County eyes insurance claims

Nov. 21--MT. VERNON -- An increase in health insurance claims this year set the potential for a rise in insurance cost to the county in 2018.

The Services Committee met Monday evening to discuss employee health insurance rates and options for next year. During that discussion Bruce Hapeman of Insurance Program Managers Group (IPMG) said he had been monitoring the county's claims throughout the year. After two positive quarters, an excessive rise in claims in the last quarter came as a shock.

"We checked this after the first quarter this year to see how claims were going, and they were going great," Hapeman said. "We checked it halfway and we were doing great. ... Third quarter and it went to you know where. One-hundred and thirty thousand dollar claim months one right after another. It's bad. Your claims are bad this year."

Hapeman said the claims, which will total around $630,000, were too high and the county would need to think about promoting preventative options to employees.

"You guys all know that early detection is the key to reducing your claims," Hapeman said. "There are programs out there that can help your employees if they will do it. I would really like the opportunity to talk to your union officials and tell them what's out there and see if they'll step up and promote it."

Hapeman said the county had five claims in the last quarter that came in over the $30,000 limit, with one claim reaching around $150,000. He said if employees were participating in early detection programs a claim like that could have been prevented.

"One large claim, that $150,000 claim would have made a difference on your budget," Hapeman said. "If you can prevent one person from having that major claim by detecting something early and maintaining it, ... it's obvious that that's going to help you."

The committee approved an insurance plan with a $50,000 stop-loss at a maximum cost to the county of $1,257,953 to be presented to the full board next Monday.

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