Piatt County will stay with the Well being Alliance for the subsequent 12 months after switching to it in March 2020.
Nick Hilbrand of Insure Champaign informed the county board’s medical insurance committee that the corporate negotiated a four.5 % enhance in premiums, which can price the county about $ 21,000 extra over the one-year contract.
Well being Alliance first requested a rise from eight to 9 %, so Hilbrand was pleased with the proposal.
“We expect the four.5 % is an excellent renewal with what we confronted final 12 months and what we’re seeing this 12 months, ”he informed the committee on January 27.
The committee accepted the proposal and determined to maintain the worker contribution – $ 104 or $ 158 per 30 days for particular person plans – the identical this 12 months.
Hiltbrand mentioned gives have been acquired from different suppliers, however thought-about Blue Cross / Blue Protect the one competitor to Well being Alliance. He mentioned it might signify a financial savings of round $ 9,000 for the same plan, however that one of many predominant disadvantages is that Carle’s medical doctors are out of community.
“In case you guys are saying, ‘hey, cash is a giant, massive downside this 12 months, we have to discover it someplace’, this can be a spot to seek out it, and it could possibly be subsequent 12 months’s downside to resolve it for you in the event you get a giant increase. . However, in the event you’re saying ‘we wish to take a more in-depth have a look at this, we wish to decide that basically suits into our long-term planning,’ I feel Well being Alliance is likely to be an excellent match.
County Board and Committee Chair Ray Spencer mentioned it might be useful to stay with the present supplier after all of the work that was carried out final 12 months to change from the county self-insurance plan to the HMO.
“I am somewhat frightened about altering issues. We simply modified issues final 12 months and staff are getting used to the brand new system, after which they must get used to a different system, ”Spencer mentioned.
Committee member Shannon Carroll agreed.
“I am undecided that the financial savings, the quantity of $ 9,000 over the full quantity justifies (altering), ”he mentioned.
Nursing house staff switched to the Well being Alliance in February 2020, with the vast majority of county staff doing so a month later. Employees on the Piatt County Transportation and Psychological Well being Middle have separate plans, an association that can proceed.
Scott Porter, director of the nursing house, mentioned staff appreciated the brand new airline.
“It has been very optimistic for us, ”he mentioned. “Everybody likes the copay system. Earlier than, the overwhelming majority of our staff who had Consociate advantages have been out of pocket, aside from the pharmacy ”.
Committee members additionally mentioned streamlining premium funds. For the reason that nursing house began with the Well being Alliance a month earlier, it receives a invoice, together with the county, inflicting confusion and what the nursing house workers feels is lots of steps.
As an alternative, entities will probably return to the nursing house and provides a verify to the county’s finance supervisor, Linda Leach, in order that she will be able to embody it within the month-to-month premium funds, simplifying the method. An estimate of what’s owed might be made and reconciled each six months if the variety of staff within the plan modifications.
When requested if a excessive deductible plan had been reviewed, Hiltbrand mentioned it might be too late for this 12 months’s enrollment interval, however that he can put together the data for renewal subsequent 12 months if the county needs.
