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County told 2027 employee medical rates will jump about 19% after pharmacy surge
Summary
Human Resources and broker Alliant presented the 2027 renewal: medical rates projected +18.9% and dental +11.5% for Lake County. PRISM removed GLP‑1 weight‑loss medications from coverage to temper costs; staff urged immediate employee education, expanded use of navigation services, and mandatory open‑enrollment outreach to reduce avoidable claims.
Pam Samach, Lake County Human Resources Director, opened a presentation from Alliant brokers explaining that medical insurance rates for plan year 2027 are projected to increase about 18.9% for Lake County and dental by 11.5%.
Tom Shearer of Alliant said the county's unusually high renewal is driven by a mix of high utilization, large claims, and a pharmacy spending spike — particularly glucagon‑like peptide‑1 (GLP‑1) medications used for weight loss and diabetes management. "The GLP‑1 meds were tens of millions of dollars across the program," Shearer said; PRISM’s benefits committee voted to stop covering GLP‑1 weight‑loss medications beginning Jan. 1, which reduced the pool renewal but still leaves Lake County with the higher county‑specific increase.
Staff outlined mitigation measures: stronger employee education; requiring attendance at open‑enrollment meetings; promoting cost‑saving vendors (Accolade, Rx and Go, telehealth and musculoskeletal telecare); and improving plan navigation to reduce ER utilization. HR emphasized that employees with dependents will feel the biggest out‑of‑pocket pressure and asked the board for direction on protecting families while controlling costs.
Supervisors asked for a follow‑up discussion before open enrollment and asked staff to return with additional strategies, including options to stabilize dependent coverage and targeted education to shift care away from ER use.
