Ignacio Town Treasurer Diana Briar told town trustees on Oct. 5, “We shopped insurance to try to get better rates. Our renewal is up 15 percent with higher co-pays. We are part of a pool that had some very high claims this year. … Everything we’ve gotten is about $400 higher (per employee per month) than this plan.” That’s for employee-only coverage, she told the Times.

The highest quote was around $1,900 from Anthem-Blue Cross, “for similar to what we had before they raised our co-pays,” Briar said.

Current coverage is through United Health Care, she said. The town will be paying $563 a month per employee, up from $487 for individual coverage, but quotes from other providers were more like $900 a month per employee, she said.

The town currently pays $650, with $550 for the primary insurance and dental, vision, and life insurance; plus $100 for supplemental coverage, Briar explained. If the 2017 amount is approved by trustees, it will be $700, including the $100 for the supplemental.

Briar said the town will pay $800 for employees with dependents, and they can use $100 of that for supplemental insurance or put it toward the family coverage cost; but their out-of-pocket costs will go up. Co-pays will double.

Trustee Tom Atencio wanted to know what employees think about the increases.

Development Director Dan Naiman said, “I’m having trouble finding words. This whole thing has been a scam. The $750 from the town, I’m still paying $250 to cover my wife. We can’t afford to use it because of the deductibles.”

Public Works Director Jeremy Schultz said his current plan deductible is $4,000.

Briar said co-pays don’t count toward the deductible.

Trustee Dixie Melton, who operates a primary care clinic in Ignacio, said, “Every day in my business, I hear the same story. For your co-pays to be cheaper, you have to have a higher deductible.”

Enrollments for 2017 have to be done by Nov. 1, Briar said.

Town Manager Mark Garcia said the town created a health reimbursement account last year with $10,000. “We didn’t exceed that. We need to build that up in case there are multiple claims.”

Briar said the deductible is $3,000 for an individual, $6,000 with a spouse. The reimbursement account covers $2,000 of the employee’s deductible after the employee has paid $1,000. So Schultz’s $4,000 deductible includes his wife, Briar said.

Bayfield Town Manager Chris La May told town trustees on Oct. 4 that the draft 2017 budget had a 10 percent increase, but, “The figures came in today, and they are well over 10 percent.” As in 50 percent increase. La May said Bayfield currently pays $20,000 a month for all employees. It’s going up to $30,000 a month with higher co-pays and deductibles. Town staff will meet with the town’s insurance agent to see if there are other options.