Bradley County approves Cigna renewal with 5% premium increase after multi‑month bid process
November 04, 2025 | Bradley County, Tennessee
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Mayor Gary Davis and staff described a months‑long request‑for‑proposal process after an initial Cigna renewal quote near 19.7 percent. The mayor said the county solicited bids and negotiated with the incumbent. “Well, I got them down to 5%,” he told commissioners, summarizing the outcome of repeated negotiations.
Officials said other bidders either declined to quote (UnitedHealthcare cited the county hospital not being in its network) or submitted proposals that were not directly comparable. A Blue Cross proposal came in higher than Cigna’s; Edison Health submitted a level‑funded option that staff did not consider apples‑to‑apples.
Several commissioners cautioned that a 5% increase will add pressure to next year’s budget and could prompt benefit “tweaks” in future years to control costs. One commissioner said: “If the 5% continues, we'll be having to tweak it in the future because it's going to get cost prohibitive.”
Commissioners Sam Blake and Sam Gilbert voted against the renewal; the roll call recorded 12 in favor, 2 opposed. Supporters argued the county preserved employee benefits without reducing plan design; opponents said the carrier could have offered a lower rate and emphasized the longer‑term budgetary impact.
The insurance committee and staff noted optional plan designs remain available to employees (including a direct primary care option and an HSA option into which the county contributes $65 per month for participating employees). The nursing‑home staff may later be included in the county pool but were not part of this renewal vote.
The commission’s approval authorizes the mayor and staff to execute the renewal and related paperwork to maintain continuity of coverage for county employees.
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