The City Council of Port Richey held a special meeting on August 1, 2025, to discuss health insurance options for city employees. The primary focus was on the potential transition to the Public Risk Management (PRM) pool, which would allow employees to maintain their current provider, Florida Blue, while also benefiting from a larger collective insurance base.

City officials highlighted that both the PRM pool and an alternative option through UnitedHealthcare (UHC) presented similar budgetary impacts for the city and its employees. The PRM pool is seen as advantageous because it would enable employees to keep their existing doctors and pharmacies, minimizing disruption during the transition. In contrast, switching to UHC would require employees to change their healthcare providers, which could complicate their healthcare access.

The discussion also emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility. By joining the PRM pool, the city could better manage insurance rate increases, as these would be based on a larger collective rather than the smaller independent employee base of 70. This collective approach is expected to provide more predictable budgeting for future insurance costs.

City officials noted that the current health plans were reviewed, and while there were changes proposed, the overall structure would remain similar to what employees currently have. The absence of a Health Savings Account (HSA) option this year was also mentioned, due to increased administrative fees.

In conclusion, the City Council is leaning towards rejoining the PRM pool to ensure continuity of care for employees while maintaining budgetary control. Further discussions and decisions will follow as the council evaluates the recommendations presented during the meeting.