Hillsdale County board approves joining West Michigan Health Insurance Pool to reduce 2026 costs

The Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners voted on Oct. 14 to have the county join the West Michigan Health Insurance Pool effective Jan. 1, 2026, after an extended briefing comparing that pooled option with a self-funded alternative offered through AccuSure/ASR.

Derek (county benefits/budget staff) and outside consultants reviewed multiple plan designs and estimated impacts on the general fund and employees. The packet compared three primary approaches: (1) renewing with Blue Cross under the county’s then-current HRA arrangement, which had a $5,000 individual/$10,000 family deductible reimbursed down to lower effective amounts; (2) a self-funded AccuSure/ASR option that included a layered NAMI/HAP PPO arrangement; and (3) the West Michigan Health Insurance Pool, which would offer Blue Cross plans plus a Priority plan option and requires a three-year commitment.

Derek summarized the fiscal comparisons: the pool was estimated to save approximately $53,662 to the general fund in the first year compared with the AccuSure self-funded proposal, and the pool’s quoted first-year savings against renewing the county’s current plans were reported by staff as materially larger when participation and plan selection scenarios were modeled. John O'Connor, representing the self-funded proposal, presented the vendor’s view that their option could save money in some configurations; staff also noted the self-funded option carries variable claims exposure in early years.

Key plan-design changes the county would implement include replacing the current HRA plan with a fully insured plan option having a $1,000 individual/$2,000 family deductible, and retaining an HSA-type option with updated deductible and county HSA contributions (for the low-deductible HSA plan the county proposed increasing employer HSA contributions to match a $2,000 deductible).

Commissioners pressed staff on practical issues that mattered to employees: prescription drug formularies across plans, whether prior deductible credit would be honored if employees left and purchased an individual plan, whether dental/vision/life ancillary products could remain with the incumbent broker, and timing. Staff emphasized that open enrollment must be completed quickly so the pool could be implemented for Jan. 1; the county also must appoint a trustee and alternate to the pool body if it joins.

After discussion and roll-call, the board adopted the resolution to join the West Michigan Health Insurance Pool by a 5–0 vote. The board directed staff to schedule employee open-enrollment sessions and to prepare a subsequent resolution appointing the county’s trustee to the pool.