Lincoln County to switch dental plan to Blue Cross Blue Shield Option 3; board approves

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to switch the county dental insurance from Emeritus to Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Option 3 basic plan, with the change effective July 1, 2025. The board also authorized the chair to sign an amendment to the BCBS subgroup application to add the Option 3 plan.

The county benefits committee had recommended the change after reviewing network participation and plan design. Committee members said the BCBS Option 3 plan doubles the total per-person annual maximum (from $1,000 to $2,000 under the committee’s comparison), includes orthodontia coverage, and in most cases would lower employee monthly premiums. Committee members also flagged a downside: switching carriers midyear would reset any employee deductible payments already made with the previous carrier.

County staff and representatives from the Nebraska Association of County Officials’ (NACO) insurance office joined the discussion to explain provider-network issues and administrative steps for a midyear change. The board heard that some dentists are not in a network for reasons such as practice saturation and individual business decisions; NACO staff said participation can change over time as practices open or grow.

Commissioner Bruns made the motion to approve the plan change; Commissioner Weems seconded. The motion carried on a roll call vote with all five commissioners recorded as voting aye. The board immediately approved a second motion to authorize the chair (and other necessary county signatories) to amend the BCBS subgroup application (signed 05/19/2025) to add Option 3; that motion also passed unanimously.

County staff said they will brief employees about the new plan and timing so individuals can plan around the deductible reset and maximize benefits under the current plan if needed.

Quotes and attributions in this story come from the meeting transcript and the record of motions and votes.