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Committee reviews employee health insurance proposal; staff recommends staying with Blue Cross Blue Shield with Envision administration
Summary
County administration recommended moving from the IPBC pool to a fully insured Blue Cross Blue Shield plan with partial self‑funding administered by Envision; staff estimate roughly a 2% premium increase compared with a projected ~20% if the county had remained in IPBC, and staff will return to the county board next week with a final contract.
Administration (Becky Tobin) updated the committee on county employee health insurance options after the board previously voted to withdraw from the IPBC pool. Tobin said staff and brokers solicited quotes and concluded a fully insured Blue Cross Blue Shield plan with a partially self‑funded deductible administered by Envision would be the best option to limit premium increases.
Becky told members the county expects roughly a 2% premium increase for the coming plan year, compared with an estimated ~20% increase had the county remained in IPBC. She said the county will self‑insure a portion of deductible exposure to keep premiums lower, and Envision will act as third‑party administrator on HRA payments intended to make the employee experience seamless. "We believe we can stay with Blue Cross Blue Shield, a fully insured plan where the county is self‑insuring that portion of the deductible," Tobin said.
Envision's Ryan Hyde described implementation steps and said Envision will coordinate claim data with Blue Cross and handle payments for deductible portions the county funds. A Blue Cross representative (Jeremy Stanton) said the transition can be made smooth and that an implementation specialist will be assigned.
Board members asked about market alternatives, comparisons to previously proposed plans, and the county’s potential exposure to deductible costs depending on future claims experience. Staff said final approval will be requested at the county board next week to allow timely renewal processing.
