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Cookeville approves insurance renewals with modest premium increases
Summary
Council approved renewal of fully insured medical, dental and vision plans for fiscal 2027 with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee after negotiations that reduced the carrier's initial proposal to a 3% increase for medical and a 4% increase for dental and vision; staff said plan designs will not change and open enrollment is in May.
Cookeville City Council approved renewal of the city's fully insured medical, dental and vision plans for fiscal year 2027 at its April 2 meeting.
Miss Nander told the council BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee proposed a renewal with a 10% increase in medical premiums, 7% in dental and 4% in vision. City staff and brokers negotiated reductions to a 3% increase for medical and 4% for dental and vision. She said there will be no benefit design changes to current plans and that voluntary benefits rates are guaranteed through 2027–2028 as noted in the record.
During council discussion staff provided approximate monthly impacts cited in the meeting: about $76 per month for family medical coverage and smaller per-employee changes for other tiers; Miss Nander emphasized these were approximate figures and open enrollment details will be provided in May. Vice Mayor Eldridge moved approval; Councilman Baji seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Why it matters: Health-insurance costs affect both the municipal budget and employee take-home pay; staff said the negotiated renewal limited premium increases while keeping current benefits intact.
