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Health insurance costs spike; HR to review plan design and consult unions
Summary
Staff told commissioners market projections for health insurance rose sharply from the 3% assumption used in the budget to roughly 13.9%; Interim HR Director Sarah Allen said HR will analyze plan design options and meet union representatives before bringing recommendations to the September finance committee.
Staff alerted the board that since the budget presentation the projected health insurance increase had jumped well above the 3% assumption used in the dashboard. Sarah Allen, the interim HR director, told commissioners HR is evaluating plan design options such as deductibles and coinsurance and will follow contract requirements to meet with union representatives before bringing proposals to the finance committee.
"We are working in human resources to look at our plan design options," Sarah Allen said, and added that HR's next steps include meeting with unions and returning a set of options for the board's finance committee. Staff cautioned that although the county participates in a pooled insurance program that has historically limited volatility, the broader market increase means the county will see a larger premium jump than assumed in the draft budget.
