Riley County’s Human Resources director told commissioners Thursday that an internal panel decided not to change health insurance providers.
Elizabeth Ward, Riley County Human Resources director, said an employee advisory group recently researched health insurance options for Riley County employees.
Ward said the group is made up of employees from different departments at varying levels. She said over the last couple years, there has been considerable debate and complaints regarding health the county government’s participation in the state insurance plan, and assertions that premium and deductible costs, as well as maximum out-of-pocket expenses have risen, Ward said.
“The consensus was to look for different options,” she said. “There was an idea that that price was going up and it was becoming too expensive for our employees.”
Research into brokers and companies found that the premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums have gone down over the last five years under the state plan, Ward told commissioners.
She noted that there have been some cost increases to the county’s contribution as employer under the plan, but she added that the increases have been “consistent and controlled,” Ward said.
Ward said because of the massive size of its employee pool, the state of Kansas enjoys much greater leverage with insurance companies, and while that equates to less control for Riley County as an individual employer, “that lack of control has been to our advantage,” Ward said.
Most importantly, Ward noted that the coverage itself is widely regarded as excellent.
“We have no complaints from our employees about the actual medical coverage,” she said.
Some employees disagree with the requirement to complete or participate in wellness programs to receive discounts. Ward said wellness program requirements are practically ubiquitous among health insurance policies.
“It doesn’t really matter what company,” Ward said, “they’re going to want your population to be healthier.” She said currently, Riley County employees can receive a $40 monthly discount for participation.
Ultimately the panel decided not to seek other bids but retain the current plan agreement.
