Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Employee Benefits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bonner County ambulance board votes to move employees to separate medical plan starting Feb. 1, 2026
Summary
The Bonner County Ambulance Service District board voted at a Dec. 9 special meeting to enroll district employees in a separate medical benefits plan through the Idaho Independent Intergovernmental Authority effective Feb. 1, 2026; county HR said the change would not negatively affect the county plan.
The Bonner County Ambulance Service District board voted on Dec. 9 to move its employees from the county medical plan to a separate plan administered through the Idaho Independent Intergovernmental Authority, with coverage to begin Feb. 1, 2026.
The decision came during a special meeting called to consider insurance for the ambulance district. The district’s chief told the board the change had been discussed at the prior meeting and would allow the ambulance district to establish its own employee benefits plan separate from the county’s plan. “Bonner County’s ambulance district is trying slowly but surely to make the separations necessary from the actual county government,” the chief said.
Board members discussed whether they were acting as the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) or the ambulance district board. Commissioners and staff referred to Idaho statute that places the BOCC in the dual role of overseeing the ambulance taxing district; several speakers noted that commissioners effectively must consider the interests of both the county and the district when making a decision.
County HR was asked to confirm whether removing ambulance staff from the county plan would hurt the county’s insurance costs. According to the record, HR (Kevin) told the board there “would be no negative impact” to the county’s medical plan if ambulance employees moved to the separate district plan.
A motion to have the Idaho Independent Intergovernmental Authority provide medical benefits to qualifying BCASD employees beginning Feb. 1, 2026, was made, seconded and put to a roll-call vote. Commissioner Yauke and Commissioner Ford were recorded as voting yes; the motion passed. The board clarified the arrangement is for the remainder of the fiscal year, with the district and IIIA to participate in open enrollment aligned with the county in the following year, a reevaluation in August, and benefits enrollment starting again in October for subsequent cycles.
The board did not record public comment on the item. The meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.
