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Harrison County approves 2026 insurance renewal, switches reinsurance and accepts $83,000 fixed‑cost increase
Summary
At its Nov. 20 meeting the Harrison County Commissioners Court approved a 2026 insurance renewal that includes switching reinsurance carriers (from Symmetra to IOA), a $1 PEPM TPA increase, and a roughly 13% fixed‑cost rise (about $83,000 to the county). Commissioners also heard that the retiree Medicare supplement may rise about $60 per month.
At a Nov. 20 meeting in the Harrison County Historical Courthouse, the Commissioners Court approved the county's 2026 insurance renewal after an extended presentation from the county's benefits adviser. The court voted 4–0 to accept the plan recommended by the adviser and to authorize staff to sign required disclosures to lock in reinsurance coverage starting Jan. 1, 2026.
The adviser, George Harmon of the Nitsky Group, recommended “option 1” to leave Imagine360 as the county's TPA, accept a $1 per‑employee‑per‑month increase for TPA fixed costs and switch the county's stop‑loss/reinsurance from Symmetra to a plus‑rated carrier, IOA. Harmon said the county faces a 13% fixed‑cost increase for 2026—“it's roughly about $83,000 of fixed cost” based on current enrollment—and described that as the primary driver of the overall increase. He told commissioners there would be “no changes in benefits” and that members should not see different ID cards or benefit levels because the change is administrative on the reinsurance side.
Harmon explained other plan details in the meeting: the county retains per‑member stop‑loss attachment at $125,000, IOA has agreed to a “no new laser” clause for 2027 if the county renews with them, and the county may carry one existing laser (an individually carved‑out claim) that adds roughly $50,000 above the standard attachment. Harmon also said there were pending reimbursements from Symmetra—approximately $162,000—that would flow back to the county's claims fund.
The court also heard about retiree coverage. Harmon said the Medicare supplement (retiree supplement/Part D) market is changing and that subsidies have gone away, producing meaningful rate increases; he estimated about a $60 per month PEPM increase for roughly 52–53 retirees on the supplement. Harmon said he would return in December with alternative options for retiree coverage and urged commissioners not to change active‑employee contributions at this time.
Commissioner Ebar moved to approve the insurance renewal and related authorizations; Commissioner Timmons seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
What happens next: staff will execute the disclosure forms and finalize the reinsurance placement for the Jan. 1, 2026 plan year. Harmon said he will present retiree‑supplement alternatives in December.
