Sweetwater approves UnitedHealthcare after staff say it cuts planned premium spike for city employees

The City Commission of the City of Sweetwater on Aug. 25 voted to select UnitedHealthcare as the city—s employee medical insurer, a move staff and the city—s broker said would reduce the projected premium increase for the coming year.

City finance staff told commissioners that the incumbent carrier—s renewal would have raised medical costs by 26.5, or about $778,000; the UnitedHealthcare quote presented to the commission was an 8.969 percent increase, equal to roughly $263,000, a city finance official said. Scott Mendelsberg, with the City of Sweetwater finance department, summarized the fiscal comparison at the meeting.

Yoli, a city staff member who led the procurement presentation, said brokers had gone to market and that UnitedHealthcare returned an "apples-to-apples" benefit design that matched copays and specialist fees currently in place. "So if there's a co pay of $10, it's a co pay of $10," Yoli said when introducing the broker.

Evelyn Alvarez, executive vice president and employee benefits practice leader for Brown & Brown in Miami-Dade, told the commission her firm solicited carriers and…