Brentwood board pauses benefit changes after staff survey of insurance costs; agrees to keep current coverage through open enrollment

The Brentwood Select Board voted Aug. 7 to keep employee health and dental coverage “as currently applied” through open enrollment after Finance Director Julie Stevens told the board she had discovered discrepancies between the town handbook and what has been billed and paid for employee plans.

Stevens told the board she updated a spreadsheet of current enrollments and found errors in how premiums and employee contributions were calculated, especially for family coverage. She said the town has been covering a larger share of premiums than the handbook specifies for several employees and described a range of options the board could consider, including moving all employees onto a single plan with a deductible combined with a town-funded health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) to offset some deductible cost.

The board’s immediate decision avoids any mid-year changes to employee premiums or retroactive collection. “We will keep things the way they are right now through Jan. 1, at which point employees will be able to go through open enrollment and decide based on what plans we offer,” a select board member said before making the motion to hold coverage steady. The motion was seconded and approved on a voice vote.

Why it matters: Stevens’ analysis included concrete examples of how different plan choices would affect employees and the town. For example, she showed that juniors currently on the town’s “Plan A” (zero deductible) versus “Plan B” (a deductible plan) result in materially different out-of-pocket impacts for family plans, and that a town HRA could reduce the employee burden if the board chose a higher-deductible plan as the standard. She also said the town does not yet have official rates for 2026, and that HealthTrust (the broker) will supply those rates next month.

Details from the meeting: - Stevens said a clerical or handbook-update error left some employees paying less than the handbook’s stated contribution levels; she asked the board to decide whether to create an addendum to the handbook or align the handbook with current practice. - Stevens and board members discussed using an HRA to reimburse part of deductibles; Stevens said an HRA could reimburse, for example, $500 for single and larger amounts for two-person or family coverage. - The board asked for competitive quotes from more brokers; Stevens said she had spoken with Andy at HealthTrust and would contact an additional broker used by another nearby town. - Stevens estimated a potential town savings of about $51,304 under one illustrative scenario that would move some employees from Plan A to Plan B, but she stressed that the numbers use current-year rates and that 2026 rates are unknown.

Public comment at the meeting reflected strong employee concern. Several town employees and residents urged the board to avoid any retroactive “clawback” of benefits and to prioritize minimizing costs for workers with family coverage. Deputy Fire Chief Roy Olson, town employee Katarina Tennant and others described the financial impact on employees; several residents urged the board to weigh both employee and taxpayer perspectives.

What the board directed next: The board instructed Stevens to obtain 2026 plan rates as soon as they are available from HealthTrust (expected next month), to solicit at least one additional broker quote, and to return with options before open enrollment. In the meantime the board voted to maintain current coverage through Jan. 1 to allow time for a deliberate review.

Ending: Stevens, the select board and representatives from HealthTrust agreed to a follow-up presentation for employees once the 2026 rates and broker comparisons are available.