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County hears detailed health-plan review as open enrollment approaches
Summary
Mako, the county's benefits administrator, told Treasure County commissioners their health plan shows improving claims but warned of rising prescription and retiree costs; commissioners agreed to finalize plan choices at the Sept. 2 meeting and to return a contribution form by Sept. 15.
Treasure County commissioners spent more than an hour on Aug. 19 reviewing the county's employee health benefits ahead of the October open-enrollment period.
Pam Walling, who led the presentation for the county's benefits administrator, said the county's pooled plan has seen better claims experience this year but faces new cost pressures from prescription drugs and recently passed pharmacy rules. "Our prescription drug spend dropped after a new contract with CVS/Caremark, but the legislature allowed rural pharmacies to charge a dispensing fee — that's coming Oct. 1 and could increase out‑of‑pocket costs," Walling said.
Walling walked commissioners through proposed 2026 rates and plan options, including several high-deductible plans and a richer plan the county currently offers. She said the trust's average rate increase this year is 9.8% and that retirees enrolled in the Blue Cross Medicare retiree plan face especially steep increases. "We saw a 50–60% jump in some retiree pricing; we're still analyzing options," she said.
Commissioners pressed on how the county's $1,192-per-person contribution can be applied (employee-only, family coverage, or HSA), and on the operational deadline: the benefits administrator said the county must return a completed contribution-and-eligibility form by Sept. 15. The county also scheduled an on-site Rocky Mountain Biometrics screening and open-enrollment assistance for Oct. 7; employees will receive instructions for appointments.
The board did not set final contribution amounts at the meeting. Commissioners agreed to discuss plan selection and the contribution figure at their Sept. 2 meeting so the county can meet the insurer's forms deadline. The benefits office said staff will provide final bill estimates and answer outstanding questions about who pays the new rural-pharmacy dispensing fee and options for retiree coverage.
Next step: commissioners will return an official contribution/eligibility form by Sept. 15 and expected to finalize plan offerings at the Sept. 2 meeting.
