MAHONING COUNTY Insurance cost keeps rising, officials say

Premiums increased less than 10 percent from the last insurance contract.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- There was good news and bad news when Mahoning County commissioners awarded a contract for county employees' health insurance Thursday.
The good news was that an upward spike in premiums wasn't as high as had been feared. The bad news is that the costs, especially for prescription drugs, are expected to keep rising, said J. Kevin Sellards, human resources director.
He said the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently predicted that prescription medicine costs will increase some 26 percent a year over the next two or three years.
"We do not know where this is going to end," he said.
Contract awarded: Commissioners awarded a two-year contract to Medical Mutual of Ohio, which has been the county's insurance provider for several years.
Premiums are $269.47 per month for single coverage and $610.27 for family coverage. Sellards said that's about a 9 percent increase over the past premiums.
When commissioners signed on with Medical Mutual in 2000, the county's premiums jumped some 50 percent over the life of that two-year deal, which expired March 1. Commissioners negotiated a one-month extension while details of the new agreement were finalized.
Sellards said the 9 percent increase would have been much higher -- as much as 25 percent -- if commissioners had not switched to a self-funded program from a consortium of counties and municipalities.
They also changed the plan to include mandatory use of generic medicines when available and standardized $10 copayments for all doctor's office visits, among other things.
They also encourage employees who use maintenance prescriptions on a long-term basis to order their medicine through the mail, which is considerably cheaper than buying it monthly at a pharmacy.
"With prescription drugs driving the cost of health care, you want to make sure you go with the lowest possible prices" while ensuring that employees get proper medicines, Sellards said.
Most of the county's 1,400 employees have agreed to the changes, but some have not. Sellards said two unions have filed grievances against the county for changing their health coverage without going to the bargaining table.
The grievances were filed by unions representing some 43 employees at the Child Support Enforcement Agency and facilities management department.
bjackson@vindy.com