County gets better news on insurance cost

Boone County Commissioners received much better news this week about the county’s health insurance costs.
The rate of increase this year will be 3.98 percent for the county’s Blue Cross/ Blue Shield insurance package, down considerably from last year’s 17.14 percent.
“It’s much better this year,” said Judd Allen, coordinator of health insurance plans with the Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO). He said the average increase in NACO BC/BS plans has been 4.98 percent per year over the past 10 years.
Commissioners struggled last year with budgeting for the double digit health insurance premium costs, as well as wage increases due to inflation. Boone County currently offers a $1,600 deductible PPO plan and is one of only a handful of Nebraska coun­ties that pays full premium cost for health insurance.
Commissioners will consider any changes in the deductible amounts at their meeting next Monday, May 15, at 10 a.m.