Health insurance costs bite into public budgets

Skyrocketing costs of health insurance are diminishing Whitman County’s public agencies’ abilties to perform their services.

Cities, counties, schools and hospitals are seeing greater percentages of their budgets go toward making sure their employees have medical insurance.

Perhaps the most significant impact of insurance costs falls on the area’s school districts.

Schools are bound by state standards to contribute $768 per month to the health insurance plans of their employees.

For the 69 full-time employees at the Colfax School District, that means $53,073 per month, according to Business Ma...