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Rockdale County hears Alliant plan review; specialty drug copay and plan tweaks aimed at limiting 2026 cost growth
Summary
Alliant Insurance Services presented projected health-plan claims rising from about $10.5M (2025) to $11.5M (2026) and recommended plan-design changes — including a new $150 specialty‑drug copay and a switch to out‑of‑network options for all plans — that staff say reduce the county's projected renewal impact to approximately $281,057.
Alliant Insurance Services presented the county's 2026 employee benefits renewal to the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 10, outlining projected claims trends, reinsurance exposures and recommended plan-design changes intended to limit cost growth.
Tammy Starkey of Alliant told the board that Anthem plan utilization and high-cost claims drove a projected increase in claims from roughly $10.5 million in 2025 to $11.5 million in 2026. She said actuaries projected about a 9.8% trend before negotiated changes. To reduce the county's exposure, Alliant negotiated a lower reinsurer "laser" on a very high claim (down to $400,000 from an earlier $650,000 proposal) and proposed plan-design changes including removing an "in-network only" option so members can access out-of-network providers, modest increases to specialist and urgent care copays for one plan, and the creation of a Tier 4 specialty‑drug copay set at $150 per 30-day supply.
Starkey said those combined changes, plus pharmacy-rebate adjustments and other negotiations, would reduce an otherwise much larger renewal to a net projected county impact of about $281,057 for 2026. The presentation also noted a strategy to encourage biosimilar substitution for high-cost biologic medications (examples named in the meeting included Stelara and Humira).
On retirees, Alliant noted a Medicare Advantage supplement option and reported a projected increase in retiree costs, including examples of per-member monthly increases cited in the presentation. Staff emphasized that open enrollment support is scheduled (on-site counseling and webinars beginning Nov. 13) and that employees who do not actively enroll will be placed in a plan consistent with their current coverage.
Why this matters: Health-care claims drive a large component of county employee costs. Staff framed the proposal as a balance of benefit value and shared cost to contain an otherwise larger budget pressure.
Board reaction and next steps: Commissioners asked clarifying questions about how auto-enrollment works, the appeals process for missed enrollments, and how courier/reporting requests are handled. HR/benefits staff said communications and counseling will be available immediately and that the board will be asked to execute insurer contracts as part of a separate resolution that was approved later in the meeting.
Representative quote: "We're looking at clinical notes as we look at prognosis on that high claim..." (Alliant representative).
