WEIRTON — It’s insurance season for many businesses and organizations, and the same is true for the City of Weirton.

During Friday’s meeting of the city’s Finance Committee, members recommended plans for health, vision, dental, and life insurance coverage for the city’s eligible employees.

Weirton Council, during its meeting Monday, will be asked to consider a proposal for employee health coverage through Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Pan American Accident and Health.

City Manager Mike Adams, speaking during Friday’s committee meeting, noted plans would include a 17.8 percent increase over the costs of health coverage from the current year.

Adams explained the city worked with Nathan Mazur of USI Insurance Services as part of the effort to narrow down its insurance coverage.

“He shopped these out,” Adams said. “He sought bids from numerous providers.”

Ultimately, he said, the city was left with only a couple of viable options from the more than six companies reached out to, after some offered plans with an increase of more than 50 percent, and others opted not to offer a proposal.

It left the city to select from packages offered by Highmark and Aetna.

The city manager explained, initially, the two companies offered programs which would have seen increases of between 20 percent and 30 percent, but Highmark reworked its proposal to offer the plan with the 17.8 percent increase.

“We decided to go with the smallest increase,” Adams said.

The Pan Am portion of the health insurance will provide a Gap plan.

The city’s vision insurance will remain with Vision Benefits of America, with the same rates as the current year, with life insurance also seeing no change in rates and being provided by American United Life Insurance Co.

Dental insurance benefits will see a 10 percent increase through Highmark Blue Edge.

“The employee pays half of it,” noted Finance Director Diana Smoljanovich.

Pointing to his more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, Mazur said there were challenges to getting workable quotes for the programs.

“This has been one of the most challenging years,” Mazur said.

He and Adams both pointed to ongoing political discourse over health coverage at both the state and national level, consolidations of healthcare providers and medical facilities, and what Mazur described as a “tsunami” of people trying to get caught up on health issues following the COVID pandemic five years ago.

Council will take up the matters during its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Monday in the council chambers of the Weirton Municipal Building.