Pike County facing year-end employee healthcare lapse

PITTSFIELD — Pike County employee healthcare coverage will lapse at year's end after HOPE Trust's executive board voted to involuntarily terminate the county’s membership, triggering a benefit crisis for the county workforce.

The involuntary ouster gives the board a short window in which to secure 2027 health insurance for employees and their families. The county board has launched a bid process for a health insurance provider.

The insurance trust severed ties with Pike County under Section 6(b) of its intergovernmental agreement, citing conduct determined to be inconsistent with the principles of intergovernmental cooperation. The termination letter outlines what the trust described as a pattern of interference with state legislative efforts, statements regarding its governance and actions concerning employee benefit options.

The current crisis traces back to an Oct. 2 email exchange between HOPE Trust general counsel Jason Boothe and Pike County insurance chairman Derek Ross. In the messages, Boothe threatened the county with involuntary termination, accusing Ross of using his spouse, a registered state lobbyist in Springfield, to work against state legislative efforts supported by the insurance pool.

Ross forwarded Boothe’s email to his spouse, writing back to the trust's legal counsel: "I have spoken to the chairman and forwarded your demands on to my spouse."

Ross also pushed back against the allegations, saying any communication with state lawmakers regarding the insurance trust fell under protected citizen rights. Ross referenced state statute 25 ILCS 170/9: "Nothing in this act shall be construed to infringe in any way the right of a citizen to lawfully petition a member of the General Assembly or any other public official as guaranteed in the Constitution of the State of Illinois."

"The continued narrative implying that my wife was working in her professional capacity rather than as a citizen of Pike County is categorically false," Ross said. "Any further suggestion to the contrary will be dealt with accordingly."

Ross added that he has had numerous questions about HOPE Trust over the years and his Sept. 30 emails to the trust sought clarification on issues but, instead of answers, he received Boothe's Oct. 2 termination warning.

"I forwarded the email to my wife because she was directly referenced in his email," Ross said.

The dispute spilled into county board meetings throughout October, while county employees' annual health insurance open enrollment period began Oct. 1.

County Board Chair Reta Hoskin attempted during an Oct. 7 meeting to pass a motion seeking outside insurance bids in light of HOPE Trust's involuntary termination threat. The motion failed for lack of a second. Boothe attended that meeting to explain the trust's position that the county needed to pay 50% toward the health reimbursement plan to keep HOPE Trust.

A week later, on Oct. 14 — 14 days into the employee enrollment window — the board voted to reject HOPE Trust's requirement that the county pay 50% toward the reimbursement plan.

Hoskin cast the tie-breaking "no" vote, backed by votes from board members Ross, Joey Cobb and Lance Kendrick. The "yes" votes came from Jim Sheppard, Andy Borrowman and Don Foster. The board then passed a motion to seek outside bids.

The board’s defiance fractured on Oct. 26. According to County Clerk Natalie Roseberry, the county's labor counsel expressed concerns about dealing with two collective bargaining units with a third awaiting negotiations. The board then voted to reverse its decision on contributing 50% toward the health reimbursement plan. But, on Nov. 2, the HOPE Trust issued its termination notice.

Ross defended his "no" votes, saying he still lacked answers from the trust regarding the health plan.

"I still hadn’t received answers and actually had more questions," he said. "However, the county approved paying the 50% toward HRP."

Roseberry criticized the timeline, saying the board's actions have left workers and taxpayers exposed and noting that the county’s insurance committee failed to meet in 2026 until Nov. 2, the day the termination notice arrived.

“Pike County employees deserve stability. Pike County taxpayers deserve accountability,” Roseberry said, adding that, as an active insurance agent, Ross's actions resembled a deliberate contractual default intended to force a termination.

Ross said he was unaware of Roseberry's accusation regarding a deliberate default.

"Respectfully, I need to look into some things," Ross said in response to the clerk's claim. "However, it was my understanding that the HOPE Trust had an issue with the county not paying 50% toward HRP. That was resolved. Therefore, what is really being alleged, and what does my being an active insurance agent have to do with the HOPE Trust's involuntary termination of the county’s insurance?"

Financially, the county remains on the hook for its termination liability under the agreement. Although the trust stated it will not bill Pike County for approximately $35,000 in additional stop-loss coverage, Roseberry warned that the waiver does not establish the county’s remaining obligations. HOPE Trust is expected to deliver a liability estimate around Dec. 1 with a final financial reconciliation scheduled for 2027.

For employees, the next questions are what coverage will be available Jan. 1, what will it cost and will their doctors and prescriptions remain covered?

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