Whitman County considering new insurance [Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Moscow, Idaho]

June 25--Whitman County is looking into what savings can be found with a new health insurance carrier.

At $695 a month for the 180 employees the county provides benefits for, health care costs the county more than $125,000 a month and more than $1.5 million annually.

Whitman County Human Resources Director Kelli Campbell said cost is just one of a number of factors going into the decision.

"We're also looking for a carrier that will be flexible with us, one that we will be comfortable sticking with for a longer period of time and good customer service. Customer service is something that we've felt has been missing with our current carrier," Campbell said.

Two years ago, the county switched providers in an effort to get a better idea of where the county stands in preparation for the health care exchange that will go active in January.

Campbell said commissioners decided to pull out of the carrier they had been with for the previous 25 years and see what kinds of claims they were getting and what kinds of benefit plans were available elsewhere -- information that would remain unavailable if they stayed with their old carrier.

"There are policies for protection within health care groups for variability and rates based upon your particular census," said Michael Largent, chair of the board of county commissioners.

Such policies makes sense, he said, because it protects all the members in the group, but it means it's hard to know where you stand.

At the time, Cigna, the county's current carrier, met the goals set by commissioners for a new carrier. But now, with the health care reforms looming, commissioners believe it's time to re-evaluate those goals and look toward a long-term strategy.

On Monday, commissioners held a work session to discuss the possibility of renewing contracts with the carrier they were with before the switch two years ago, Washington Counties Insurance Fund. WCIF is a nonprofit trust currently providing coverage for 20 counties in the state, with more than 15,000 employees and dependents enrolled.

"We want you back," Jon Kaino, WCIF executive director, said. "I'll tell you right now, for a county with less than 1,000 employees, you may be able to find a better price, but you won't find a better deal."

Kaino said his organization specializes in dealing with county employees, a demographic with an average age of 47, and one that makes more claims, on average, than younger organizations.

He also said that WCIF will help the county through the tough transition period surrounding the implementation of the health benefit exchange.

"If you're a member of WCIF you will know what you have to do to meet health care reform requirements," Kaino said. "We won't come over and fill out the forms for you, but we'll make sure you know which forms they are and which boxes to fill in on them."

Largent said the county has had positive experiences with WCIF in the past and it is being strongly considered as a possible provider, but Cigna and others are still being considered as well.

"There's no doubt that WCIF is a good, stable organization," Largent said. "We know they provide good service, response well on claims, and have a good administration."

Another factor the commissioners have to consider as they evaluate goals for a new carrier is whether they want to continue focusing on providing value for individual employees, as they do currently, or if they want to focus more on providing for families and dependents.

"At this point, the focus has really been for employee-only," Campbell said. "There has been a significant amount of push from some employees to switch to a composite structure, which is more beneficial to families with multiple dependents."

Campbell said finding a balance between providing benefits for individual employees and keeping their premiums low, while still offering a viable option for families, is one of the primary goals the board has identified for deciding on a new carrier.

But more than anything, Largent said, he wants to focus on a long-term deal.

"I want us to position ourselves for the long-term stability. That's my number one concern," Largent said.

Largent said they wouldn't be deciding anything until after they had an idea of what rates the county would get, which won't be available until later this year. Those numbers, he said, would factor heavily in budget discussions for the upcoming year.

Bill McKee can be reached at (208) 883-4627, or by email to [email protected].

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