Morgan employees’ health insurance rates staying the same

Jul. 10--Morgan County employees will pay the same amount for health insurance in fiscal 2020 as they have for the past 10 years.

County leaders said a telemedicine provider and educational seminars have helped keep the county's health care costs down.

"If the employee gets a cold, they know they can call MDLIVE for free instead of going to the emergency room," Commission Chairman Ray Long said after Tuesday's commission meeting. "We've met with every one of our employees to let them know we are self-insured through Blue Cross. After we held these meetings, that's when we started seeing a big turnaround. Last year, we were able to add some benefits because of the savings."

After the commission voted 4-0 Tuesday morning to keep the same rates for another year, full-time county employees will continue to pay $167 a month for a family plan and $64 a month for single plans. Retirees will pay $300 for family plans and $200 for single plans. The COBRA family rate is $1,353 monthly while the COBRA single rate is $527.

The county contracts with Blue Cross at $1,200 monthly for family plans and $460 for single plans and pays the $1,033 and $396 differences respectively, Long said.

County administrator Julie Reeves said 317 employees, or 89%, participate in the county insurance program. She said the number includes 129 singles contracts and 188 family contracts. The county employs 357 full-time workers, she added.

Long said if the employees continue to use their insurance plans wisely, the savings can lead to other benefits.

"We want them to use the insurance if they need it," he said. "We want them to be wise with it. The savings we realize can roll back into raises, other benefits. It's money we can save. If we go over on insurance, it comes out of the general fund, not from Blue Cross."

He said if the insurance needs are low, Blue Cross refunds a portion of the money.

"We're not getting rebates like we were, but we're still in good shape," Long said. "We're comfortable not having to raise employees' rates."

District 2 Commissioner Randy Vest said he's encouraged the employees are seeing the savings and using MDLIVE.

"For any type of illness that they can use that program for not only saves them money but saves us money, too," he said. "Employees not going to emergency rooms has been very beneficial to us."

MDLIVE provides patients, health plans and self-insured employers with access to board-certified doctors, pediatricians and licensed therapists, the company's website said. Consultations are by online video, photo or app.

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Reeves said the county pays about $15,000 annually for MDLIVE services.

In other action at the commission:

--Approved a $13,801 final payment to Arab Water Works for relocating utilities at Union Hill Road from Apple Grove Road to U.S. 231 for a project approved Dec. 11, 2018. The cost covered pipes, gaskets, fittings, equipment and labor.

--Authorized George Hill, IT director, to transfer some county wireless service accounts, including first responders, to First Net Wireless service.

--Declared a Sheriff's Office 2003 Chevrolet 3500 van as surplus and donated it to the Hartselle Police Department for inmate transportation. Sheriff Ron Puckett is the former Hartselle police chief.

--Approved a 2020 holiday schedule that provides 13 paid holidays and one personal day. The commission also amended the 2019 holiday schedule to include July 5 as a paid holiday, giving employees 14 paid holidays and one personal day this year.

-- mike.wetzel@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442. Twitter @DD_Wetzel.

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