Highlands County committee approves plan to eliminate "high" health insurance tier, county to absorb rate increase

A Highlands County committee on a routine meeting approved Alternative 2 of a 2026 plan and rate review, voting to eliminate the county's highest-cost health plan and revise mid-tier deductibles and copays. The committee recorded unanimous support during a roll-call vote and directed staff to bring the recommendation to the county board for final approval in October.

The committee's financial snapshot showed the employee benefit fund balance at $25,834 as of Aug. 6, down about $155,000 from the prior month. A committee member said the county would have to contribute additional funds in September to keep the employee benefit fund solvent. The committee agreed the county would absorb the modeled 7.7% increase under the selected alternative rather than pass the full increase to employees.

Why it matters: committee members and the plan consultant said a small pool of participants in the richest plan is driving outsized claims costs. Sean, a presenter from the Gearing Group, noted the richest plan had an approximately 175% loss ratio and substantially higher per-employee…