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Johnson County approves policy to meet House Bill 4144 retiree coverage requirement
Summary
Johnson County Commissioners unanimously approved a policy to comply with House Bill 4144, providing retiring peace officers either continuation of health coverage or a critical-illness supplement for three years; fully insured market options remain under review.
The Johnson County Commissioners Court on Dec. 22 unanimously approved a policy to meet the requirements of House Bill 4144, the new state law that requires public employers with 50 or more firefighters or peace officers to offer either comparable health coverage or a supplemental payment for certain serious diagnoses occurring within three years of retirement.
The policy approved by the court gives the county two statutory options: continue a retiree on the employer’s health plan for three years at active-employee cost or provide a direct supplemental payment equal to the retiree’s final salary or $100,000, whichever is less. County staff and benefits consultants presented three approaches to meeting the obligation: continued coverage, self-funding, or purchasing a fully insured product.
Benefits consultant (speaker 20) told the court that early fully insured products under discussion include a MetLife option and an Aetna Apex product. “We estimate the premium for the three-year MetLife product, assuming someone retires between the age of 55 and 60, to be $9,000 in total,” the consultant said, and noted the Aetna Apex example for the same age band was substantially higher at about $25,000.
County HR staff warned the court that the fully insured options might not be available immediately. “Option 3 is not available as of January 1 at this time,” said Randy (speaker 21), who recommended the court adopt the continuity-of-coverage approach now so the county is protected on Jan. 1, and revisit purchasing an insured product if and when carriers receive approval.
The court approved the policy as presented, with the County Judge saying the intent is to adopt a fully insured solution once an appropriate product becomes available and to fall back to continuation of the existing health plan until then. The motion to approve carried unanimously.
Why it matters: House Bill 4144 creates a new, time-limited obligation for employers that could create ongoing costs or require insurance purchases. By approving the policy now the county ensures compliance with the law effective Jan. 1 and preserves the option to switch to a fully insured product if and when carriers finalize plans.
