Commissioners hear information about NACO insurance program

​YORK – It’s that time of year again when the York County Commissioners consider a new employee health insurance program for the next calendar year.

​Employee health insurance is one of the single largest expenditures for the county, as $1.25 million has been budgeted for this next year alone.
The commissioners met this past week with Mike Boden and Judd Allen from the Nebraska Association of County Officials, as the two talked about NACO’s benefit services.
“We are an organization to support counties,” Boden said. “We have run a health insurance pool since 1980.”
York County has not been one of the counties in the NACO pool.
Boden said the carriers they work with are United Healthcare, Aetna, Medica and Blue Cross Direct. “But we can also bid other carriers as well.”
“We also bundle life, disability, etc.,” he explained. “We act kind of like a broker, except we don’t make any more money if we sell something.”
“If you need assistance, you can give us a call,” Allen added.
Boden said there are about 5,000 members in the NACO pool, “which helps stabilize the costs. It’s worked well for a lot of counties. The pool can provide some security.” He said they currently work with 59 counties in Nebraska, ranging in size as far as the number of employees in each.
York County Commissioner Chairman Randy Obermier noted how the county has been “working well with a local agent but there is no problem in getting another bid.”
The NACO representatives said they will provide further information.