Allen County is on track for significantly lower health care costs this year, thanks to recent programs to encourage wellness and allow employees to take a more active role in managing their prescriptions.
Commissioners heard an update on the county’s health insurance policy from representatives from Bukaty Companies, a Kansas City employee benefits and insurance brokerage firm, on Tuesday.
The county is on track to spend roughly $869,000 on health insurance this year, the lowest since 2017-18, averaging $732 per employee, per month.
The county’s worst year, at least recently, was in 2019-20 when it paid $1,146,715 or $944 per employee, per month.
In 2021, the county switched its health insurance provider to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas. Costs have gone down every year since.
“Is it safe to say Blue Cross Blue Shield was a good decision?” Commission Chairman Jerry Daniels asked.
“Absolutely,” Phil Drescher, who has represented the county for Bukaty for years but is retiring, said.
He explained the county made the change because of an employee whose health needs were quite expensive. BCBS was able to better absorb those costs.
“Is there something employees are doing differently? What is happening at the user level?” Commissioner David Lee asked about the lower costs.
Part of the difference could be attributed to the natural five-year cycle of health insurance costs, Joe Holdenried, a consultant with Bukaty who will now represent Allen County, said. It’s normal to have one bad year, three average years and one good year. This could just be a good year, he said.
Holdenried and Drescher said a big part of the savings is likely attributed to having fewer employees with large claims, as well as employees taking a more active role through the use of wellness checks and other proactive health measures.
One program in particular is likely making a big difference, they said. In February, the county joined Tria Health, an Overland Park company that serves as a middleman between patients, physicians and pharmacists. The service manages medications used to treat chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and more, and often results in lower costs for prescriptions drugs as well as improved health outcomes.
Out of 116 eligible employees, 13 are participating in Tria. The company has identified 44 medication-related problems, and reviewed 113 medications and 71 health conditions.
County employee Rick Aiello was at Tuesday’s meeting and said the program has helped him reduce his prescription costs.
“It’s helped me a lot,” he said.
Holdenried and Drescher encouraged the county to take advantage of those stories to encourage more employees to participate in the program.
Regional study
Humboldt City Administrator Cole Herder spoke to commissioners on behalf of Thrive Allen County, as economic development director Johnathon Goering was at another meeting.
