Laserfiche WebLink
3. Stand -Alone Pharmacy — At the February 0 meeting, staff was directed to research the <br />potential for a stand-alone Pharmacy. Our insurance broker has indicated that this option is best <br />suited to larger employers (3,000-5,000 employees) due to the cost of hiring a Pharmacist. The <br />cost to offer limited prescriptions at a wellness clinic is lowered through the use of a dispensary. <br />Under supervision of a Medical Doctor, certain types of medications can be dispensed without the <br />need to have a Pharmacist on staff. <br />4. Other Health Plan Adiustments — In previous years, numerous health plan adjustments were <br />made to provide a savings to the health plan, such as increased copays, deductibles, and out-of- <br />pocket maximums. With the assistance of our broker, staff will explore additional plan <br />adjustments for consideration for fiscal year 2017/18. <br />5 Continued Phase-in of Employee Premium Adjustment — Proposal Number 5 for FY 2016/17 <br />was to establish a premium split between the employer and employee and begin a two-year <br />transition to reach the recommended premium split (90%/10% for Single Coverage and 75%/25% <br />for Family Coverage). Based upon the recommended premium rates for FY 2016/17, an increase <br />of $30/month for both Single Coverage and Family Coverage would be near the recommended <br />premium splits <br />6. Continued Employer Premium Adjustments — As stated above, healthcare costs are projected <br />to increase by about 9.0% per year. This represents an annual increase of $1.6 million on a <br />countywide basis. Depending upon actual expenses, additional employer premium contributions <br />may be needed. <br />7. Pharmacy PPO Adjustment — Prescription medications make up a significant portion of our total <br />health plan expenditures. Last year, the health plan paid about $4.1 million for prescription <br />medications (in addition to copays from employees). This is a significant portion of total <br />expenditures (-23%) and these costs are rising faster than our overall health costs Therefore, <br />this area represents a significant potential for savings. Out insurance broker has obtained an <br />analysis of prescription medication expenses on the County's health plan for a one-year period by <br />provider This analysis has shown that prices paid for the same prescription medicines can differ <br />substantially at various retail pharmacies. Based upon the results of this analysis, staff <br />recommends eliminating some/one provider from the PPO network for prescription medications. <br />Summary and Conclusion <br />The County Health Insurance Fund is currently in solid financial condition, however, continued losses <br />similar to those experienced last fiscal year ($2.8 million) cannot be sustained. If adjustments are not <br />made, the Health Plan will likely face a funding crisis over the next several years. Staff has presented a <br />two-year plan above to address the current shortfall in order to ensure the long-term financial stability of <br />the County health plan. <br />Recommendation <br />Staff recommends that the Board of Commissioners approve the proposed changes (Numbers 1 through <br />8) detailed above for fiscal year 2016/17. Staff additionally recommends that the Board approve the <br />Potential Changes for fiscal year 2017/18 for further exploration. During next fiscal year, staff plans to <br />present final recommendations for fiscal year 2017/18. <br />Attachment: Health Plan Three Year Pro Forma <br />244 <br />