Title
Human Resources Department recommending the Board take the following actions regarding Health Plan Programs and Ancillary Employee Benefit Programs for the 2025 Plan Year:
1) Approve the proposed 2025 Affordable Care Act compliant health plan rate card (Attachment A) based on the cost sharing of health premiums in the current Memoranda of Understanding with all bargaining units, the Salary and Benefits Resolution for unrepresented employees, and in accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; and
2) Grant Human Resources the authority to correct any minor clerical errors or adjustments, if necessary, to the approved health plan rate cards for the 2025 health benefits plan year, as needed.
FUNDING: Countywide cost, shared between the County Departments (General Fund and Non-General Fund) and employees.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Health Plans
On August 27, 2024 (Legistar file 23-1481), the Board of Supervisors adopted the 2025 health plan rate cards for active employees, outside agencies whose benefits are administered through the County, and Operating Engineers, Local 3 (OE3)’s Health Trust plans for their members in our Trades and Crafts (TC) and Corrections (CR) bargaining units.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had not yet announced the Affordable Care Act (ACA) “affordability limit”, and thus the ACA compliant health plan rate card was not available to be presented to the Board on that date. The ACA affordability limit is the maximum amount that an employee can be required to pay for their share of the premium for employee-only coverage in an employer-sponsored health plan. Because the Blue Shield PPO 2000 ABHP High plan is the County’s ACA compliant plan, the employee/employer share of premium rates for that plan could not be established until after the IRS announced the ACA affordability limit.
To be considered affordable under the ACA, an employee’s contribution for self-only coverage under the lowest plan cost option av...
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