County Faces Sharp Health Insurance Hike
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COFFEEVILLE – Health insurance costs for Yalobusha County employees will rise sharply in 2026, supervisors learned Monday, with the premium jumping 56 percent to $977.02 per employee per month.
Information presented at the Nov. 24 meeting at the Coffeeville courthouse attributed the increase largely to a 195 percent loss ratio for the past year, meaning the county’s plan paid out $1.95 in claims for every dollar in premiums collected.
The increase pushes the monthly premium from 627.07 per month to $977.02, an overall increase of $260,362.80 to $726,902.88 that will be paid in 2026. The county provides health insurance for 62 employees, a Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan combined with a secondary gap plan described as a 100 percent plan with a $500 deductible, making employees only responsible for $500 in a calendar year.
Supervisors were also told during Monday’s meeting that inflation in healthcare services contributed to the higher renewal. Additionally, participation in the county’s preventive care program was low—only 11 of 62 employees completed their free annual physical—which insurance officials emphasized as one of the most effective tools for managing long-term costs.
Supervisors received quotes from other plans but none offered meaningful savings. The county has used Blue Cross/Blue Shield as its primary insurer since 2014.
“They have researched it, they have looked at other plans—even going up on the deductibles, we weren’t going to see significant savings,” Washington said. “One of the nicer benefits we provide for our employees is health insurance.”
