Colfax switches to Liberty Mutual health insurance at an annual cost of $102,248
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The Colfax Village Board has approved switching from Health Traditions for employee health insurance to Liberty Mutual an annual cost to the village of $102,248, resulting in a savings of about $5,000.
The village pays 90 percent of the health insurance premiums for employees, and the employees pay 10 percent, noted Lynn Niggemann, village administrator-clerk-treasurer, at the Colfax Village Board’s November 28 meeting.
The total annual premium, including the village’s share and the employees’ share, will be $113,609, or $9,467 monthly, according to information provided in the village board packet.
The village also purchased a “gap” policy last year that applies after employees have paid 30 percent of the deductible.
The deductible for Liberty Mutual is $6,000 for a single employee and $12,000 for a family, with a maximum out-of-pocket of $7,000 for a single employee and $14,000 for a family.
With the gap policy, the maximum out-of-pocket for a single employee is $2,000, and $2,500 for a family.
The cost for the gap policy is $1,105 annually.
Niggemann also received a quote from All State Insurance, which would cost the village $104,623 annually or $116,248 total, representing a monthly premium of $13,266.
The All State Insurance has a deductible of $3,500 for a single employee or $7,000 for a family with a maximum out-of-pocket of $7,500 or $15,000.
The All State gap policy applies when the employee has paid 50 percent of the deductible for a maximum out-of-pocket of $3,000 or $6,500.
Village Trustee Carey Davis asked about the effect of switching insurance companies on the doctors that the employees currently are seeing.
Several years ago, when there was going to be a 24 to 26 percent increase in health insurance premiums and the village switched to Health Traditions, only one employee was required to see new doctors, Niggemann said.
Both Liberty Mutual and All State have a broad network for healthcare, so none of the employees will have to change doctors, she said.
Davis noted that for him, personally, having to switch doctors would be a “huge disadvantage.”
Health Traditions charges premiums based upon the employee’s age and the employee’s spouse’s age and for the family based on age, Niggemann said.
With Liberty Mutual, the cost of the premiums will be the same for all employees and for all families, she said.
The Colfax Village Board
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unanimously approved switching to Liberty Mutual for employee health insurance.
Voting in favor of the motion were Jody Albricht, village president, and village trustees Margaret Burcham, Carey Davis, Anne Jenson, Jeff Prince, Jen Rud and Gary Stene. .
Dental and life
The Colfax Village Board also approved a policy with Companion Life for dental and health insurance at an annual cost of $8,641.
The village buys a life insurance policy of $25,000 per employee, Niggemann said.
According to information Niggemann provided to the village board, the premium for life insurance is $8.25 per month per employee for a total annual cost of $792, or $66 monthly.
The annual cost for the dental health insurance is $7,849.
Other business
In other business, the Colfax Village Board:
• Approved blood-borne pathogens and hazard communication and control training in Boyceville on November 29 for public works employee Brett Sajdera.
• Approved a temporary Class “B”/ “Class B” retailers license for Colfantastic Events “Christmas in the Village” on Saturday, December 3, from noon to 7 p.m.
• Approved a bartender operator’s license for Scott Shelley from November 28 to June 30, 2023, for Express Mart.
• Approved a contract with Barbara Zempel, the village’s assessor, at a cost of $900 per month. The cost is the same as last year, Niggemann said.
• Discussed the preliminary budget for 2023 of about $1.3 million, spending approximately two hours going over the preliminary budget line by line.
• Received a reminder that the village board’s public hearing on the 2023 budget is set for December 8 at 7 p.m.
• Scheduled a budget review meeting on December 5 at 8 p.m., which will follow a personnel meeting that is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
• Received a reminder that the Joint Review Board for the village’s tax increment finance districts is scheduled for December 12 at 6 p.m.