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York County board accepts Medica bid after UnitedHealthcare renewal hike; open enrollment set
Summary
After reviewing renewal options, the York County Board of Commissioners voted to move the county’s group health plan to Medica — which offered flat renewal rates — following an ~18% renewal proposal from UnitedHealthcare; staff will manage employee open enrollment and plan transition ahead of Jan. 1.
Insurance brokers told the York County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 15 that UnitedHealthcare proposed a renewal with a significant increase while Medica provided a flat renewal comparable to current rates.
Ben of Cornerstone Insurance summarized the offers: UnitedHealthcare proposed an approximate 18% increase, while Medica’s submitted pricing would keep county premiums near current levels. Brokers and staff walked commissioners through plan‑design differences, including a change to the urgent‑care copay (Medica showed a $30 urgent‑care copay versus $0 under the current plan for some uses) and how the county’s HRA would continue to offset employees’ high deductibles. Staff noted that Medica’s network (Medical Choice national network) covers most Nebraska providers and that the county’s preferred hospital network membership remains a consideration.
Commissioner Daniel moved to accept Medica as the county carrier; the motion passed on roll call. Commissioners and staff discussed practical next steps: county and broker staff will run open‑enrollment communications, identify employees who might benefit from marketplace options under the so‑called “family glitch,” and manage ID‑card and provider‑coordination needs before Jan. 1.
Staff said the county currently had roughly 29 employees on county plans and that the defined‑benefit contribution structure for employees would not change as part of the carrier selection. Brokers noted some individual medications and provider arrangements may differ under Medica and that Cornerstone and the county HR team will assist employees with those transitions during the enrollment period.
The board instructed staff to schedule an open‑enrollment period in early December and to provide clear communications to employees about plan changes and ID cards.
