News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam County will pay about nine percent more for employee health, dental and vision insurance.
Mayor Randy Porter said that’s better than where the county started. Before bidding out the insurance, the current provider showed a 20-23 percent increase in premiums. The increase would not change an employee’s plan.
“Compared to all the private businesses I talked to we didn’t have an increase last year, so having a little less than 9 percent increase in two years is pretty good,” Porter said.
The nine percent increase would add roughly $450,000 in expense to the county budget.
Porter said another option would be the county becoming self-insured for the first time. Porter said in the past, that option did not make sense.
“There may be a possibility that we’ll be coming back to you next month to look and show you what it would be like if we were self-insured, with a possibility of saving some money and not being at any more risk than what we are,” Porter said.
In addition to comparing private companies, Porter said he examined whether going to the state’s Blue Cross plan would make economic sense.
“We’ve also compared what it would look like to go to the state Blue Cross plan, and it’s still cheaper than doing that,” said Porter.
Commissioners approved the change in companies. Porter said he would come back in May if the self-insurance model makes sense to examine.
