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Allegany County approves CareFirst renewals; stop-loss premiums jump amid high-cost claims
Summary
The county approved a CareFirst administrative contract renewal with a slight fee reduction and a separate stop-loss renewal that increases county stop-loss premiums by about $360,000 for FY2026, officials said.
Christie Lillard presented two CareFirst renewal items covering employee health insurance administration and stop-loss coverage, and the commission approved both renewals.
Lillard said the administrative contract will see a roughly 4% reduction in fees, lowering administrative fees from $394,459 last year to about $378,681, a savings she estimated at roughly $15,778. The commission approved the administrative contract renewal.
On stop-loss coverage, Lillard said the county's self-insured health plan has experienced several high-cost claims in recent years. She told commissioners that the stop-loss premium will increase by approximately $360,000, moving the county's stop-loss cost from the prior amount (about $715,000) to roughly $1,075,864 for FY2026. Lillard said CBIZ solicited quotes from five vendors and that continuing with CareFirst was the lowest-cost option despite the large increase.
Commissioners discussed whether multi-year lower claims could reduce premiums in future years; Lillard said premiums are rebid annually and will reflect prior-year experience.
Ending: The commission approved both the administrative renewal and the stop-loss renewal; staff will incorporate the premium changes into employee premium projections and benefits administration.
