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Walsh County approves Option 2 health‑insurance renewal after insurer raises rates by about 7.6%
Summary
The county’s insurance committee recommended and the commission approved an Option 2 renewal with a $250 deductible, 80/20 coinsurance and new copays after the carrier presented a ~7.6% rate increase; the measure passed on a 4–1 roll call.
Christina, county staff responsible for benefits, presented the county’s 2026 health‑insurance renewal options after the plan’s carrier proposed a rate increase of about 7.6 percent (the county had budgeted 7.26 percent). The insurance committee reviewed several options and recommended Option 2: a $250 deductible with an 80/20 coinsurance structure and defined copays.
Christina said the committee judged Option 2 to deliver premium savings relative to other choices while acknowledging that introducing copays and changing deductibles can increase out‑of‑pocket costs for employees who use services frequently. She said state/IRS limits will raise some out‑of‑pocket maximums in 2026 and that the committee considered but did not select higher‑deductible HSA‑compatible plans because projected premium savings would be small under the current rates.
Christina provided two comparative figures for the county: she said the county would incur an additional approximately $18,000 under Option 2 compared with an unspecified baseline, and that an alternative (leaving the plan “as is”) would have cost the county about $67,000 more than the chosen option. (All numbers were presented as staff estimates for planning; the commission asked for follow‑up verification and for continued committee review of plan structure.)
Commissioners discussed tradeoffs between premium savings and new copays and the difficulty of making a different decision on short notice because the county must submit its renewal choice by the insurer’s deadline. Commissioner Danny voted no; other commissioners voted yes. The roll call produced a 4–1 outcome in favor of Option 2.
Motion and vote: A motion to approve the insurance committee recommendation (Option 2, $250 deductible, 80/20 coinsurance and copays) was moved and seconded and passed on a roll call: Amy yes; Paul yes; Danny no; Ernie yes; Chair yes.
Ending: Commissioners directed staff to continue evaluating benefit designs and to consider engaging an independent benefits consultant in future cycles; they noted budget pressures and the need to balance cost containment with maintaining a competitive benefit for retention.
