Published November 03, 2009 10:40 pm - Facing a 14.4-percent increase in premiums for 2010, the Ashtabula County Board of Commissioners met with county elected officials, department heads and union representatives Tuesday morning to present changes to the health insurance plans it offers workers.
County wrestles with increased health care
By CARL E. FEATHER - Staff Writer - cfeather@starbeacon.com Star Beacon
JEFFERSON — Facing a 14.4-percent increase in premiums for 2010, the Ashtabula County Board of Commissioners met with county elected officials, department heads and union representatives Tuesday morning to present changes to the health insurance plans it offers workers.
Commissioner Joseph Moroski said the increase would have cost the county $950,000 next year if it stayed with existing plans. Commissioners expect another lean year in 2010, with virtually no growth in revenues.
“There is no way we got a million (extra) bucks,” Moroski said.
The county provides health insurance for employees through a consortium of 20 Ohio counties, the County Employees Benefit Consortium. Ashtabula County was accepted into the group six years ago, and Moroski said the experience has been very positive, with annual increases averaging just under 6 percent, including next year’s 14 percent hike.
However, during 2009 the group experienced a higher-than-usual utilization rate. Moroski said one explanation for the higher rate is that employees, fearful of losing their jobs, are electing to have more tests and procedures performed while they still have insurance.
County Administrator Janet Discher said the county has 1,576 subscribers to the plan, which covers county workers as well as those employed by Job and Family Services, the Ashtabula County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the Ashtabula County Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
At the work session Tuesday morning, commissioners presented “extensive plan design changes” for the officials and department heads to take back to their employees. The commissioners’ approach was to make modifications that would keep the county’s share at its 2009 level while having minimal impact upon what employees pay.
Employees will see deductibles and co-pays increase as part of these modifications. The prescription plan will also have a bump in patient co-pay at all tiers. Employee contribution, 10 percent of the plan’s cost, will not change.
Employees who select the “5A” plan, which has higher deductibles, will see a slight decrease in their premiums, while those who select the more comprehensive “3A” option will see an annual increase of $1,128 in premiums for the family plan.
Board President Peggy Carlo said commissioners are also looking at incentives for employees to adopt healthier lifestyles and thereby hold the line on illness that increases utilization and higher premiums. She said prevention must be part of any health-care plan.
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