Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Employee Benefits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves changing county stop‑loss limit, accepts plan renewal
Summary
Supervisors voted to raise the county’s stop‑loss threshold for its self‑funded health plan from $70,000 to $80,000 and approved the annual plan renewal after a benefits consultant reviewed claims history and reinsurance costs.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Miss. — After a presentation on claims history and reinsurance pricing, the Washington County Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 23 to increase the county’s stop‑loss limit for its self‑funded health plan from $70,000 to $80,000 and to accept the plan renewal for the coming year.
A benefits consultant told the board that the county had a year with several very large claims and therefore saw a sharp increase in reinsurance cost. The consultant said raising the stop‑loss limit to $80,000 would reduce the county’s premium expense and that it would take nine people hitting the stop‑loss limit in a single year to offset the premium reduction. “I would suggest you do this because it would take 9 people hitting the stop loss limit to not justify that increase in cost,” the consultant said during the presentation.
Board members asked whether the change would affect employees’ out‑of‑pocket costs; the consultant replied that the change affects the county’s liability and “affects the employees absolutely 0. It is strictly the limitation set on the county.” The board approved the change by voice vote; the transcript records the motion carried.
Supervisors then approved the overall insurance renewal package. The consultant emphasized that the county’s partnership with a hospital partner and earlier interventions had begun to reduce spending on large claims and that the renewal included an increase in reinsurance pricing but that the higher stop‑loss threshold would lower the county’s premium expense.
Ending The board’s votes authorize staff to finalize renewal paperwork and implement the higher stop‑loss threshold for the county’s self‑funded plan. Staff and the consultant indicated they will return with plan documents and premium schedules as they are finalized.
