County reviews Mako health-plan renewal; commissioners approve employer contribution changes

Prairie County commissioners reviewed Mako Healthcare Trust27s renewal and plan options during the Feb. 27 meeting. Pam Walling summarized the renewal: employees are currently paying roughly 12% of costs while the pool covers the remainder; the renewal rate was a 5% increase this year, down from nearly 9.8% the prior year.

Commissioners discussed plan configurations and contribution amounts presented in the staff packet. After discussion, one commissioner moved to accept changes Pam suggested and set the county contribution at $1,087; the motion was seconded and passed by unanimous voice vote. Commissioners discussed hours thresholds that affect eligibility and whether to grandfather existing employees if the county changed the minimum-hours requirement for benefits (discussion focused on whether to move the eligibility threshold from 24 to 30 hours and how to treat incumbents). Staff said they would follow up and clarify how any changes would affect current employees and payroll reporting.

The meeting record shows the county will communicate plan choices and contribution levels to employees and file any administrative changes required by the insurance carrier.