Allen commissioners approve insurance stipend [The Lima News, Ohio]

Dec. 19--LIMA -- Allen County employees now have a new incentive not to take the county's health insurance. County commissioners on Friday approved a health insurance opt-out incentive program. The program offers a bonus -- split into two payments over the year -- to those already on the county plan who take coverage elsewhere. Commissioners lauded the plan as another effort to save the county money.

"I think it's been suggested that perhaps this is unequitable in the sense that those who do not have the insurance are not privileged to use it (the optout)," Commissioner Sam Bassitt said. "That is accurate. Our action here is only to examine the potential of saving the county dollars."

Under the plan provisions, a single employee will get $1,000 of the $5,000 the county would have paid to insure him or her. An employee with a second person on the plan will receive $2,000.

An employee with family coverage will get $3,000 of the $15,000 the county would pay the insurer. The plan came from discussions with the county's health insurance advisory committee.

"It's a true opt-out," Commissioner Greg Sneary said. "If you don't have the insurance you can't opt out of something you have not chosen to take."

Employees will not be able to opt in and out of the county health plan at will, Sneary said.

In order to take advantage of the stipend for opting out, employees must have two years of uninterrupted coverage under the county plan before choosing to opt out.

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