Morgantown, W.Va. — The Monongalia County Commission on Oct. 17 voted to hire Take Command Insurance Agency, doing business as Take Command Health, to provide a software platform and customer support to administer an individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement (ICRA) for county employee medical coverage. The panel also approved notice to cancel the county's group policy with Highmark West Virginia effective Dec. 31, 2025, and approved the required individual-coverage notice to be distributed to eligible employees.

Commissioners said the change is intended to reduce the county's exposure to rising group insurance costs while giving employees a choice among individual plans. County Administrator Renetta McCourt and commissioners described modeling showing many employees would see lower premiums or no premiums under the proposed allowance structure; they said the county's modeled contribution strategy would increase the county's share of premium contributions and reduce employees' monthly premium obligations.

The change drew public comment from a resident who urged caution. "You're looking at a disaster if you move to this plan," said Mindy Holcomb, who identified herself as a Monongalia County resident. Holcomb warned employees could lose access to premium tax credits and described hardships faced by people with high out-of-pocket costs.

Commissioner Sean (first name used in the record), who led the presentation, said the ICRA approach removes the county's group experience from premium calculations by allowing each employee to choose among dozens of individual plans. "Instead of us dictating plans ... each employee will be able to go in and tailor their own plan from over'there's over 30 ... plans," he said. He said the county modeled the change against a Blue Cross plan and estimated "a large majority" of the county's roughly 265 employees would see lower monthly out-of-pocket costs; officials also described a demographic-based allowance structure keyed to employee age and family tier.

Officials offered additional details on administration and next steps. Take Command will host individualized customer support and online enrollment; the county said it will provide workshops and one-on-one appointments for staff. The commission approved distributing the required individual-coverage notice via email, the county's ADP system and mailed hard copies to employees' homes.

Commissioners and the county administrator said the county has already studied the possibility and that no contractual penalty applies to providing notice to Highmark. "There is no penalty," a commissioner said during discussion of the notice motion. The commission voted in favor of: (1) providing notice of cancellation to Highmark West Virginia of group health insurance effective Dec. 31, 2025; (2) entering the service agreement with Take Command Insurance Agency to administer an ICRA; and (3) approving the employee individual coverage notice distribution. Each motion carried on unanimous voice vote.

County officials acknowledged exceptions and transitional issues. They said the county will make special outreach to the roughly 16 employees who may transition to Medicare, and noted that the county must align the new plan to a calendar-year enrollment cycle, which will create two sign-up periods in one year for some employees. Officials also said the change aims to reduce the county's long-term exposure to escalating group premiums and to move toward a market-based allowance model.

The commission did not publish a detailed, line-by-line comparison of every plan option at the meeting; officials said employees would receive modeling results and plan comparisons once staff finishes the enrollment setup with Take Command. The county said it expects the enrollment process and employee notices to begin within days and that informational workshops and individual counseling will follow.

The commission's actions: the motion to provide notice to Highmark, the motion to approve the service agreement with Take Command, and the motion to approve distribution of the individual-coverage notice were each approved by voice vote with all commissioners present saying "aye."