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Employees with medically complex children warn premium and copay jumps would be unaffordable
Summary
Several employees described how proposed PPO premium, deductible and copay increases would make essential care unaffordable for families with complex medical needs, citing a family premium of $771/month and total out-of-pocket costs above $24,000 a year in one example.
Employees with medically complex dependents told the Commissioners Court that the proposed health‑plan changes would force impossible tradeoffs between essentials and care.
"Every year my child's medical needs ... put our total out of pocket cost at above $24,000 a year," said Katie Hallberg, who said her family would need the county PPO after a spouse job change and that the proposed family premium of $771 per month plus deductibles and coinsurance would exceed the household's means. Deborah Turner Mack, a parks employee, said a key medication for her son will rise from $35 to $150 per month under the proposed changes.
Speakers asked the court and HR to protect benefit designs for employees with ongoing care needs, urged more transparent actuarial explanations of cost drivers, and requested that any budget solution avoid shifting catastrophic costs onto employees. HR reiterated it will return with a benefits proposal July 14; no final decision was made at the hearing.
