Commission approves employee health insurance rates

The Hill County Commission voted at its weekly business meeting Thursday to absorb part of the costs of recent health insurance premium increases for its employees and eliminated one of its offered plans in a vote.

Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson said the county currently contributes $1,411 per month to employee health insurance plans, but premiums have risen in the past year and in order to cover that increase the county would need to to raise its contribution to $1,572, which would be a substantial cost to the county and its taxpayers.

Peterson said the commission has decided to raise...