Lee County employees will gain more benefits, costs rises

Feb. 26--WEST POINT -- Lee County is changing providers for health insurance consultant services starting Saturday.

At the Lee County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday afternoon at the West Point Public Library, supervisors decided to cut ties with Benefit Management Services and replace it with Group Benefit Partners.

Lee County Benefits Coordinator Brandi Hull said she and a committee of county employees met with three different Lee County-based services, and the group decided to switch hands to the Fort Madison-based firm. Hull said the change of services will benefit employees.

"They will make sure every employee understands every benefit they are offered," she said.

Hull added the group will help take care of COBRA coverage, help with human resources procedures, make pamphlets explaining the information and help establish a wellness program.

"They'll also set up an 800 number so they can be reached at any time," Hull said. "This will help assist people in a more timely fashion."

With new features comes a higher price tag. The cost is going from $12 a person per month to $18 a person per month, taking the annual cost from roughly $24,500 to about $36,700.

Budget Director Cindy Renstrom said the county already has the money to cover the higher cost of the one-year contract.

"In each department's budget, there is a portion that goes into a fund for insurance," she said. "The money to pay for this contract will come out of that fund."

Group Benefits Partners'Justin Pieper said he knows his company has to prove it is worth the extra money.

"It'll be on us to prove over the course of the year that those six extra dollars are worth it between our help and liability reduction," he said at Tuesday's meeting. "It is our job now to help maximize that potential."

Board Chairman Ernie Schiller said he is comfortable with the tradeoff of services for funds.

"It is running a little bit more, but the amount of services we are getting justify that," he said.

Hull added if she went to the company the county is currently using, it would cost about $6 more per person a month to get some of the additional services Group Benefit Partners promises.

Election Administrator Nikki Sugars, who served on the insurance committee with Hull, said the company is signing a one-year contract, but will work for free the first two months.

"This gives us a chance to sever our current contract and move into working with them and getting things organized and situated," Sugars said.

Roughly 170 people will use the service.

Also during the meeting, the board approved signs along the portions of the business loop of U.S. 61 through Fort Madison

By approving the signs, which are already in place, and speed limits, county deputies can enforce the laws.

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