County health plan tracking below market trend, consultant says; pharmacy and specialty drug costs rise

At a midyear briefing, the county’s human resources director and benefits consultant reported that the county’s group health plan was performing better than the market amid national medical inflation pressures.

Key takeaways
- Claims and trend: The plan’s year‑to‑date claims costs were reported up about 2%, with per‑member claims up about 0.9% — well below typical market trend lines.
- Pharmacy and specialty drugs: Pharmacy costs were noted to be rising, with specialty drugs (oncology, autoimmune biologics) and GLP‑1 medications identified as notable drivers of pharmacy inflation. Consultants said much of the high‑cost specialty pharmacy is managed through reinsurance for catastrophic cases.
- Plan design and benchmarking: The county offers a traditional PPO with copays and an HDHP/HSA option introduced in 2025. Consultants said Florida tends to run slightly higher than national averages due to Medicare/private payer dynamics; but Citrus County’s plan is currently outperforming regional averages.

What’s next
The consultant said initial renewal projections looked better than medical‑inflation benchmarks and that the plan was in a sound position heading into the renewal season, though pharmacy trends will be monitored closely.

Source: Presentation by Jessica Flynn, HR director, and Shawn Fleming of The Garing Group at the Citrus County BOCC meeting on April 28.