Union County gets $225,773 health plan refund, adds it to reserve account

Union County’s self-insured health plan sent $225,773 back to the county, and commissioners voted to keep the money in the Pennsylvania County Health Insurance Purchasing Cooperative reserve account instead of sending it elsewhere.

Finance Director Jeffrey McClintock told commissioners the refund came from claim surplus funds for the 2025 health plan year. Because the county is self-insured, McClintock said, it can receive money back when projected health-care costs end up higher than what was actually spent. The refund is not a windfall in the usual sense. It is evidence that the county’s health plan came in below the level officials had budgeted for when they set aside money for employee medical coverage.

That matters because employee health insurance remains one of the largest recurring costs in county government, and self-insured plans can swing sharply from year to year. By leaving the $225,773 in reserve, commissioners kept more flexibility to cover future health-care shortages if claims rise or medical costs spike. McClintock also said the refunded funds can be used for other county needs at the commissioners’ discretion, giving county leaders another financial tool if broader budget pressures tighten.

For taxpayers, the decision reflects a familiar tradeoff in local government budgeting: whether to treat a one-time surplus as immediate relief or as a buffer against the next cost increase. Union County chose the buffer. That approach does not erase the pressure that comes with providing coverage for county employees, but it does give officials a stronger position as they plan ahead for premium changes and other budget obligations that are less visible than road work or public safety, yet just as important to keeping county finances stable.