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Walton Hills council reviews employee survey as health-plan renewal nears
Summary
Village manager reported results of an 18-response employee survey showing most prioritized lower deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums; council was presented two carrier options with roughly similar cost increases and deferred a final decision pending further review and employee input.
Walton Hills village officials reviewed results of a brief employee survey on health benefits as the village considers renewing employee health insurance effective May 1, 2026.
Michael, the village manager, told council members that 18 employees responded to a five-question survey. "Out of the 18 collected results, eight responded that lower deductible and out-of-pocket maximum was most important," he said, adding that six said keeping the same carrier and network was most important and nine rated prescription coverage as 'very important.' The manager said nine respondents were "very willing" to consider a carrier change if it would lower overall cost.
The manager outlined two narrowed options: remain with the current carrier, Anthem, with plan-design concessions or switch to a new carrier, Sigma, with similar overall costs but fewer plan concessions. He said both options carried large premium increases — roughly a 21% rise (Anthem about 21.3%, Sigma about 21.7%) — equal to approximately $2,600 per employee annually under the village's contribution structure.
Council members and staff discussed trade-offs between preserving current networks and limiting out-of-pocket costs. The manager said the survey responses were split on priorities and noted participation was not universal: "We got 18 responses about 30''2 employees that would probably have been eligible," he said.
No final vote was taken. Councilors thanked staff for conducting the survey and said they would continue to weigh employee preferences, network continuity and plan design before making a final decision at an upcoming meeting.
The council is expected to consider the item again at the next meeting, when staff will present any final recommendation and any additional employee input.
