Kingfisher County is one of several entities that will pay a surcharge to its health insurance carrier to ensure it remains solvent.

Kingfisher County commissioners Monday approved paying the $96,381.13 in one lump sum to OPEH&W Health Plan.

“This surcharge is to help offset the enormous amount of COVID claims, not just here in Kingfisher County, but plan-wide,” said commission Chairman Heath Dobrovolny.

There are currently 93 entities that use OPEH&W, which includes several counties as well as rural water districts, school districts and municipalities, including the City of Kingfisher.

Each entity is required to pay the surcharge. The only real option is to pay it at one time or half now and half over the next three months.

OPEH&W has about $5 million in savings and can borrow up to 70 percent of that and due to the large amount of claims filed, is inching close to that mark.

Through this surcharge, it expects to raise about $4 million.

Dobrovolny said an actuarial study said the plan “is still good.”

“With four months left in the fiscal year, this just is a safety net to make sure the plan can pay all of the month claims through that time,” he said

Dobrovolny said the county has been with the OPEH&W since it began in 1995.

“Our contract actually calls for just this stipulation (of the surcharge),” Dobrovolny said. “This is the first time it’s been used.”

The commissioners also approved a new rate sheet for the 2022-23 plan year, which includes a rate in crease for members.

The county now has an assistant emergency management director.

Commissioners approved Ryan Deatherage to fill that role.

County Emergency Management Director Steve Loftis said the state has been requesting counties fill that position as a “backup plan.”

“Ryan has helped out before and has had some of the training, so he was a good fit,” Loftis said.

In other action items Monday, commissioners approved:

• A “notice to proceed” with CALM Construction LLC to begin the remodeling project for the new health department. The contract for the project, which is $700,000, was approved at last week’s meeting;

• A six-month bid list for poly culvert pipe tabulations;

• An $800 Emergency Management Performance Grant through the American Rescue Plan Act for training;

• Monthly reports for the sheriff, assessor, treasurer, county clerk, election board, court clerk and court clerk preservation offices;

• Four county road rights of way in District 1: A three-inch poly line 11 miles east and two north of Okarche; two four-inch steel lines three east and two south of Kingfisher; and a four-inch poly line nine east and six north of Kingfisher.