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Lavaca County approves new employee health plan, raises basic life coverage to $25,000
Summary
Lavaca County's commissioners approved a 2026–27 health plan with higher deductibles but lower child and family premiums and a pilot to reduce dependent costs. The court also added an optional medical flexible spending account and raised basic life insurance from $10,000 to $25,000 per employee.
Lavaca County Commissioners on June 22 approved the county’s 2026–27 employee health benefits renewal, moving to a Blue Choice Network plan that raises individual and family deductibles while adding a dependent-cost pilot and an optional medical flexible spending account.
County staff and benefits vendors told commissioners the recommended Blue Choice 1300-NG plan would increase the individual deductible to $1,500 and the family deductible to $4,500, change in-network co-insurance to 80/20 (maximum out-of-pocket $3,500) and out-of-network to 60/40 (maximum out-of-pocket $7,000), and raise the emergency-room copay to $150. Dental and vision coverages remain unchanged; dental premiums are expected to rise about 9.8 percent.
The court heard that switching from the county’s grandfathered plan would, under modest enrollment growth assumptions, reduce the projected premium increase from an expected 11 percent to roughly 2–5 percent. The presenter said the county’s analysis showed the plan, coupled with a 15 percent dependent pilot, would keep overall increases substantially below the previously projected 11 percent in most scenarios.
Commissioners also approved adding an optional medical flexible spending account administered by WEX to help employees cover deductible and eligible medical expenses with pre-tax payroll deductions; staff said the monthly administrative fee to employees would be approximately $3.90 for those who enroll. The county plans a post-implementation meeting for employees and spouses to explain enrollment options.
After discussion of stop-loss/reinsurance and claims concentration, benefits staff confirmed the county participates in the pool’s stop-loss protections as a fully insured member. The county also voted to increase basic life insurance from $10,000 to $25,000 per employee after committee members noted recent employee bereavements and the limited coverage a $10,000 benefit provides.
"We’re going to 25,000 per employee," a presenter said when reading the recommended change; commissioners approved the renewal and life-insurance increase by voice vote.
Next steps: staff will finalize vendor enrollment materials and schedule employee outreach on plan changes and flexible-spending enrollment.
