2/14/1995 - Laserfiche WebLink

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60pK � �i�GE �Q Commissioner Adams wanted to be sure whether there was a $50 deductible, and Director Price reiterated that the $50 deductible has been temporarily waived to measure the effect on the plan. Commissioner Bird stated that he is getting feedback from some of the employees who unfortunately have had an opportunity to use the service since the change was made and feel the costs are considerably higher to them. He asked Utilities Department employee Bill McCain to explain how the expenses involved in having a baby this last year ended up being considerably more than anticipated. Bill McCain stated that he had prepaid $1,000 out-of-pocket medical to the doctors for his wife's pregnancy and that, as a result of the October 1st change, the out-of-pocket more than doubled outside PPO care. They had planned for the birth and had put the money aside to handle it; however, with the change in the policy, they paid an additional $2,200 out-of-pocket for this birth. The other glitch was that, since the doctor collected the money prior to the actual birth, they actually paid an additional $400 over the $1,000 they were supposed to pay as of October 1st because the physician had not billed for it. They cannot recover the $400 primarily because the physician did not bill for it prior to October 1st. The change has hurt them quite badly. They also had problems with PPO doctors with their children and will not go back into that program again. They have no objection to the rules being changed if they are done within a calendar year period which is what deductions and out-of-pocket expenses are based on, but feel as though they have been circumvented in that the rules were changed in the middle of the game. Chairman Macht questioned if there would be a contractual obligation to hold employees harmless from a mid -stream change such as this. Director Price responded that the changing of the plan design is going to negatively affect some employees no matter what the date of the change. The beginning of the plan year is October 1st which is when changes have been made for as long as the County has had a health care plan. Mr. McCain is not the only employee who had a pregnancy in process and the change has had the same impact on the other employees. There are also those employees who had reached the out-of-pocket cap and will have ongoing medical care, not just passing medical care as with a pregnancy. FEBRUARY 14, 1995 20