As it predicted in late 2015, Jim Thorpe Borough Council intends to test the health insurance market before deciding whether to return to its current provider next year.

In December, council renewed its agreement with Benecon through 2016, and at a workshop Thursday night, borough manager Maureen Sterner said she was informed it would cost the borough $62,588 to go to another provider in the future."The way it's supposed to work is that we pay a premium, and if claims are low, we get a refund, while if claims are high, you're not required to pay any more. Everyone pays into a pool and the pool is supposed to pay the overage claims."Council toyed with leaving Benecon at the end of 2015, but it would have forfeited a nearly $100,000 reimbursement due to its low claims for the year.That reimbursement was more than the $60,000 the borough would have saved by switching providers.Borough officials said Thursday they aren't anticipating the same kind of reimbursement next year."They'll try to do anything to keep you in this trap, but I think we should get a broker in again and shop around," Councilman Curtis Jackson said.Jackson led the charge for a change of provider last year after the borough's rate was increased by 8.5 percent, meaning it would pay $323,000 a year for health care."The primary goal has to be to get the same coverage or better at a reduced cost," Councilman Jay Miller said.Sterner said Thursday she had forwarded the request for the payment in order to terminate the agreement to borough solicitor James Nanovic.