July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Insurance options weighed (11/22/04)
Benefits could be cut to trim costs
A reduction in benefits could mean less money taken from the paychecks of some county employees for health insurance next year under an option presented this morning to Jay County Commissioners.
The commissioners, meeting this morning with two agents and a representative of the current health insurance underwriter (UnitedHealthcare), heard their agent-of-record recommend switching to a dual-choice plan that would allow employees to select one of two alternatives.
The second of the two alternatives would mean a slight increase in the amount deducted from employees’ paychecks.
Both alternatives feature increases in out-of-pocket expenses as compared to current levels. One of the two alternatives retains an office co-pay amount of $25, while the other has no co-pays for office visits.
The commissioners planned to discuss insurance during the day, and planned to meet with another agent this afternoon. A decision will likely be made sometime today on coverage for next year.
Renewal rates for the coverage currently provided by the county bring the amount due from employees each month to $107.37 — up from a current monthly payroll deduction of $43.32.
That increase takes into account an increase in the amount paid by the county per month per employee on the plan to $446, up from $426 this year.
The two alternatives recommended by agent-of-record Edward Culpepper Cooper would cost employees $32.08 and $63.27 per month (including mandatory life insurance coverage), respectively.
The $32.08 plan would feature no co-pay for office visits, a $1,000/$2,000 individual/family deductible, 90 percent in-network co-insurance, pharmacy card levels of $7/$25/$40 and out-of-pocket levels of $4,500 for an individual and $9,000 for family.
The features of the $63.27 option include a $25 office visit co-pay, $2,000/$4,000 deductible levels, 85 percent in-network co-insurance, $4,000/$8,000 out-of-pocket levels and the same pharmacy benefits as the other plan.
Also this morning, Commissioners Milo Miller Jr., Mike Leonhard and Gary Theurer discussed concerns expressed by several area physicians regarding the commissioners’ pick last week to fill a vacant slot on the Jay County Hospital Board.
The commissioners appointed Stephanie May, a pharmacist at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, to fill the seat vacated by State Representative-elect Bill Davis.
BMH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cardinal Health System, which is contracted by JCH to provided an administrator for the local hospital. Cardinal Health and Jay County Hospital also have several other contracts for a variety of services and functions.
The commissioners were given a copy this morning of a letter that May wrote to Dr. Jerry Whetzel, who was recently picked as chief of medical staff at JCH.
In the letter, May explained she is employed by Ball Memorial Hospital, and not by Cardinal Health.
“I am not involved in the strategic or business plans of Cardinal Health Systems,” May wrote in the letter to Whetzel.
John Coldren, the hospital board’s attorney, said there is not a conflict-of-interest by legal definition. And he said that even if there was such a conflict, May could serve after filing a conflict-of-interest disclosure form.[[In-content Ad]]
The commissioners, meeting this morning with two agents and a representative of the current health insurance underwriter (UnitedHealthcare), heard their agent-of-record recommend switching to a dual-choice plan that would allow employees to select one of two alternatives.
The second of the two alternatives would mean a slight increase in the amount deducted from employees’ paychecks.
Both alternatives feature increases in out-of-pocket expenses as compared to current levels. One of the two alternatives retains an office co-pay amount of $25, while the other has no co-pays for office visits.
The commissioners planned to discuss insurance during the day, and planned to meet with another agent this afternoon. A decision will likely be made sometime today on coverage for next year.
Renewal rates for the coverage currently provided by the county bring the amount due from employees each month to $107.37 — up from a current monthly payroll deduction of $43.32.
That increase takes into account an increase in the amount paid by the county per month per employee on the plan to $446, up from $426 this year.
The two alternatives recommended by agent-of-record Edward Culpepper Cooper would cost employees $32.08 and $63.27 per month (including mandatory life insurance coverage), respectively.
The $32.08 plan would feature no co-pay for office visits, a $1,000/$2,000 individual/family deductible, 90 percent in-network co-insurance, pharmacy card levels of $7/$25/$40 and out-of-pocket levels of $4,500 for an individual and $9,000 for family.
The features of the $63.27 option include a $25 office visit co-pay, $2,000/$4,000 deductible levels, 85 percent in-network co-insurance, $4,000/$8,000 out-of-pocket levels and the same pharmacy benefits as the other plan.
Also this morning, Commissioners Milo Miller Jr., Mike Leonhard and Gary Theurer discussed concerns expressed by several area physicians regarding the commissioners’ pick last week to fill a vacant slot on the Jay County Hospital Board.
The commissioners appointed Stephanie May, a pharmacist at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, to fill the seat vacated by State Representative-elect Bill Davis.
BMH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cardinal Health System, which is contracted by JCH to provided an administrator for the local hospital. Cardinal Health and Jay County Hospital also have several other contracts for a variety of services and functions.
The commissioners were given a copy this morning of a letter that May wrote to Dr. Jerry Whetzel, who was recently picked as chief of medical staff at JCH.
In the letter, May explained she is employed by Ball Memorial Hospital, and not by Cardinal Health.
“I am not involved in the strategic or business plans of Cardinal Health Systems,” May wrote in the letter to Whetzel.
John Coldren, the hospital board’s attorney, said there is not a conflict-of-interest by legal definition. And he said that even if there was such a conflict, May could serve after filing a conflict-of-interest disclosure form.[[In-content Ad]]
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