Bourbon County leaders weigh insurance renewal amid sharp premium increases

Commissioners and county staff spent the bulk of an unofficial work session reviewing 2026 health-insurance renewal options after receiving multiple vendor price sheets that included conflicting numbers and typographical errors. The discussion focused on higher deductibles and coinsurance rates in several proposed plans and how those changes would affect employees’ out-of-pocket costs.

The commission’s primary concern was clarity and affordability. “If you offer an insurance plan that has the potential to be a $5,500 doctor's appointment for the sixth appointment, that's not very affordable,” said a county employee who described chronic medical expenses and urged the commission to preserve benefits that support retention. Commissioners and staff repeatedly flagged mismatched worksheets from the broker and the clerk and discarded sheets they judged to be incorrect.

Why it matters: The county’s benefits budget and employee take-home pay are both at stake. Commissioners said they budgeted for a specified benefits appropriation in 2026 and do not want last-minute premium changes to force a mill-levy increase or to shift unsustainable costs onto low-paid employees.

What was discussed: Staff and elected officials examined several alternate plans (references in materials include labels such…