County looks at 45% health insurance increase years ago
The news is not good anywhere when it comes to health insurance.
Marion County Commissioners learned Monday they were looking at a 45 percent increase in health insurance premiums for next year. That translates into an additional $150,000 added on to last year's premium. Last year's amount was $345,672.37, according to Commissioner Bob Hein.
"That 45 percent renewal calculation is not atypical in this marketplace right now," said Jennifer Elliott of Preferred Health Systems.
Elliott told commissioners health care costs were increasing basically in the 18 to 20 to 22 percent range.
One big reason is due to the high cost of malpractice insurance for doctors which has doubled and tripled in some cases, she said.
Another reason is the aging of the baby boomers who are seeking more medical care and requesting services including new high tech (and high cost) services. Yet another factor is the increasing cost of prescription drugs.
In an effort to control costs, Elliott said the company was doing more in the area of risk management by studying cases closer to make sure people are not double billed.
"We've hired more auditors to look over the claims that are coming in," Elliott said. "They found a lot of mistakes."
Elliott said the county's health insurance utilization had been high overall. She also said the county's medical loss ratio — which means claims that came in were at 95.7 percent; however, they need to be at 81 percent for the company to pay costs.
To lower the cost, Elliott said commissioners could raise the deductible from $250 to $1,000, with a $2,000 deductible for a family plan.
"That $250 is the same deductible you had in 1990 maybe," Elliott said. "If the deductible had moved up with inflation it would be a lot higher.
Increasing the deductible from $250 to $1,000 would lower the premium increase to the 11 to 14 percent range "if you tweaked the drug prescription card a little," she said.
Hein asked how much difference a $500 deductible would make in the increase.
Elliott responded it would probably be in the 25 percent range and suggested increasing the amount of employee co-pay on prescriptions.
Commissioners asked Elliott to provide more information about rates and other options available, and noted they were looking at other health insurance bids.
Tactical medic
JoAnn Knak, EMS director, told commissioners she had been "encouraged to attend" a tactical medic school at the request of the county's drug response team, under the direction of the sheriff's department. The team will provide medical backup at the scene of methamphetamine labs (not in vehicles) and similar situations.
"Instead of having an ambulance crew, they want their own medical team to be with them," Knak said. The team would include herself and two other EMS workers.
Currently, an ambulance crew is dispatched to the scene during a meth lab situation, Knak said.
"Right now, you take an entire department out of service," she said, noting that once an ambulance crew arrives at the scene they stay there until the work is done.
"If there's another call, another ambulance crew comes in to cover," Knak said. She noted the tactical medic group would free up an ambulance and its crew.
Collett said since the money is in Knak's budget, she didn't need their authorization to attend. The cost of the training is $495 for five days of classes.
Commissioners also:
— heard from County Clerk Carol Maggard that the county had received a $1,416 refund from the Kansas Workers Risk Cooperative for Counties or KWORCC, the state agencies which handles workman's compensation issues. She said the refund was due to the fact the county's claim history was very low.
"It's based not so much on loss, but on the fees we pay in," Maggard said. The county is in its second year with KWORCC.
— approved a resolution recommended by the county's planning commission that changes property owned by Paul Unruh from agriculture to rural residential.
— approved a $750 purchase of a used truck bed for a used truck for the Road and Bridge Department.
Commissioners also asked that railroad rock or ballast not be used on county roads for the time being. Commissioner Bob Hein said he had been contacted by an individual who had ruined several tires on Diamond.
— approved an interlocal agreement authorizing the City of Peabody Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.
The plan is intended to promote the revitalization of areas within the city through rehabilitation, conservation, or redevelopment. It allows tax rebates for both residential and commercial properties within the designated area.
Peabody City Clerk Cindy Harms told commissioners the city's first plan was not approved by the attorney general because it included everything within the city limits. The new plan excludes the city park, burn pit, and USD 398 schools, but includes all other areas inside the corporate city limits.
Harms also noted three or four individuals are "waiting in the wings" to improve their property after the plan receives approval from all affected taxing entities. She said USD 398 had already approved the plan, and the City of Peabody had a public hearing set for March 31 on the issue.
— Heard from Dianna Carter, county appraiser, who asked commissioners their preference on whether or not the appraiser's portion of the county's website should include a registered users section for fee appraisers.
The section, which would include sale information, would not be available to the general public. It would allow appraisers to obtain the information by downloading it as opposed to picking it up at the county appraiser's office.
Currently, individual appraisers spend approximately $20 to $25 a month obtaining information from the county appraiser's department. Carter said she was thinking of charging that approximate amount to appraisers using the registered site.
Commissioners asked how much the module to create the site would cost. Carter said it would probably be in the $1,200 range, but said she would come back with more information regarding cost of the module and how much appraisers currently spend for information.
