Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Employee Benefits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oakland commission approves switch to Florida Blue for employee health coverage to reduce employer costs by an estimated $131,000
Summary
Town staff said the change from the town's existing plan to Florida Blue, along with changes to dental and vision vendors, would maintain comparable coverage and lower employer costs from about $1,015,448 to $883,956 (estimated savings of roughly $131,000); the commission approved the change by voice vote.
Town staff told the commission that the town's current health-benefit contract with the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust (FIT) carried an approximate 10% employer-cost increase for fiscal year 2024'25. Mullings Insurance Agency obtained competing quotes from Florida Blue, Cigna and Aetna and recommended switching to Florida Blue for the best cost savings while retaining similar coverage.
The staff presentation said the comparison reduced total employer costs from about $1,015,448 to roughly $883,956, yielding an estimated employer savings of a little over $131,000. The staff memo also proposed switching dental coverage from Delta Dental to Principal Insurance and changing vision coverage to Principal BSP; those changes affect employee-cost elements as well.
Town representatives said coverage remains comparable under the proposed changes and that the recommendation was made to reduce fiscal pressure after the town received a mid-July notice of increased fire service assessments that required reexamining expenditures to hold down the tentative millage rate.
A commissioner moved to approve the health insurance provider change, the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; no roll-call vote or individual tallies were recorded in the meeting transcript.
Town staff indicated the change is intended to reduce employer costs while maintaining benefits; administrative steps to implement the vendor changes will follow.
