Missouri Valley spent $395,426.57 in 2024 covering all employee health costs:
- 100% of health
- 100% of deductibles/HRA funds
- 100% of HSA contributions
City employees pay $0.
But here’s the part most residents don’t know:
Missouri Valley’s own written policy requires employees to buy into their health insurance.
City staff are supposed to pay a portion of their premiums just like every other working adult in Harrison County.
Instead, the City has never enforced its own policy, and taxpayers have been forced to cover 100% of every dollar. This issue has even been debated in council meetings — some council members have openly questioned why the policy exists if the City refuses to follow it.
What the Average Harrison County Resident Pays
(Source: Kaiser Family Foundation; Iowa Insurance Division)
The typical working adult pays:
- $6,575/year toward a family plan premium
- $1,735 deductible on average
- About $429/month for an ACA Silver plan if they don’t have employer coverage
Most families here spend $10,000+ per year on health insurance costs.
City employees spend: $0.
Plus: Automatic Raises and No Performance Reviews
Missouri Valley employees receive:
- Automatic annual raises
- No formal performance reviews
- No accountability system
So taxpayers are:
- Paying for premium-level benefits
- Paying full deductibles
- Paying full HSA contributions
- Paying automatic annual pay increases
- And getting zero performance oversight in return
Bottom Line
Missouri Valley’s own policy says employees must contribute to their insurance — but the City refuses to enforce it. That decision shifts hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs straight onto taxpayers every year.
The people paying the bills have worse healthcare — and fewer protections — than the people receiving the paycheck.
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