Oldham County will absorb 34.7% UnitedHealthcare increase; HRA levels raised in 2026 benefits renewal

The Oldham County Fiscal Court on Dec. 1 approved the county’s 2026 employee benefits renewal after a prolonged review of UnitedHealthcare’s initial quote and alternative options.

Human resources director Tina Schauff told the court the carrier’s initial renewal came back at about "49.9%" but by increasing deductibles and boosting the health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) the recommended plan reduced the effective increase to "34.7%." Schauff said the county will absorb the increase and will raise the HRA for employee-only coverage from $4,750 to $6,000 and for family coverage from $9,500 to $12,000 so employees will not see higher out-of-pocket costs under the new plan design.

Schauff said dental, vision and the county-provided life insurance rates remain unchanged because those lines were on a rate hold. She described the county’s 2024 claims year as "a high claim year" with roughly $1,000,000 in claims and said other carriers declined to quote. The court discussed the possibility of moving to a self-insured model to gain more claims visibility, but officials said the timing and risk exposure (including proposed claims caps from brokers) made that option unattractive now.

A county official estimated the budget effect could be about $350,000 for a full year (roughly $175,000 for the remainder of the current fiscal year), reflecting the 34.7% increase; the official characterized that figure as an estimate. On a motion and second the court approved the 2026 benefits renewal and authorized county officials to sign renewal paperwork.

The court and staff emphasized that employees should not experience higher direct out-of-pocket costs because the county will fund the increased HRA amounts; officials said larger claims in prior years drove the premium increases and that staff and the county’s broker, Foundation Risk Partners, had explored multiple options before recommending the current plan.