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CLARK COUNTY EYES HEALTH INSURANCE SAVINGS
Thursday, May 5th, 2005 -- 12:22 pm
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
It’s not often you hear the terms “health insurance” and “cost savings” in the same breath, but Clark County officials are optimistic that their health insurance costs could go down next year.
The personnel committee recently reviewed a report from consulting group Virchow Krause and Company. Currently, Clark County is self-insured through Claim Management Services, Inc. Virchow Krause explored the validity of changing to a fully insured plan under Security Health Plan, Wisconsin Counties Association Group Health Trust or the State of Wisconsin Group Health Benefit Program.
They determined a softening market could lead to savings of up to 22% next year; this after Clark County had to absorb a 30% increase in health insurance costs in their current budget.
But, any changes to health insurance coverage will likely have to win the approval of the different unions the county negotiates with. Those negotiations are underway, but Barb Petkosvek with the county’s department of administration says both sides have agreed not to talk publicly about the process, so it remains unclear where they stand.
Clark County does have contract language stipulating employees’ health insurance coverage has to be “equal to or better than” the previous year’s coverage. If the county and the personnel committee can’t hammer out a proposal by themselves, the process turns to a third-party arbitrator.
January 1st, 2006, is the soonest the county could have a new health insurance system, Petkosvek says.
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