The Fishers employee health insurance program has cost the city $4.8 million through June of this year, and $8.4 million has been budgeted for the health insurance program in 2019.  At Wednesday’s City Council Finance Committee meeting, Controller Lisa Bradford said the health insurance program is now projected to cost the city $9.1 million for the entire year of 2019, putting the program in a deficit.

In past years, the city moved money around to handle the increase in health insurance costs.

Finance Committee Chairman John Weingardt described the cost of employee health insurance as “a big ___ number.”  Committee members discussed possible options to save money in the program, but did not approve any specific suggestions for the full council.

Councilman Eric Moeller said the deficit number is not larger only because the city has a self-funded health insurance program.