Breakfast targets small businesses

By Karl Henkel

khenkel@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

George Samonas knows a little bit about health insurance.

He works for Partners Insurance Group LLC in Boardman.

So when his wife’s health- insurance rates recently jumped 17 percent, he was a bit surprised, especially considering his wife is in good health and hasn’t had any recent surgeries.

“They aren’t being lenient with her,” he said. “Starting in October, the rates are going up.”

Wellness programs are nothing new for bigger companies that can afford to embrace policies through wellness officers, but oftentimes smaller businesses don’t have that luxury. Carriers now are looking to those smaller businesses to make wellness changes.

Partners hopes to educate businesses of 51 or more employees at its free Health, Education, Awareness, Reform and Transition breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Holiday Inn in Boardman.

“The bigger message right now that the carriers are putting out is that they’ve cut their benefits as much as they possibly can,” said Julie Ginnis, president of Partners. “If they cut them any more, they’re not going to have a doctor co-pay.”

Carriers, Ginnis said, want customers to take preventive approaches such as eating healthful foods, exercising and regularly attending doctors’ appointments.

If customers take those steps, their insurance fees will remain at or near their current levels. If they don’t, their rates will rise.

Ginnis said some customers, however, will go a long way to avoid some wellness guidelines, such as regularly seeing their doctor.

She recalled one story of a Type 1 diabetic man who checks his sugar levels by the color of his urine.

“You just can’t do that,” Ginnis said.

In that situation, Ginnis said, the man’s rates would increase whether or not his health worsened.

It’s not just money out of his pocket, either, she said, especially when it comes to group plans.

“Our message to the employers is: If you want to lower your costs, this is how you do it,” Ginnis said.