Clark County commissioners are considering plans that could raise employee health insurance premiums next year, but the increases could be erased or reduced for those who participate in a wellness program.

Commissioners John Detrick, Rick Lohnes and David Hartley mulled five potential plans Tuesday and have narrowed their focus to two that could increase premiums as much as 8 percent.

On one plan, premiums could increase to 5 percent or $70.16 per month for basic coverage on the family plan and up to 8 percent or $118.91 per month for the most expensive option. The plan comes with a wellness rebate program that, if used, allows participants premiums in the basic plan to return to the county’s current plan, which pays 100 percent of the premiums.

This proposed plan, which is supported by Hartley, will cost the county is about $52,000 less than the county paid for health insurance last year.

Hartley said he supports the plan because of the savings and because it provides an incentive for employees to participate in a wellness program that prompts employees to lead healthier lives and lower claims.

“It can get people to participate in the wellness program. If we adopt something else, we’re going to have lower participation,” Hartley said.

On the other plan, the premiums would increase up to 5 percent on the basic plan or between 4 and 8 percent on the more expensive plan at costs similar to the plan that Hartley supports.

But the wellness credit would decrease from $70.16 to $56.13 and employees would pay $14.03 per month for the basic family plan.

Lohnes said he supports this plan because the county would spend about $105,000 less for health insurance than last year because employees would contribute more toward their health care.

“Everybody would pay something for health care, and there is an incentive to participate in wellness,” Lohnes said. “It’s hard to explain to everyone else in the county who are paying (much more) for their health insurance that their tax money is going to provide free health insurance.”

Detrick has not made a decision on the two plans.

Clark County employees are covered by the County Employee Benefits Consortium of Ohio (CEBCO), which was formed by the County Commissioners Association of Ohio. About 25 counties, including Clark County, are covered by CEBCO.

If Clark County commissioners agree to the proposed plan with CEBCO, their overall health insurance rate could increase about 0.9 or 0.7 percent next year, compared to the national average of about 10 percent, Administrator Nathan Kennedy said.

Kennedy said the premiums for the two plans commissioners are considering are about the same. The biggest difference, Kennedy said, is how much of a credit employees will get for participating in the wellness program.

The county currently has 748 employees, and of those 412 use the wellness program.

While Hartley says fewer employees will participate in the wellness program if wellness credit is reduced, Lohnes does not agree.

“That’s his personal opinion,” Lohnes said.