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Clay County hires Choice as insurance broker and switches health plan to Medica for 2026–27
Summary
The board unanimously approved changing brokers from National Insurance Services to Choice Insurance and renewing the county health plan with Medica. The switch to Medica is projected to reduce 2026 premiums by about 12% overall (roughly $783,000 in total premium difference), with the county’s employer share saving roughly $425,000.
The Clay County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved two insurance items Tuesday: selecting Choice Insurance as the county’s broker for 2026 and renewing the county health plan with Medica for 2026–27.
Anna presented both actions. Her committee reviewed broker proposals and recommended Choice Insurance (Fargo) based on local market knowledge and communications responsiveness; Choice proposed a broker fee of $6.00 per member per month for medical (compared with $6.26 per member per month under the incumbent National Insurance Services). Anna reported 514 active contracts as of the prior day.
The board then considered health‑plan renewals. Anna said the RFP process produced competitive offers; Medica proposed a negative 12% renewal for 2026 (a 12% decrease) with a cap of 15% for 2027. The county’s presented share of 2026 savings was roughly $425,000 (Clay County pays the employer contribution on 514 contracts; total premium change across all members was roughly $783,000). The Medica proposal includes a one‑time $50,000 wellness fund and access to Medica’s “Healthy Invest” program at no additional cost for two years; Medica also would not continue a Blue Cross Blue Shield fourth‑quarter carryover feature that had affected deductibles and HSA compliance.
Commissioners discussed broker fee differentials and the health plan provider network; Anna said provider disruption would be minimal (she reported a 99.4% provider match between Blue Cross and Medica, with the greatest discrepancy among a small number of chiropractors). The insurance committee voted unanimously to recommend both choices; the board moved and seconded the broker change and the Medica renewal and approved both motions by voice vote.
Ending: Staff will work with Choice to finalize contract details and with Medica to complete open‑enrollment and implementation steps before an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026. Commissioners said the change will be included in upcoming levy/budget planning.
