CoL employees can choose from 8 types of insurance coverage

Contracts with eight companies that provide various types of insurance for City of Lawton employees and some retirees were approved Tuesday night by the City Council.

The city has approximately 850 employees, according to Caitlin Gatlin, the city's communications manager.

The city will provide medical and ancillary products of vision, group life, accidental death and dismemberment, short-term and long-term disability, accident, critical illness, and MD Live (virtual) healthcare coverage through BlueCross BlueShield of Oklahoma.

Premium rates will increase by 10% from last year, and deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums will be higher this year, records indicate.

The coverage will go into effect July 1 for eligible city employees and retirees and will be financed through the City of Lawton Health Fund, officials said.

Dental insurance for city employees and retirees will continue to be provided by Delta Dental. FY 2026 rates will remain the same in FY 2027, Akard said.

LegalShield will provide legal and identity theft protection to eligible employees.

The rate for the group legal plan is $16.30 per month per employee for the family plan.

The rate for the $1 million group identity fraud plan is $14.05 per month per employee for the family plan, which covers the participant and his/her spouse/partner, dependent parents, and up to 10 dependent children under the age of 26. The rate for an individual will be $7.45/month.

If an employee enrolls in both the legal and identity theft plans, the rates are discounted to $12.05 per month per employee for the family, or $6.45/month for the individual.

The LegalShield coverage will be an employee's out-of-pocket expense.

MASA Medical Transport Solutions will provide medical transportation coverage. This, too, is an employee-paid benefit, said Craig Akard, the city's human resources director.

Primary Vision Care Services will offer coverage at rates of $10.75 per month for an employee only, $19.75 for an employee and one dependent, or $28/month for the employee, the spouse and one or more children.

"This is an employee-paid service utilizing payroll deduction," Akard wrote.

An employee assistance program (EAP) will be offered through Aetna starting July 1. The cost is increasing by 8 cents to $1.65 per employee per month, and will be financed via the city's Health and Wellness Fund.

"This program allows employees to utilize a broad network of EAP providers and staff clinicians," Akard said. Employees and their dependents will have around-the-clock access to an EAP call center, he said.

City of Lawton employees "sometimes experience stress-related issues, whether at work or home," Akard wrote. "This service provides the employee with an avenue to discuss issues and work through them," thereby "getting them back to work with a positive attitude and outlook, hence working more efficiently for our citizens."

Life insurance, term life, cancer and confinement indemnity insurance will be provided by Colonial Life via an employee-payroll deduction.

Nationwide will offer voluntary group pet insurance coverage that will reimburse members for a portion of eligible veterinary expenses related to accidents, injuries, and illnesses. The coverage starts July 1 and will be an employee-paid benefit.

Mike W. Ray is a fifth-generation, award-winning journalist who has more than 55 years' experience covering municipal, county, state and federal government in Oklahoma and Texas. He can be reached at mike.ray@swoknews.com.