSAs, HRAs or in-lieu payments were mentioned as examples); and 4) have the finance director prepare a financial-impact summary and a proposed 2026 appropriation based on the task force recommendations.
Hajar said the goal is to make a timely recommendation that could be implemented for 2026 open enrollment: “Once the 2026 rates are available... we'd like to have HealthTrust... give a presentation... and then the benefits consultant to present a similar overview of the 2026 plans, coverages, rates of going direct to Anthem.” He emphasized collaboration between the Select Board, budget committee and department heads to find a solution that lowers cost exposure for both employees and the town.
The board approved the plan and the motion to adopt the recommended next steps; members volunteered or identified candidates for the task force and asked staff to schedule the presentations as soon as 2026 rates are available. Officials stressed a quick timeline: the 2026 rates were expected in October and the town needs to complete any enrollment changes before the November open-enrollment window.
No final coverage change was made at the meeting; the vote authorized the outreach, presentations and formation of a short-term task force to prepare options and financial impacts for later Select Board action.
