04/19/11 Representatives from the County’s Health Insurance Agency were on hand Monday with a 1st quarter review of their plan.
One item they highlighted was the emergency room utilization for members. In a comparison of benchmarks with the National averages and Advantage Health Solutions averages shows the County use well under at 159 with the National at 183 and Advantage at 214.
Inpatient bed days showed a substantial difference with the County at 102 and the National at 256 and Advantage at 259.
Commissioner Overmyer had heard that many Counties were saving money by providing a clinic for their employees and their dependents. He asked Charles Bushkill to look at the possibility for Marshall County, thinking it could be an additional way to save money. During the meeting Kevin clarified that those counties using the clinic were self funded and not in the same situation that Marshall County is in. The insurance specialists reviewed the pertinent data and don’t anticipate any additional cost savings.
They also presented information on program participation for members that have been identified as being qualified for programs due to medical conditions such as asthma, COPD, diabetes and hypertension. The graph they presented showed members; employees, spouses and children with 101 inactive participants and 84 actively participating.
Members also have the opportunity to participate in the Care Advantage program with three wellness coaching programs at no cost. The three wellness programs are smoking cessation, weight management, and stress management.
Bushkill said “Healthy employees keep your costs at a minimum.” He also noted that the premium increase for 2011 was only 3% although the county had a guarantee not to increase more that 9%. It was suggested contacting Advantage to begin working on another agreement to keep increases at a minimum.
