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Bell County trustees, commissioners approve move to Curative health plan and MetLife dental
Summary
Bell County Commissioners and the County Employee Benefits Trust approved authorizing funding to switch the county employee health plan to Curative and dental to MetLife for FY2025, citing an estimated $1 million in premium savings and potential disruptions that staff said they will manage through enrollment and baseline visits.
Bell County on July 1 authorized funding to transition the county's employee health coverage to Curative and its dental plan to MetLife for FY2025, an action the county judge and benefits staff said could reduce premiums and out-of-pocket costs for many employees.
County benefits staff and consultant Valerie Hamstra outlined the change during Commissioners Court and then again when the court reconvened as the Bell County Employee Benefits Trust. Staff told the court the proposed health and pharmaceutical group benefit is about $7,180 per employee annually and that the county's total estimated premium cost is $8,416,870 based on 1,190 enrollments; dental premiums were listed as $201 per employee, or $241,794 based on 1,208 enrollments. The trust later approved the funding as presented.
Carl (county benefits staff) and Hamstra said Curative's model includes a required baseline visit, after which employees would see "no deductible, no out-of-pocket maximum, and no co-pays" for covered care under the plan's design. The benefit team said Curative has processes to address network gaps, including working with physicians to bring them into network and a temporary "bridge fill" for prescriptions while prior authorizations are obtained.
Commissioners and trustees pressed staff about potential disruption to employees who currently use Baylor Scott & White providers. Hamstra said the vendor ran disruption checks and did not find significant PCP disruption; staff estimated only a small number of employees ("less than five" for higher-cost prescriptions) might be affected. Commissioners repeatedly emphasized the need for a robust employee education and enrollment campaign to minimize service interruptions.
Commissioners also requested that, if the transition produces problems, the county can re-bid or revert at the next procurement cycle. Staff said the proposed contract runs 23 months, which county staff said would align plan and fiscal-year timing and guarantee rates to the county for that period.
The court voted in favor by voice during the Commissioners Court portion of the meeting, and the Employee Benefits Trust (composed of county trustees) approved the funding and award to Curative and MetLife when the court reconvened as the trust. Staff said they will provide education and baseline-visit scheduling to reduce disruptions and will assist employees in transferring prescriptions or arranging bridge fills where necessary.
The most immediate next step is implementation planning and education before open enrollment; staff said employees will be assigned member coordinators to assist with baseline visits, prescription issues and continuity of care.
