Brown & Brown briefs Marysville council on rising health‑plan costs and options

City officials heard a presentation April 27 from Brown & Brown representatives about trends in municipal employee health benefits and options for managing rising costs.

Scott Fritz, a Brown & Brown representative, told the council that recent carrier renewals are outpacing the revenue municipalities typically budget for employee benefits and that employers are responding by changing plan designs, increasing deductibles, transferring more risk to employees, or looking to different carriers. "One size does not fit all," Fritz said, urging the city to consider offering choice through a cafeteria approach that allows employees to select among multiple plans.

Fritz outlined alternatives such as health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs) and emphasized education for employees about deductibles and cost implications. He also said new or expanding regional carriers — he cited Priority Health and HAP as examples — can change the marketplace and provide additional options when the city evaluates carriers.

The presentation included a discussion of Public Act 152, enacted in 2012, which Fritz described as imposing a mandated cost‑share cap for public employers in Michigan; Fritz said Marysville has not been impacted because of how the city has historically managed its plan and that, under the law, costs above the cap can be shifted to employees enrolled in the plans.

Brown & Brown representatives at the meeting were introduced as Dan Skiver, Nicole (last name not specified), and Scott Fritz. The council listened while the firm summarized plan design options and market context; no formal policy decisions or votes on benefit changes were recorded at the meeting.