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Fisher County reports double-digit rise in employee health costs; insurer cuts some pharmacies from network
Summary
County staff told commissioners the employee health plan will cost more next year — about $1,004.44 per employee on average — with medical and dental hikes and a new $20-per-COBRA enrollee fee; several local pharmacies will be out of network.
Speaker 3 told the Fisher County commissioners that the county's insurance rates have risen substantially and presented details of plan changes ahead of the new plan year.
Speaker 3 said the insurer's overall rate will be about $1,004.44 per employee, representing a roughly 14.7% increase overall; medical premiums rose about 8.7% and dental about 13%. "That's an average overall monthly increase of $3,524, based on our 33 average employees," Speaker 3 said. The speaker tied much of the claim cost to chronic conditions and emergency-room use, saying hypertension and heart-related conditions have been major drivers of payouts.
The presentation included program changes and timelines. Speaker 3 said the insurer will charge the county $20 for each employee who elects COBRA continuation coverage and described the county's obligation under federal COBRA requirements to offer continuation paperwork to eligible former employees. "Now they're going to be charging us $20 per employee that takes the COBRA plan," Speaker 3 said, adding that the total cost will depend on how many employees enroll.
Speaker 3 also flagged changes to the pharmacy network, listing CVS, Kroger, United Pharmacies and Ellrichsville Pharmacy as excluded from the county plan going forward. "So we're gonna have to especially be in this rural area to verify and make sure before we go if those are any of the ones that we're used to using," Speaker 3 said, warning those exclusions could increase out-of-network costs for county employees who rely on local pharmacies.
County staff said they plan an insurer-led clinic during open enrollment to explain benefits and promote telehealth and other cost-saving tools such as the insurer's mobile app and virtual care options. Speaker 3 said the insurer will present at open enrollment in September and that the changes will be effective with the plan year beginning Oct. 1.
Commissioners asked about a list of in-network pharmacies and were told one exists in the insurer's formulary and app. The transcript does not record a formal vote on plan changes or any decision by the commissioners during the recorded segments; final approvals or funding actions were not captured in the provided excerpts.
The insurer presentation is planned for the county's open-enrollment period; staff said they will bring information and enrollment resources to employees in September ahead of the Oct. 1 effective date.
