By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

City of Hays employees will have three Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) health plans to choose from in 2017.

City commissioners unanimously approved the recommendation from Director of Human Resources Erin Giebler and the Wage and Benefit Committee during Thursday night’s city commission meeting.

The city will pay up to $1,719,500 for the insurance and another one-time $150,000 towards employees’ Health Savings Accounts, both out of the Employee Benefit Levy Fund.

Commissioners praised Giebler and consultant Julie Yarmer, Freedom Claims Management, for wading through 26 plans to help keep premium increases as low as possible. The BCBS plan, with High Deductible, Base and Premium options, keeps the premium increases in the single digits.

Giebler, in turn, thanked the Committee and city employees. “They’re the ones willing to change plans when need be,” Giebler said. “How many places ask for a high deductible plan? That just shows they’re knowledgeable and understand where we are financially and  what might work best to control costs in the future.”

In 2010, the city commission set a $9,500 average per employee cap on health insurance. Since then, the Wage and Benefit Committee has been tasked with finding the best insurance within the provided budget.

“In hopes of bringing the employees on board and letting them know the factors we’re dealing with–budgetary constraints, what the market’s doing, what’s happening in peer entities–and then getting  input, participation and feedback from the Wage and Benefit Committee, it’s been great,” said City Manager Toby Dougherty.

The Wage and Benefit Committee represents management, clerical, administrative and employee unions within the city of Hays.