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Commissioners weigh ending retiree dental offering; agree to grandfather current enrollees
Summary
Staff recommended discontinuing the county's retiree dental billing program because administrative costs outweigh the small enrollment; commissioners agreed to grandfather six current retirees and explore lower‑cost billing options.
County staff raised the issue of six retirees currently electing to remain on the county dental plan and asked whether the program should continue. Staff said retirees pay 100% of their premium but administrative costs (about $1,200 a year for QuickBooks plus staff time) and bookkeeping requirements make the offering inefficient for such a small number of participants.
After discussion, commissioners agreed not to abruptly cancel coverage for current retirees. Instead they will grandfather the six current enrollees and discontinue offering the option to future retirees; staff will explore lower‑cost billing or tracking methods (an Excel‑based solution was suggested) so the county does not continue paying software subscription costs for a handful of accounts.
Speakers asked staff to confirm retiree enrollment terms (whether dental had been contractually promised at retirement) and to provide notice to impacted individuals if the county changes the offering for future retirees. No costs were shifted to current retirees—the board emphasized any change would be prospective for new enrollees only.
Next steps: HR and finance will review retiree agreements for any contractual obligations and develop a plan to grandfather current enrollees while eliminating new enrollments; staff will report back with a recommended billing/tracking solution and a communications plan.
