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Chickasaw County signs corrected IGHCP form and debates boosting health plan reserve
Summary
Supervisors authorized the chair to sign a corrected IGHCP renewal showing 17.21% funded risk, received a detailed PSF (partial self-fund) risk review from Denise Ballard, and discussed increasing funded exposure to roughly 21–22% or making a one-time $40,000–$60,000 reserve infusion; vote to sign the corrected form was 4-0.
The Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 10 authorized the board chair to sign a corrected IGHCP renewal form that reflects a funded risk percentage of 17.21 percent, a change county staff and IGHCP consultant Denise Ballard said was a paperwork correction rather than a change in dollar obligations.
Ballard told the board the July 2025 renewal included an erroneous 25 percent figure and that her office corrected the percentage on the certificate to 17.21. "Again, it doesn't change any of the numbers, the amount of actual dollars that are going into your plan," Ballard said. A motion by Steve, second by Travis to authorize the chair signature on the corrected 17.21 percent IGHCP form passed by roll call with four Ayes and Scott absent.
Ballard then presented a partial self-fund (PSF) risk review for the county's employee health plan. She summarized the plan design and exposures: a Wellmark single out-of-pocket maximum of $9,000 (family $18,000) leaves the county exposed to about $7,000 per single and $14,000 per family in worst-case claim scenarios. Ballard said the county currently has 65 single contracts and 25 family contracts under the plan and showed first three months' claims of $51,642, annualized to roughly $206,569. She reported a September reserve balance of $80,114 and an estimated Nov. 1 balance of $84,005.88.
Ballard recommended increasing the funded exposure over time toward 21–22 percent or, alternatively, making a one-time contribution to the reserve (board members discussed a $40,000–$60,000 transfer) to avoid sharp premium increases at renewal. "If you... were able to... add an additional $50,000 to the reserve... we would end the plan year closer to $90,000 in your reserve," Ballard said.
Board members asked whether higher claims could be explained by adding family coverage; Ballard said Wellmark does not separate single versus family claims on its vendor reporting and that the vendor data would not easily provide that split. The board directed staff to prepare paperwork for a budget amendment if members wish to transfer funds into the PSF reserve and to revisit the matter during budget work sessions and renewal negotiations.
