Daggett County to keep employee health, dental and vision plans despite premium increases

Daggett County commissioners voted unanimously in a special meeting to renew the county’s employee health, dental and vision plans with their current carriers, accepting pending premium increases while deferring a final decision on how those increases will be shared between the county and employees.

The county’s benefits consultant summarized carrier renewals received in recent weeks, saying, “we are getting a renewal increase from PEHP of 4.9% on the medical plan, and we’re getting an increase of 10.65 from Ameritas Dental Select on the dental plan.” The consultant said the 4.9% medical renewal equates to “just under $22,000 in cost for the year” for the county’s medical premiums and described the dental increase as “about $200 more a month” compared with current dental expense.

Why it matters: The renewals affect the county’s operating budget and employee take-home pay depending on how the commission decides to allocate the increases. Commissioners directed staff to prepare open‑enrollment materials and said they will make a future decision about employer/employee cost sharing.

Key details

- Medical: The consultant said PEHP—the state-run plan—returned a 4.9% renewal for the county’s medical plan and noted PEHP’s underwriting trend is 7%. “If everything on our plan went exactly as they were expecting in underwriting, we should expect roughly a 7% increase this year from PEHP,” the consultant said, adding that the county’s renewal came in below that trend.

- Cost impact: The consultant estimated the 4.9% medical increase will add “just under $22,000” in annual premiums; the dental renewal was said to raise costs by about $200 monthly.

- Dental: The consultant attributed the high dental trend largely to increased preventive services and reported the carrier is running “over a 115 loss ratio,” meaning the carrier is paying about $1.15 in claims for each $1.00 in premiums. Dental Select remained the broker’s most competitive option in prior solicitations, the consultant said.

- Vision, life and disability: Vision coverage moved vendors after OptiCare ceased operations last year; the consultant said vision enrollment is low (seven employees) and that life and disability products are currently in rate holds.

- Voluntary hospital indemnity: The consultant described an optional hospital indemnity product from Assurity, which the consultant said can have low premiums (example cited: about $16 per month per person) and provides admission and per‑day confinement payments, ICU daily benefits and a small preventive‑care rider. The consultant framed this as an optional, voluntary benefit for employees.

Commission action and next steps

Commissioner Matt MacPherson made a motion “that we don’t make any changes to the coverages and the insurances that we’ve discussed and that we move forward with, knowing that the premium increases that are coming.” The motion was seconded (seconding speaker not identified in the record). The commission voted and the chair recorded the vote as unanimous in favor of renewing the existing plans and coverages.

The commission did not make a binding decision at that meeting about whether the county will absorb the premium increases or pass some costs to employees. Commissioners and staff agreed to target the first week of December for open enrollment and asked benefits staff to prepare enrollment guides and contribution‑model scenarios so the commission can decide contribution levels at a subsequent meeting (the consultant noted the commission’s next regular meeting would allow a decision on the subject).

Quotes

“The renewal increase is 4.9% from PEHP on the medical plan,” the county’s benefits consultant said, adding that PEHP’s underwriting trend is 7% and that the county’s result is “a really good renewal for this year.”

“I haven’t heard anything” about problems with the current dental, vision or voluntary products, Carrie Patterson, the county auditor, said when asked about employee feedback.

What the record does not show

The audio record does not include a roll‑call tally of how many commissioners voted yes, nor does it identify by name the commissioner who seconded the motion. The commission deferred any final decision on how the county will allocate the premium increases (employer share vs. employee share) to a future meeting.

Timeline and logistics

Open enrollment: staff and consultant identified the first week of December as the target for open enrollment materials and communications. The consultant said guides and electronic materials can be prepared while final contribution levels are finalized.

Provenance

This article is based on the county meeting transcript where the benefits consultant summarized carrier renewals (topic introduction at 00:01:56) and the commissioners debated and voted to retain current coverage (motion and vote concluding at 00:29:15).