Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Employee Insurance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cleveland County budget board recommends switching employee coverage to OPEH&W starting Jan. 1, 2026
Summary
The Budget Board voted Sept. 29 to recommend the Board of County Commissioners adopt two custom OPEH&W plans (using Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO) with an initial 18-month term beginning Jan. 1, 2026; the motion carried despite the chairman's dissent.
The Cleveland County Budget Board voted on Sept. 29 to recommend the Board of County Commissioners adopt health, dental, vision and group life insurance plans through the OPEH&W pooled trust, with coverage to begin Jan. 1, 2026 under an initial 18-month term through June 30, 2027. Commissioner Rod Cleveland moved "to recommend to the BOCC to go with OPEH&W as their health care provider for Health, Dental, Vision and Group Life Insurance to take effect January 1, 2026." Marilyn Williams seconded the motion; the board carried it with one dissent.
The Employee Benefits Committee presented two custom OPEH&W plans intended to match the county's current benefits and allow a smooth transition. The plans were described as between the Health Choice High and Health Choice Basic offerings, built around a $750 deductible and enhanced benefits; the plans would use the Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO network for broader nationwide coverage. Officials said that OPEH&W will operate on an adjusted fiscal cycle for the county, with the first term running 18 months to align with the trust's July–June cycle, and future enrollment moving to the trust's normal March enrollment for July coverage.
Board discussion focused on retiree coverage and rate stability. Commissioner Cleveland said retirees would remain covered through OPEH&W and that OPEH&W offers Medicare supplement options for those 65 and older; he noted retirees who move onto OPEH&W would not be eligible to return to the state HealthChoice plan. The board heard that OPEH&W historically produced modest, inflation-based rate increases (reported around 4.5% annually), with HealthChoice projecting roughly 3.5%–4% increases; because OPEH&W's base premiums are currently lower than HealthChoice's, the county expects net premium savings. Chairman Jacob McHughes registered concern about the theoretical risk of cancellation and the difficulty of flipping back and forth between plans.
Action: the board's recommendation will be forwarded to the Cleveland County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) for final adoption.
