Chase County weighs workers' comp premiums, approves UnitedHealthcare employee plan
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Summary
Commissioners reviewed competing insurance quotes, asked for apples-to-apples payroll baselines for bids, discussed workers' compensation audit history with vendor KWORK, and voted to renew employee health insurance through UnitedHealthcare.
Chase County commissioners spent a substantial portion of their Nov. 10 meeting reviewing insurance quotes and payroll assumptions for workers' compensation and employee health coverage before approving a UnitedHealthcare renewal.
A vendor representative (Speaker 7) and county staff discussed payroll estimates used to calculate workers' compensation premiums; Speaker 7 said the county-provided payroll estimate was 4,008,314 and walked the panel through audited-premium history dating back several years, noting that after March 2025 audit adjustments the county’s 2024 audited premium totaled $64,219 (transcript: SEG 796; SEG 935–936). Commissioners raised concerns that prior estimates had been understated and that payroll audits can produce additional premiums or return premiums depending on actual payroll. The vendor warned of contract terms to watch, including a 60‑day notice/cancellation provision.
Commissioners asked staff to provide a consistent payroll baseline so competing vendors could submit comparable quotes: figures discussed included 4,387,721 (quoted in transcript, SEG 1099) and a final 2024 payroll cited as 4,781,415. Speaker 1 asked that these payroll details be sent to vendors so commissioners could make an ‘‘apples-to-apples’’ comparison.
On employee health insurance, commissioners debated plan design differences (maximum-liability placement, copays) between carriers. After discussion, Speaker 3 moved to renew the county’s health plan with UnitedHealthcare; Speaker 1 seconded the motion and the board voted in favor. The motion passed in open session; no amendment to the renewal was recorded in open session.
What’s next: Staff was asked to distribute payroll detail to vendors for updated bids, and to return comparative quotes to the commission at the next meeting so the board can finalize workers’ compensation carrier selection and confirm health-plan contract terms (including any negotiable language about renewals or cancellation windows).