SHELBYVILLE. The city's Employee Benefits Review Committee met Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 9 a.m. in Council Chambers to keep working on the employee health insurance renewal. Members did not make a recommendation yet. They plan to meet again Thursday, Nov. 5, at 10 a.m.

Representatives of the Tennessee Municipal League's health insurance program, which handles the city's employee plan, went over the latest numbers. Blue Cross Blue Shield's first renewal request was a 16.6% increase across all employee tiers. The team then brought in Cigna to compete, and the two carriers went back and forth. Blue Cross came back with what it called its best and final offer, 9%.

The city's gap coverage through Zurich did not take a rate increase, and a $5 per employee per month fee on that policy was dropped. With that, the total increase to keep the current plan with Blue Cross comes to about 7.46%.

Cigna offered to match the current plan and quoted about $102,000 a year less than Blue Cross. That figure doesn't count a one-time $50,000 credit Cigna offered on the first invoice. Cigna would also cover lab work and x-rays at 100% and offered an expanded prescription formulary.

Either carrier could give employees a choice of two plans. One keeps today's $1,000 out-of-pocket on major medical claims. The other raises that to $2,500 in exchange for smaller payroll deductions. Copays for doctor visits and other routine care would stay the same on both.

The team also presented a new dental plan that drops the missing-tooth exclusion on implants and has a $5,000 benefit option, plus vision coverage that allows new lenses and frames every 12 months instead of every 24.

Members said they liked giving employees the choice of the higher out-of-pocket plan. Some said switching carriers would bring growing pains so soon after last year's changes, and members asked whether local doctors take Cigna. They talked about asking employees to check whether their doctors are in Cigna's network before the next meeting, possibly through an anonymous survey.

At the Nov. 5 meeting, members expect to make recommendations on the carrier, the two-plan option and payroll deductions, so the item can go on City Council's November cycle.

The city streamed the meeting on its YouTube channel.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_dcPlVHwxA

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