Insurance to offer choices (12/6/04)

A change to a two-tiered health insurance plan will give Jay County employees a reduction in coverage along with an increase in choices.

Jay County Commissioners this morning approved renewing the county’s health insurance with UnitedHealthcare Inc., selecting a dual-choice plan with an effective date of Jan. 1.

Under one of the options, the amount deducted from employees’ bi-weekly paychecks will actually decrease. Under the second option, the payroll deductions will increase 10 to 15 percent. Employees will be given the choice of plans.

The monthly amount contributed by the county per employee enrolled in the health insurance coverage will increase to $446 per employee in 2005 — or about $750,000.

Commissioners Mike Leonhard, Gary Theurer and Milo Miller Jr. also made a change in their agent-of-record this morning — a change that may or may not be of significance. Steve Stockton, who has served as a local agent for several years under agent-of-record Edward Culpepper Cooper, was appointed the county’s new agent.

The change, said the commissioners and Stockton, was made because Anthem, which is now the largest health insurer in North America, will not give quotes to employers represented by Cooper.

The commissioners said they will still continue to pursue other options — including quotes from Anthem expected in the next week from several agents.

During an earlier discussion prior to making the decision to renew, Commissioner Milo Miller Jr. said, “I think it’s time for the (county) council to take a look at self-funded (insurance).”

Commissioner Gary Theurer made the motion this morning to proceed with the renewal, saying he believed rates could increase dramatically if the commissioners waited much longer. The quotes obtained from UnitedHealthcare were for a switch to a Jan. 1 effective date. The county’s health insurance has had a renewal date of Feb. 1 for several years.

“I think we need to take what’s best now ... If we don’t, I think we could be in trouble,” Theurer said.

The least expensive of the two options that will be available to county employees includes no benefit (co-pay) for visits to the doctor’s office, a $1,000 deductible for an individual ($2,000 for family) and a $4,500/$9,000 out-of-pocket ceiling (in addition to the deductible).

The more expensive plan has a $25 office co-pay, deductibles of $2,000 and $4,000 and out-of-pocket limits of $4,000 and $8,000.

Both plans have pharmacy plans with co-payments of $7 for generic, $25 for non-generic and formulary drugs, and $40 for non-formulary drugs.

The cost to renew with UnitedHealthcare keeping the current benefit levels would have risen more than 18 percent.

This year, the amounts deducted monthly for health coverage is $43.32 for employee-only; $379.72 for employee/spouse; and $265.36 for employee/child.

Under the least expensive of the two choices for next year, those monthly levels will decrease to $32.08 (single), $374.87 (employee/spouse) and $258.34 (employee/child).

The amount deducted under the more expensive choice will increase to $63.27 (single), $428.78 (employee/spouse) and $304.52 (employee/child).

Stockton, who said he would continue to utilize Cooper as a consultant, said the change in the agent-of-record status was made at the request of Cooper.

Cooper, who has been a source of controversy in other counties, including Delaware County, “has done a good job ... but if the companies don’t want to work with (him), maybe it’s time to go with someone else,” Theurer said.[[In-content Ad]]