COEUR d'ALENE - On top of changes to employee wages, the Kootenai County commissioners are also tweaking health benefits.

The costs to maintain benefits escalates every year, explained Commissioner Dan Green on Friday.

"This year, the premium increase was $420,000," he said.

To keep benefits in place, county employees need to help share more of the cost, he said.

They need to help a lot.

Among the commissioners' changes is increasing deductibles from $400/$800 (individual/family) to $1,500/$3,000.

Don't panic, county workers.

Employees will be able to draw down deductibles to $750/$1,500, Green said, by participating in Blue Cross' Health Measures.

Through that program, folks can earn points to reduce their deductibles by taking initiatives to improve their health. For instance, joining a smoking cessation program, or checking in with primary care physicians about blood pressure and cholesterol.

"If you go in and after three years we don't see any attempt to do anything, maybe you'll get bumped up," Green said.

The commissioners are also adapting employee contributions.

Instead of individuals paying the same to cover a spouse and child, the cost of spouse will increase and cost of children will drop, Green said.

"We found spouses were the most expensive to insure. It didn't matter if they were male or female," he said, adding that a spouse cost about three times more to insure than a child. "We're redistributing to who costs us the most."

The county is also expanding contribution levels from a three to five tier system, to accommodate different family sizes.

Contributions will change as follows:

* Single employee contributions will remain at $37.50.

* Employee and spouse contributions will rise from $105 to $180.

* Employee and child will lower from $105 to $77.50.

* Employee and children will change from $180 to $112.50.

* Families will rise from $180 to $275.

With approximately 720 employees, there are about 1,800 participants on the county's self-funded health care.

Green pointed out that an average of 15 individuals have been responsible for about 60 percent of costs.

"Not the same 15," he added.

Reducing the costs for even five could make a big dent, he said.

"We're trying to promote personal responsibility, so they're more active in their personal care," Green said.