Employees working for Vermilion County will soon be offered a new health insurance package. Bill Pickett has the story….
The County Board will be asked to allow chairman Steve Miller to sign an agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield for its Blue Choice Options PPO….
{Audio: “We will be approving this plan, and then we will be introducing it to our employees. And they will then enroll if they choose to, and we will start deducting payments from their wages in September so that we have insurance in force on October one – when Health Alliance will no longer be available.”}
Miller says the county struggles to compete with other local employers. So, he adds, hopefully offering a good health insurance plan can help….
{Audio: “Our insurance broker – EPIC – has worked out a proposal with them which we think is very desirable for our employees, and which will provide some cost savings to the taxpayers.”}
The estimated annual premium for the county is expected to provide a savings of just under $700-thousand dollars over the next two fiscal years.
All major local medical providers will be in tier one under the new proposal…including OSF Medical Center, Carle, and Christie Clinic. County employees would also be able to travel to such places as Indianapolis for medical treatment and still be in tier one.
Under the proposed Blue Choice Option PPO a single county employee’s premium would drop from $1,045 now being paid for Health Alliance to $831. An employee with one other person on their plan would pay $1,197 – down from $1,505 now being paid for Health Alliance.
County Board member Jerry Hawker voiced concern about CVS Pharmacy not being listed as a participating pharmacy in the county’s proposed new plan. And he noted Polyclinic is listed among Tier 2 participants.
