Granite County reviews multiple employee health-insurance bids as renewal approaches

Granite County commissioners on Feb. 17 heard three competing sets of proposals for the county’s employee health benefits as the county approaches its renewal and potential March 1 cancellation deadline with its current trust.

Jamie Foy of Big Sky Benefit Solutions presented options that would shop carriers annually and provide hands-on, in-person enrollment support. Foy estimated the county’s current arrangement could face a roughly 9% renewal increase and said Big Sky would review alternatives including PacificSource and UnitedHealthcare, noting limitations on claims data for groups with fewer than 50 eligible employees.

Representatives from Southwestern Montana Insurance Centers — Julie Blocky and Gabriella Hecker — presented multiple carrier bids and said a late proposal from Cigna produced notable savings, in some cases up to 24% below the MACo renewal on comparable plan designs. Their packet included recommendations for MetLife dental and vision (raising the dental annual maximum from $2,000 to $3,000) and retiree supplemental options.

MACo representatives Cheri Copeland and Pam Walling, joining remotely from the MACo conference, offered family-friendly tiering structures intended to reduce family premiums and emphasized the stability of staying with the MACo trust versus moving to carriers that lack historical claims data.

Commissioners and staff asked questions about pharmacy networks, dental maximums, long-term rate stability and employee enrollment support. No final decision was made; the proposals were taken under advisement and county staff will compare rates, benefits and timing before any change or cancellation of current coverage.