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Kalkaska County removes spousal exclusion for $250 health insurance buyout, makes change retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025
Summary
The committee approved an MOU with unions and a policy change to allow employees whose spouse is the primary insured to receive the $250 monthly insurance buyout; when both spouses are on the same plan, the buyout will be a reduction in payroll deductions for the primary insured and not exceed the employee contribution amount. The change is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025.
The Personnel Special Committee on May 20 approved changes to Kalkaska Countys health insurance buyout policy that remove language excluding spouses of primary insured employees from receiving the $250 monthly buyout. The committee approved an MOU with county unions and voted to treat eligibility on an individual basis, regardless of where the spouses coverage is held.
Commissioner Jeff Sieting moved to approve the MOU and the policy change; Commissioner David Persons supported the motion. The committee also approved language specifying that when both spouses are covered under the same insurance plan any buyout to the spouse will take the form of reduced payroll deductions for the primary insured and shall not exceed the employee contribution amount. The committee made the policy change retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025 and directed payroll to implement the change in the payroll period after approval.
County Clerk Deborah Hill and Sheriff Whiteford said funds exist in their 2025 budgets to implement the change. The motion passed with no recorded opposition in the minutes.
