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Assumption Parish jury keeps current employee health plan after discussion on cost and access
Summary
The Assumption Parish Police Jury voted to retain its current insurer arrangement (CCMSI/PG option) into early 2025, preserving employees’ choice between the existing MCO co-pay plan and the standard deductible plan after jurors discussed premium increases and staff affordability concerns.
The Assumption Parish Police Jury voted to retain its current health-insurance arrangement for employees, keeping both the existing MCO (co-pay) option and the standard deductible option available into early 2025. The motion — recorded as "on the floor by Mr. Alcorn" and seconded — passed on a voice vote.
The decision followed public comment from Debbie Benoit, who identified herself as an administration employee for the police jury and said the MCO co-pay option "has worked really well" for her family and made health care affordable for her as a person managing diabetes. Benoit told jurors she and many colleagues prefer the lower-premium, co-pay structure over alternatives that would substantially raise monthly costs.
An administrator presenting plan proposals said the jury received three bids, and narrowed realistic choices to the current CCMSI option (with a standard/deductible plan and an MCO co-pay plan) and a set of Blue Cross Blue Shield proposals. The administrator described the Blue Cross options as carrying higher premiums and a different structure (prepaid money on a card with larger premium increases) that could leave employees with higher monthly expenses despite lower out-of-pocket costs after thresholds were reached.
Jurors discussed an expected market increase in premiums (vendors warned of roughly a 20% rise), the diversity of employee needs — including road-and-bridge and drainage crews who may be covered from other funds — and the desire not to force lower-paid staff into unaffordable coverage. One juror said the priority was to "stick with our employees and what's working for them," and moved to keep CCMSI and preserve the employee choice between the original plan and the MCO.
The motion to continue with CCMSI/PG (allowing the two plan options) was approved by voice vote. The jury did not adopt the Blue Cross proposals during this meeting.
Next steps: the jury indicated the retained plan structure will carry into the coming open-enrollment period (into February 2025) and staff will proceed with enrollment mechanics; no additional implementation details or a final premium schedule were adopted at the meeting.
