County health insurance to see increase

Aug. 06--NEW ALBANY -- Floyd County government can expect an increase on its health insurance premium in 2016, but the rise in cost has nothing to do with claims.

Rick Zoeller with Neace Lukens, the county's agent, told the Floyd County Commissioners Tuesday that the county is looking at a modest 5.9 percent increase, but won't have the exact number until next month. He said the current plan Floyd County employees receive is actually going down in cost, but federal taxes due to the Affordable Care Act and prescription costs are driving the increase.

Zoeller said over the past 10 years health insurance nationally has risen at a 5.2 percent rate.

Zoeller said enrollment on the plan is down due to Floyd County dropping spouses last year who are eligible for health insurance from their employer. Also, over a 12 month period, there has been $2.1 million paid in claims in 2015, compared to $2.5 million over the same period in 2014.

"Claims drive the plan," he said.

The majority of the claims are for dependents under the age of 13.

He said as the commissioners look at the current plan, they may want to consider adding incentives to the plan for employers to quit smoking and adopt a health savings plan.

ROAD WORK

Don Lopp, director of operations and county planner, gave an update on several road projects currently underway in the county.

Lopp said work on the Old Vincennes Road project is on schedule and expected to be completed in November. He said the Luther Road at Old Vincennes Road intersection is expected to reopen at the end of next month.

Lopp also said the long-awaited directional arrow has been installed at the traffic light at U.S. 150 and Edwardsville-Galena Road by the Indiana Department of Transportation, but is not yet operational. Lopp said the light will have to be "transitioned" into service so drivers can get used to it.

Right now off-duty police officers are used at the intersection prior to the start of school and in the afternoon since that is the main route to Floyd Central High School and Highland Hills Middle School with the closure of Old Vincennes Road.

Lopp said after 8 a.m. through the week traffic begins to flow at a normal rate near the intersection until around 3 p.m. when school is dismissed.

The commissioners also approved a plan to pave a section of Bradford Road, but chip and seal other roads in subdivisions and throughout the county to save money. Lopp estimated the plan would cut the paving bill in half.

"With funding being tight and so many roads that need work, this is a way to get more coverage," said Commissioner Chuck Freiberger.

VACANT POSITION

Lopp announced Tuesday that the county's Information Technology Director Brad Walker had resigned to take a similar position with the city of New Albany.

___

(c)2015 The Evening News and The Tribune (Jeffersonville, Ind.)

Visit The Evening News and The Tribune (Jeffersonville, Ind.) at newsandtribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.