Ohio County Commissioner Zach Abraham, left, and Administrator Randy Russell speak about negotiations for health insurance benefits for county employees.

WHEELING — Ohio County employees won’t be paying any more for their health insurance next year following action by county commissioners on Monday.

Commissioners met by phone Monday morning and approved two different options for employee health care coverages through Blue Cross/Blue Shield, said County Administrator Randy Russell. They will be able to select an individual or a family plan.

In past years, the employees could choose from among three plans from the provider, he said.

Russell explained that while overall deductibles are increasing significantly for the county, the county will fund the employees’ increase in the deductible through the county’s Health Reimbursement Account. The HRA funds a portion of an employee’s deductible to keep costs down.

“With the HRA, we are holding the employee contributions to the same levels as had in the current year,” he continued.

Commissioners had expected a 52% increase in health care costs — equaling about $2.1 million — for the 2025-2026 fiscal year after claims for the current fiscal year came in at a high loss ratio for the insurance company.

“The $2.1 million increase — we’re absorbing a great deal of that,” Russell said. “With revisions, we won’t have a $2.1 million increase. With the change in HRA and the deductible, the increase is going to be about $ 1.8 million.”

Ohio County employees have until June 30 — the end of the current fiscal year — to select a health benefits package for 2025-2026.

On top of an increase in health care premiums for next year, Ohio County also expects to lose about $2 million in property tax revenue. The Ohio County Assessor’s Office has set the total assessed property values for the county at $3,158,340,579 — down $475 million from this year.