The Hill County Commissioners Court heard a report from Anco Insurance about health insurance options for the coming year in a special session Tuesday, July 16.
The county recently requested proposals from health insurance providers ahead of the annual process of setting the county budget.
Anco assisted the county with the bidding process and reported that the county’s work to decrease its claims through efforts like telehealth options have made it attractive to the market.
The two best bids were from the county’s current provider, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), and a new provider, Curative.
BCBS proposed lowering the county’s rates 5% in the coming year based on its previous claims.
Curative came in with an offer about $100 less per employee than BCBS.
Anco reported on local companies that have switched to Curative with positive results and presented several benefits of the insurance.
Unlike the BCBS plan, the $5,000 deductible would be waived for employees who complete a Zoom screening. They would also not have out-of-pocket medication costs except for select specialty medications.
While the Curative network is not currently as large as BCBS, local providers are covered, and a prescription by mail option is available.
County Judge Justin Lewis said that the county would save around $700,000 over the next two years with the switch, and the plan would also be cheaper for employees.
The judge and Commissioner Scotty Hawkins both expressed interest in the Curative option, but Lewis said he wants to look into the new company more and speak with others in the county before the court makes a decision.
The judge asked Anco to provide a list of in-network providers to assist with the conversations.
At press time, the court was expected to vote on a plan during the regular meeting Tuesday, July 23.
The court voted on several general business matters during the special meeting. They included observing and recording the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) report for last fiscal year, approving a lease agreement with Xerox for copy machines at the sheriff’s office, observing and recording cybersecurity training completed by Treasurer Rachel Parker and approving employee payroll and holiday dates for the coming fiscal year.
A final plat for the Waddell Subdivision, located south of Highway 22 off of HCR 2128, was also approved.
While the court normally meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, meetings will be held more frequently in August and September as work ramps up on setting a budget for the fiscal year that begins in October.
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