By Eamon Baird
TROY — The Miami County Commissioners approved 2025 with the County Employment Benefit Consortium of Ohio (CEBCO) at their meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 8.
The health insurance rates are broken down into the following plans and enrollment tiers:
High deductible health plan (HDHP) monthly rates: employee $100.16; employee and child $179.94; employee and spouse $220.58; and family $300.40.
Preferred provider organization (PPO) plan monthly rates: employee $188.46; employee and child $338.52; employee and spouse $415.16; and family $565.12.
Human Resources Director Angela Lewis spoke to the commissioners at the meeting.
“I’m incredibly pleased to stand here today with this type of renewal to the employees. So, this reflects a 4.1% increase to our health insurance cost,” Lewis said, adding that county share is 85% for the HDHP plan and 75% for the PPO plan.
In a statement issued to the Miami Valley Today, the commissioners indicated initial indications for 2025 health insurance premiums reflected an increase from 15-18%. However, plan performance in the final quarter positively impacted the county’s increase by 4.1%, below the expected national increase of 5-9%.
“We were pleased to renew our partnership with CEBCO as our experience with them has been outstanding. We have reduced the financial risk to the county through our participation in this consortium while providing a solid and affordable benefits package to our employees,” said Commissioners Greg Simmons, Wade Westfall and Ted Mercer.
“The 4.1% renewal increase is outstanding given what the preliminary indications told us. We realize the rising cost of healthcare is a challenge for all families and employers and we were pleased to present another better-than-average premium increase.”
The commissioners also adopted health savings accounts (HSA) guidelines. Quarterly deposits will be made on the 10th day of each quarter, or the next business day if the 10th falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday.
To be eligible for a quarterly deposit an employee must be an active employee on the first day of the month of the quarter and have an HAS contract open with Park National Bank. The quarterly deposit amounts for a single policy will have an annual deposit of $1,000 or a family deposit of $2,000.
In related business, the commissioners adopted or approved the following resolutions regarding insurance for 2025:
• A contract renewal for 2025 dental plans through Principal, of Des Moines, Iowa, for plan A (low) and plan B (high) rates. The monthly plan A rates are as follows: employee $13.80; employee and child $28.60; employee and spouse $25.59; and family $47.20. The monthly plan B rates are as follows: employee $21.45; employee and child $44.84; employee and spouse $40.57; and family $74.32.
• A renewal agreement for vision care service plans to provide employees with vision-related services through a voluntary plan. The vision plans include a plan A (low) and plan B (high) option. The plan A option rates are as follows: employee $8.40; employee plus one $16.84; and family $25.51. The plan B option rates are as follows: employee $11.56; employee plus one $23.16; and family $35.15.
• The renewal of the AFLAC voluntary insurance policy, with the premiums to remain the same as 2024 premiums.
• To increase the county-paid basic life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance from $20,000 to $50,000 for all county employees. The rate for AD&D coverage is $.02 per $1,000 of coverage elected, and the rate of life insurance is $.09 per $1,000 in coverage. County employees can purchase additional life insurance for themselves and their spouses in addition to their county-paid policy.
