Franklin County employees will dig deeper into their paychecks for health coverage starting Jan. 1, 2027, after the fiscal court voted 6-1 on Nov. 4 to raise what workers pay toward their insurance plans. The lone no vote came from Sixth District Magistrate Eric Whisman, who argued the change upends a policy that has been in place since county employees were hired.
What the New Numbers Look Like
Monthly employee contributions will vary by coverage tier. Under the schedule reported by State-Journal, family coverage rises from $505.57 to $755.57, employee-plus-spouse coverage from $342.13 to $517.13, and employee-plus-children coverage from $324.62 to $449.62. Workers with single coverage, who currently pay $0, will pay $40 a month. WKYT reported that the overall increases range from $104 to $250 per month, depending on the plan, and described the change as a 47% rise in employees’ out-of-pocket costs.
Franklin County Human Resources Director Frances Short said the plans themselves haven't changed. “The benefits provided by the plans are identical; we have not increased deductibles or co-pays,” she said, per the same account. The county's total annual insurance bill now stands at roughly $1,767,014, the outlet reported.
County Leaders Point to Prescription Costs, Limited Options
Franklin County Judge-Executive Michael Mueller said Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield was the only company willing to insure the county this cycle, and that prescription costs drove the rate increase. He told the fiscal court the county can no longer afford to cover all costs for single plans and warned that the county cannot keep absorbing fees without potentially cutting community services.
Mueller said the changes were discussed at a public committee meeting on Oct. 29, days before the vote. The delay traced back to the insurer: Short said the county received its rates on Oct. 23 because it is a first-year renewal client with Anthem, and that regular clients are worked with first. She added that the late timing made it difficult for employees with spouses on the state health plan to compare their options before the vote.
How State Coverage Is Structured
The Kentucky Personnel Cabinet benefits schedule describes a separate arrangement for state employees: the state pays a fixed amount toward health insurance, and employees pay the remainder based on their selected plan and coverage level. That information describes how contributions are structured; it does not establish how state premiums or employee contributions changed between 2026 and 2027, or whether state and county coverage benefits are the same.
Dissent From the Dais and the Clerk's Office
Whisman questioned why more employees weren't brought into the process before the Nov. 4 vote and said the timing — at the start of the year and during the holiday season — is especially difficult for workers. He warned the increases could push county employees to look for jobs elsewhere, and called on legislators and elected officials to act to lower rates and address what he described as the national health care crisis.
Franklin County Clerk Jeff Hancock also pushed back before the vote, telling the court that employees had already built their 2027 budgets around the old rates. “Please consider other options and solutions considering people have already budgeted for what they plan on doing for 2027,” Hancock said. Employees had already voiced frustration with the increase at a fiscal court work session on Nov. 4, the day of the vote.
A Committee, and a Pattern Beyond Franklin County
Mueller said he wants to form a committee in the new year with one employee from every department to work with county staff on possible solutions. The county had already moved once this year to soften the blow: Franklin County Fiscal Court voted Oct. 15 to switch employee medical coverage from UnitedHealthcare to Anthem for 2026, according to citizenportal.ai, with the county planning to raise its own contribution by roughly $230,000 to limit employee payroll deductions and preserve coverage options.
Public-sector employees’ out-of-pocket health costs have also been examined in a STAT report. In Missouri, the Cole County Commission likewise voted to raise health insurance premiums for its employees starting Jan. 1, per KBIA.
