Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Insurance Renewal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mako representatives outline modest insurance increases, new services for Daniels County
Summary
Mako presenters told Daniels County commissioners that pooled property-and-casualty and health‑care trust pricing would hold under 10% increases overall, with a roughly 7.5% health‑plan premium rise driven by utilization and pharmacy costs; presenters emphasized reserves, new vision and dental benefits, and cyber-readiness offerings.
Representatives from Mako and the Joint Powers/Property & Casualty trust told Daniels County commissioners on April 20 that the county’s pooled insurance programs will generally remain stable but not immune to market pressures. A presenter for Mako said the property-and-casualty trust kept county-level increases below double digits while explaining that a large prior settlement and added insured values had pushed some loss ratios higher: “We went up 7½ percent as a pool,” the presenter said, and added that the county’s recent additional employees were a primary driver of the local liability contribution increase.
On the health side, the trust presented several plan options for the county’s July 1 renewal. Pam, the plan specialist on the call, explained the mechanics of the plans: preventive care is covered without cost, office visits carry modest coinsurance that counts toward an enrollee’s out‑of‑pocket maximum, and the plans include options with $200 and $500 deductibles. Pam said the trust prefers 90‑day prescription fills to reduce dispensing fees and recommended plan features intended to limit pharmacy cost volatility. “If all values remain the same… you’d see the pool would see a 4% decrease,” a Mako rep said, contrasting system‑wide trends with local drivers such as added equipment and employees.
Mako staff described new or enhanced services that the trust offers to members, including in‑house claims processing, boiler inspections, jail‑safety reviews, cybersecurity readiness assessments, telemedicine and a more comprehensive vision benefit. The presenters also described governance choices — trustees recently amended bylaws to allow counties to designate staff instead of hiring an agent in some cases — and urged counties to keep accurate inventories of buildings and equipment to avoid missed insured values.
Commissioners pressed the presenters on several details: how deductible waivers apply, how pharmacy deductibles and coinsurance work in tandem with out‑of‑pocket maximums, and how the trust smooths rates over several years to avoid sudden spikes. Mako staff said trustees have moved away from repeatedly using reserves to hold rates at zero, and instead favor moderate annual increases to maintain solvency and avoid later large spikes.
The county scheduled a special meeting to consider the health‑plan quotes and finalize participation decisions. Mako representatives provided data the commissioners asked for — including historical increases — and offered to follow up on specific prescription pricing and particular claims questions.
Next steps: County staff will review the trust proposals and convene a special session to decide whether to enroll or seek alternatives; commissioners signaled they want clear comparisons of out‑of‑pocket impacts and prescription cost examples before making a final decision.
