County's insurance coverage costs will decrease

The Franklin County Board of Supervisors got some end-of-year good news in regards to its insurance coverage premiums for 60 employees during the panel’s Monday, Dec. 18 business meeting.
Insurance representative Bill Morris with the Acuity Group noted the county will likely see a 10 percent reduction in its coverage costs effective in March.

“I think this is three years in a row (that premiums have gone down),” Morris said. “We’ve gotten our bad claims off, so everything’s coming back down. And I think y’all are hiring some younger people, so that helps things, too.”

Those savings to the county could translate to $4,100 per month if the employee census stays the same.

Morris also pointed out deductible expenses had started out at $1,500 several years ago and were raised considerably thereafter due to spiraling healthcare costs.

He suggested if the county continues to see substantial savings on its coverage, local officials might want to consider backing down some of those out-of-pocket expenses for employees.
“Remember, the deductible only applies if you go to the hospital or emergency room or if you have an outpatient procedure done,” Morris said. “Raising that has helped our claims, so keep that in mind.”

He noted county employees are also presently eligible for life insurance coverage with those costs set to remain unchanged.

“The life insurance is priced at 51.515 cents per $1,000 of coverage,” Morris went on to say. “It will be the same cost to the county for life insurance as it has been.

“We also offer some voluntary life insurance, which is based on age, and increases for those employees as their ages go up. There’s no cost for the voluntary life to the county.

Morris reminded supervisors that the county provides dental insurance, but the cost for this benefit will increase slightly — an estimated $1.29 more per employee.

Additionally, employee vision insurance coverage will not see an increase in the year to come.

Morris said the county’s insurance, which is underwritten by a single entity — The Principal, makes the billing easier.

“So it all comes down to a decrease on the medical, a little increase on the dental and a rate hold on the life and the vision,” he added. “And it’s important to note there will be no changes in any of the benefits.”

Supervisors unanimously voted to accept the coverage proposal as submitted, which will allow for open enrollment of employees during January.
On other matters considered during the meeting, the Franklin County Board of Supervisors:

• Heard from county engineer Mike McKenzie, who asked them to send him a list of any roads that saw damage after rain events on Wednesday, Dec. 14.

• Gave McKenzie approval to sign a permit application for Franklin Telephone Co., to bury telecommunications cable along or across Whiteapple Road.

• Adopted an order approving the annual update to general and professional services agreements with WGK Engineers and Surveyors — the county’s engineering firm of record — for 2023.

• Authorized payment for engineering services — reimbursable through the state — to WGK for work on Oak Grove Road ($10,491.29); Bonus and Bonds roads ($11,962.59); and Providence Road ($17,744.99).

• Signed documentation for subcontract work that has been completed on Burt Jordan Road — Warren and Warren Asphalt Paving totaling $38,608 and Lane Line LLC (road striping) for $8.540.

• Approved payment of $175 to FBBInsurance for a $50,000 bond for Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Taylor McMinn.

• Received the Office of State Aid Road Construction’s annual maintenance report, which stated those roads had been generally designated as “good.”

The report went on to specify the shoulders on several state aid roads were in need of attention, and that brick and hazardous mailboxes must be removed.

• Approved the payment of $250 to Mississippi Mortuary Services for picking up a body in Franklin County and taking it to MMS, and from there to the state crime lab, at $125 per trip.

• Authorized payment for $4,500 in annual fees — up from $2,500 — to constables involving cases that were failed to be prosecuted per legislative action (House Bill 719) that took effect on July 1.
• Voted to reappoint Franklin County resident Barry Tyson to serve as a trustee for Copiah-Lincoln Community College, as his term was set to expire on Dec. 31.

• Paid for membership in MACCA — the Mississippi Association County Comptrollers and Administrators — for Circuit Clerk Jill Jordan Gilbert and Comptroller Tonya Blackwell in the amount of $75 per person.

• Authorized the payment of $516 to ARCCO for servicing the generator located behind the Mississippi State University Extension Office building in September.

The supervisors’ next meeting will be held at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 3 at the Franklin County Courthouse in Meadville.