Supervisors to vote on insurance premium bump Tuesday

BY CHUCK VANDENBERG

PCC EDITOR

MONTROSE - Lee County Supervisors will vote on increasing health insurance premiums in the county's self-funded insurance program at Tuesday's regular meeting.

County employees will be looking at $50 increases in both single and family premium plans, unless the employees participate in the county's wellness program. For employees who sign up for the wellness program administered by Health Solutions, LLC and complete a physical, an online health assessment, and a 30-minute consultation determining their risk level, the $50 increase will be waived and current insurance rates will apply.

The current structure, which expires on June 30, has county employees paying $20 per month for a single policy and $90 for a family. Deductibles on those plans are $750 per person and $1,500 for families.

The Lee County Sheriff's department rates are not exposed to the increase due to union negotiations and that rate is locked in at the $20 for single and $90 for family. Employees of the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) are also locked by union contract at a percentage, which in 2019 will amount to $19.60 for a single and $113.05 per month.

The county's portion of regular employees' insurance premiums is $960 for single coverage and $1,520 for a family with employees paying the $20/$90 premiums.

The health insurance premiums have been on the budget chopping block in Lee County budget strategy sessions for the past several years. Supervisor Matt Pflug has repeatedly hinted that at some point this board or future boards were going to have to raise the employee contributions.

At a meeting in April the board approved moving the county's part of the self-insurance plan deductibles from $2,250 to $5,000, increasing the county's share of the deductible to $4,250 per employee and $3,500 per family, before the county's Wellmark plan kicks in.

"I think that this board, or any future board, will eventually have to make a decision that this will have to be increased," Pflug said in the April meeting.

"I think we should continue it if we can do that. However you have to be realistic here, too. You go other places, a family plan is $400 or $500 a month."

Last week Justin Pieper of Group Benefit Partners told supervisors, either way, increasing the insurance rates by $50 or getting more employees involved in the wellness plan, the county would save money in the long run.

Also on Tuesday's agenda, the board:

- will conduct a public hearing and consider vacating roads and alleyways in New Boston.

- will review bids and consider replacing culverts on 130th Street and 310th Street.