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Committee backs $1.1 million transfer to employee health insurance fund
Summary
Comptroller Sherman told the committee the employee health insurance fund faces heavy near-term claims and that a $1.1 million appropriation would cover expected December invoices and bridge the fund until 2026 budgeted support and stop-loss reimbursements arrive. The committee forwarded the appropriation to the full court.
The committee voted to forward an ordinance appropriating $1,100,000 from unappropriated reserves to the employee health insurance fund to ensure bills for 2025 services can be paid in December and into January and February.
Comptroller Sherman told the court, "Right now, current appropriations are at negative 85,000," and said the fund had about $629,000 in cash after payroll but was averaging roughly $826,000 in monthly outflows. Sherman said the appropriation "allows us to pay bills through this next, through December" and explained that some invoices received in 2026 reflect services dated in 2025 and must be paid from 2025 appropriations.
Sherman described the effect of high-cost claims on the fund and the role of stop-loss insurance and reimbursements. He said one individual’s claims this year cost the county about $950,000 and that stop-loss reimbursements had already returned some funds; he expects further stop-loss recoveries will appear in the fund in the near term. Sherman also explained how premiums and county match flow through departmental appropriations into the insurance fund and said the county aims to maintain approximately $1,000,000 cash in the fund when possible.
During discussion, JP Koger expressed appreciation that the county is bearing additional cost for employees and moved to forward the item to the full court with a do-pass recommendation; JP Lemming seconded. Resident Sherry Maine urged caution, noting that pulling funds for this appropriation and another pending appropriation could reduce year-end unappropriated reserves below $1,000,000 based on her reading of November balances.
The committee approved forwarding the $1.1 million appropriation to the full court on a voice vote. The full court will consider the appropriation on upcoming docket dates.
