Jamestown City Council Waves Goodbye to Old Health Insurance Carrier: What This Change Means for Residents

Jamestown’s City Council recently made an important decision. They switched the city’s health insurance provider to the Sanford Health Plan. This change was approved during a special meeting on June 24.

The previous plan was with Blue Cross Blue Shield. Staying with them would have cost the city an extra $166,000 each year—an increase of 11%. In contrast, the switch to Sanford will only add about $700 annually, which is just 0.05%. Natasha Harr, the city’s benefit broker, mentioned that Sanford offers a cap guarantee of 10.9% for the second year. This means the city’s costs will likely stay lower compared to Blue Cross Blue Shield.

City employees now have options. They can choose the traditional Sanford 90-500 plan, which has a $500 deductible, or the high-deductible Sanford 100-5,000 plan, with a $5,000 deductible and a health savings account.

For the 90-500 plan, the city will cover about $900 a month for single plans. For those with dependents, it’s around $1,224 monthly, and families will cost about $1,477. Interestingly, employees with a single plan won’t pay anything for their health insurance. However, those with dependents will chip in about $397, and families will contribute roughly $865.

In the 100-5,000 high-deductible plan, city costs are a bit lower—about $767 monthly for single coverage. The amount is the same for those with dependents and families as in the 90-500 plan. Each employee will see $1,020 contributed each year to their health savings account. Employees’ contributions are also more manageable, at around $156 for dependents and about $517 for families.

This switch reflects a larger trend in health insurance, where many organizations are moving towards high-deductible plans to control costs. According to a recent survey, 42% of employers are now adopting these models, showing a significant shift in how health care is approached.

Overall, this transition aims to provide more affordable options for employees while also keeping future costs in check for the city. As health care constantly evolves, it will be interesting to see how these changes impact employees and their families.

Source link

Government,Jamestown City Council,Jamestown, north dakota,stutsman county, north dakota