The finance committee is recommending the full Trenton City Council accept a smaller than expected increase in cost of insurance in employee health insurance for next year.
Five members of the city council, plus the mayor, city administrator, city clerk, and department heads met last night with a consultant working on behalf of Missouri Intergovernmental Risk Management Association (MIRMA ) which is comprised of 79 municipalities, including Trenton, that joined together to insure their employees.
David Hickman of Kansas City, Chief Executive of the Health Insurance Cooperative Agency, presented the renewal that amounts to a two percent increase. Finance Committee Chairman Travis Elbert, Administrator Ron Urton, and City Clerk Cindy Simpson all remarked that the increase was much lower than expected.
Brad Chumbley made a motion for the city and TMU to continue to pay 100% of employee health insurance premiums while passing on corresponding increases for dependents that include spouse, children, and family coverage.
The proposed new health insurance premium, paid by the city and TMU, is at $632.00 per month, $12.00 increase when compared to this year which is an increase of $144.00 per employee for the year. With 69 employees, the total amount of the increase is $9,936.00, a cost to be divided between the city and TMU.
Hickman told the committee the health insurance plan is the same as this year’s plan which offers a $2,500 deductible per individual and $5,000 for family coverage.
The City Council is expected to vote on the health insurance renewal Monday night.
