Roane County commission approves revised employee health plans with $1,000 HSA contribution option

The Roane County Board of Commissioners voted to revise employee and county contributions to the Roane County Employees Health Insurance Plan on Sept. 8, approving a package of plan changes, cost-sharing percentages, and a county contribution to a consumer-driven health plan.

Commissioner Duff, the motion sponsor, said the county faced a 7.7% increase in health-insurance costs this year and that the new structure was designed to give employees choices while reducing the county’s exposure to the most expensive plan options. “We had a 7.7% increase in that this year,” Duff said during debate.

Under the approved changes: the county will contribute $1,000 to employees who select the CDHP (consumer-directed health plan) HSA option; the most expensive “Premier” plan premium will rise about $30 per month across employee tiers; the “Standard” plan premiums will not change; the “Limited” plan premiums will decline by about $50 per month for some tiers; and the CDHP option becomes financially more attractive because of the county contribution. Commissioners heard staff explain the county will set fixed percentage-sharing rules so annual insurance adjustments do not require policy changes each year.

County staff and the budget committee described the plan as offering more pricing tiers (employee only, employee + child, employee + spouse, employee + family) and placing modest disincentives on the top-tier Premier plan to encourage uptake of less costly options. Staff said the design had already influenced new hires, with several new employees choosing the standard or basic plans while the commission considered the change.

The motion carried unanimously (15-0). No amendments were adopted during the floor discussion.