Franklin County approves Anthem as 2026 health insurer after negotiations to limit employee cost increases
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Summary
Facing large renewal increases, the court approved switching medical coverage to Anthem for 2026 and new ancillary plans; the county will increase its contribution by roughly $230,000 to limit employee payroll deductions and preserve coverage options.
Frankfort — After months of review and an RFP process, Franklin County Fiscal Court voted Oct. 15 to transition its employee medical coverage from UnitedHealthcare to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield for calendar year 2026, and to move ancillary plans (dental, vision, life, voluntary life and critical-illness products) to Anthem partners.
Treasurer Amy and benefits consultant Benjie Mars (BIM Group) told the court that UnitedHealthcare’s renewal originally came in near a 50% increase and Anthem initially quoted about 43%. Through negotiations and plan design adjustments — and by bundling ancillary products — they reduced the county-wide cost increase to the mid-20% range for the proposed Anthem package. Benjie told the court that pharmacy costs and a small number of high-cost specialty drugs are driving the bulk of the increase nationally.
The court emphasized protecting employees: Amy said the fiscal court increased its employer contribution roughly $230,000–$236,542 so many employees can keep payroll deductions similar to 2025 or pay a modest monthly contribution to retain current benefit levels. Benjie explained two PPO options and a high-deductible HSA plan will be offered so employees can choose the design that best fits their families.
Several magistrates pressed for clarity about formulary changes and whether any covered procedures would be removed; Benjie and Amy said carriers do not remove covered procedures in these fully insured filings and that the primary change employees will see is pharmacy-tiering and formulary differences. They pledged open enrollment meetings and one-on-one assistance for employees.
Vote and next steps: The court approved the carrier transitions and related plan authorizations by voice vote. Human Resources and the broker will hold employee meetings to outline plan differences, enrollment windows and how specialty medications will be handled.
