July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Health insurance deal OK'd (12/9/03)
Commissioners renew with current agent, underwriter
A stressful day on several fronts ended with some good news for Jay County Commissioners — a smaller-than-expected increase in the cost of providing health insurance for county employees.
The commissioners, who heard proposals from three different agents on Monday, decided to renew with the current agent and current underwriter late Monday afternoon when presented with a quote that represented an 8.2 percent increase over current premiums.
During a presentation earlier in the day from current agents-of-record Edward Culpepper Cooper and Steve Stockton that proposed a 16 percent increase, Commissioners Gary Theurer, Milo Miller Jr. and Mike Leonhard said they would renew if that increase could be trimmed to 8 percent.
That new quote was delivered after 4 p.m. by Stockton, a local agent, to Miller and Theurer after Leonhard had left for the day.
The annual premium for the 121 county employees enrolled in the plan will be $763,198.
The county’s per-employee share for health insurance coverage beginning Jan. 1 will be $426 per month. Employees will be responsible for the remainder of the cost.
Here is the cost of each of the four tiers of the plan, with the total proposed rate, the per-pay period cost to employees, and the number of employees enrolled in that tier:
Single — Premium of $468.43, employee cost of $21.12 per pay period; 98 employees; Employee/spouse — Premium of $828.41, employee cost of $201.21 per pay period, 15 employees; Employee/child(ren) — Premium of $709.71, employee cost of $141.85 per pay period, eight employees.
The plan will continue to be underwritten by UnitedHealthcare, and the only change will be in the prescription drug plan. The cost of generic drugs will be $7, down from $10. Preferred drugs will be $25 (up from $15) while non-preferred drugs will be $40 (up from $25.
The other features of the plan include a $30 co-pay for doctor’s office visits, a $1,000 individual major medical deductible and an individual maximum of $2,000 annually.
Shortly before Stockton returned to the commissioners’ room, Theurer talked by phone with Kim Fitch, a UnitedHealthcare representative who sat with both Cooper and Stockton and Neace-Lukens representatives Jeff Kunce and Dan Kelly during presentations to the commissioners.
Fitch, who has met regularly with county employees to help resolve insurance issues, told Theurer and county auditor Freda Corwin that Cooper was not pleased she had joined Kunce and Kelly at the commissioners’ table — although she did not speak.
Between that conversation and Stockton’s arrival, Theurer and Miller briefly discussed the possibility of eliminating an agent and dealing with UnitedHealthcare directly.
The two commissioners said when presented with the quote for an 8 percent increase that they felt obligated to accept it because of the motion made earlier in the day. The commission earned by Cooper and Stockton will be 5 percent of the total premium — or about $38,000.
Kunce and Kelly, who first met with the commissioners earlier this year, had presented a quote that would have meant an 11 percent increase, with a similar change in the prescription benefit and an increase in the deductible and maximum charges for out-of-network expenses. Kelly said he felt that if he and Kunce were named the county’s agents that a lower price could be negotiated.
Also making a proposal Monday was Darrell Fitch, an agent from Kline Insurance Agency of Indianapolis.
Also Monday afternoon, Theurer and Miller sorted through 24 résumés received as applications for the director of the county’s emergency management agency.
The commissioners plan to interview five of those applicants during an executive session on Monday, Dec. 15, from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
The position opened following the resignation late last month of long-time EMA director Tami Mann. Mann resigned to take a job in the private sector.
In other business Monday, the commissioners:
•Opened and tabled action on annual bids received for crushed stone, concrete bridge materials and equipment rental. County highway superintendent Robert Sours or county engineer Dan Watson will review the bids to make sure they meet specifications.
The commissioners typically accept all bids and buy from the most convenient location.
Submitting bids for stone were Irving Materials Inc. of Ridgeville, and Mershberger Bros. Stone Corp. of rural Portland.
Primco Equipment, Fort Wayne, and Baker & Shultz, Decatur, were the two bidders for concrete bridge materials.
Bidding on equipment rental were LeMaster Enterprises, Portland; Primco; LPI Paving & Excavating, Portland; and Baker & Schultz.
•Discussed further the purchase of a building north of the Jay County Jail for possible future expansion of the jail.
The purchase price of the building will be $175,000. Jeff Sprunger, co-owner of the building and Hanni Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, said Monday he was planning to propose a two-year lease agreement. The amount of that lease, which would include sewer and electric bills, would be deducted from the price.
Sprunger plans to bring a proposal to the commissioners next week.[[In-content Ad]]
The commissioners, who heard proposals from three different agents on Monday, decided to renew with the current agent and current underwriter late Monday afternoon when presented with a quote that represented an 8.2 percent increase over current premiums.
During a presentation earlier in the day from current agents-of-record Edward Culpepper Cooper and Steve Stockton that proposed a 16 percent increase, Commissioners Gary Theurer, Milo Miller Jr. and Mike Leonhard said they would renew if that increase could be trimmed to 8 percent.
That new quote was delivered after 4 p.m. by Stockton, a local agent, to Miller and Theurer after Leonhard had left for the day.
The annual premium for the 121 county employees enrolled in the plan will be $763,198.
The county’s per-employee share for health insurance coverage beginning Jan. 1 will be $426 per month. Employees will be responsible for the remainder of the cost.
Here is the cost of each of the four tiers of the plan, with the total proposed rate, the per-pay period cost to employees, and the number of employees enrolled in that tier:
Single — Premium of $468.43, employee cost of $21.12 per pay period; 98 employees; Employee/spouse — Premium of $828.41, employee cost of $201.21 per pay period, 15 employees; Employee/child(ren) — Premium of $709.71, employee cost of $141.85 per pay period, eight employees.
The plan will continue to be underwritten by UnitedHealthcare, and the only change will be in the prescription drug plan. The cost of generic drugs will be $7, down from $10. Preferred drugs will be $25 (up from $15) while non-preferred drugs will be $40 (up from $25.
The other features of the plan include a $30 co-pay for doctor’s office visits, a $1,000 individual major medical deductible and an individual maximum of $2,000 annually.
Shortly before Stockton returned to the commissioners’ room, Theurer talked by phone with Kim Fitch, a UnitedHealthcare representative who sat with both Cooper and Stockton and Neace-Lukens representatives Jeff Kunce and Dan Kelly during presentations to the commissioners.
Fitch, who has met regularly with county employees to help resolve insurance issues, told Theurer and county auditor Freda Corwin that Cooper was not pleased she had joined Kunce and Kelly at the commissioners’ table — although she did not speak.
Between that conversation and Stockton’s arrival, Theurer and Miller briefly discussed the possibility of eliminating an agent and dealing with UnitedHealthcare directly.
The two commissioners said when presented with the quote for an 8 percent increase that they felt obligated to accept it because of the motion made earlier in the day. The commission earned by Cooper and Stockton will be 5 percent of the total premium — or about $38,000.
Kunce and Kelly, who first met with the commissioners earlier this year, had presented a quote that would have meant an 11 percent increase, with a similar change in the prescription benefit and an increase in the deductible and maximum charges for out-of-network expenses. Kelly said he felt that if he and Kunce were named the county’s agents that a lower price could be negotiated.
Also making a proposal Monday was Darrell Fitch, an agent from Kline Insurance Agency of Indianapolis.
Also Monday afternoon, Theurer and Miller sorted through 24 résumés received as applications for the director of the county’s emergency management agency.
The commissioners plan to interview five of those applicants during an executive session on Monday, Dec. 15, from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
The position opened following the resignation late last month of long-time EMA director Tami Mann. Mann resigned to take a job in the private sector.
In other business Monday, the commissioners:
•Opened and tabled action on annual bids received for crushed stone, concrete bridge materials and equipment rental. County highway superintendent Robert Sours or county engineer Dan Watson will review the bids to make sure they meet specifications.
The commissioners typically accept all bids and buy from the most convenient location.
Submitting bids for stone were Irving Materials Inc. of Ridgeville, and Mershberger Bros. Stone Corp. of rural Portland.
Primco Equipment, Fort Wayne, and Baker & Shultz, Decatur, were the two bidders for concrete bridge materials.
Bidding on equipment rental were LeMaster Enterprises, Portland; Primco; LPI Paving & Excavating, Portland; and Baker & Schultz.
•Discussed further the purchase of a building north of the Jay County Jail for possible future expansion of the jail.
The purchase price of the building will be $175,000. Jeff Sprunger, co-owner of the building and Hanni Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, said Monday he was planning to propose a two-year lease agreement. The amount of that lease, which would include sewer and electric bills, would be deducted from the price.
Sprunger plans to bring a proposal to the commissioners next week.[[In-content Ad]]
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