Agenda - 10-21-2014 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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10 1 process, and it would provide an additional 6 months of claims data to prepare for the new plan 2 year. 3 Commissioner Rich said the pharmacy increases seem to be a large jump. 4 Mark Browder said this is purely to help with cost relief. He said the $4, $45, and $60 5 co -pays are common within the County government plans. 6 Chair Jacobs asked for an explanation of the pharmacy tiers. 7 Mark Browder said tier 1 is typically for the low cost and generic medications; the 8 second tier is for the preferred medications from a cost and efficacy perspective, and these are 9 typically brand names. He said the third tier includes the most expensive medications. 10 Commissioner Rich asked which tier birth control falls under. 11 Mark Browder said these fall under tier one. 12 Diane Shepherd said due to health care reform birth control is in the first tier or free. 13 Commissioner Dorosin asked about the differences in the listed change percentages. 14 Mark Browder said there were discussions on how to insulate employees from an 15 increase in their premium cost structure. He said staff looked at what it cost for the County to 16 bear the entire increase, and these numbers are reflected. 17 Commissioner Rich asked if staff has looked into other insurance companies. 18 Mark Browder said this has not been done for this year. He said United Healthcare was 19 the most competitive in the past. He said if you look at the renewal based on the fully insured 20 for this year, it would probably be a 4 to 5 percent higher cost structure. He said it is typically 21 more cost effective to be self- funded, especially for the size of the group. 22 Chair Jacobs asked if there would there be a point where it would make sense to pursue 23 other companies. 24 Mark Browder said this would usually be done every three years. 25 Chair Jacobs said he knows there is not enough experience with the self- funded option 26 yet. 27 Bonnie Hammersley said staff will continue to look all of this. She said staff is also 28 looking into an in -house clinic. She said the next six months will give a better track record to 29 consider. 30 Chair Jacobs thanked the staff for listening. He said this will not be exactly aligned with 31 the budget adoption but it will be closer than 8 or 9 months out. 32 Bonne Hammersley said she has experience with this, and it does become very much a 33 part of the budget process. 34 35 36 3. Analysis of Non - Permanent Employees (Temporary Employees) 37 Brenda Bartholomew said at their June meeting the Board of County Commissioners 38 asked her to look at how the County was employing its temporary employees. 39 She reviewed the following information from the abstract: 40 Section 1: Definition of a Temporary Employee 41 Subject to the provisions of the County Code of Ordinances Section 28 -15 (b) a new temporary 42 appointment may be made for up to six months and may be extended for six additional months, 43 not to exceed a total of one year, except as provided in Subsection 28- 15(b)(3). 44 Subsection 28 -15(b) (3) states that the County Manager may approve the extension of a 45 temporary appointment beyond one year: 46 • When the employee regularly works 15 hours or less each workweek (as averaged on a 47 monthly basis). In urgent circumstances where additional hours are necessary to continue 48 critical services, the County Manager may approve additional hours in writing. 49 For this purpose, critical services include such services as public safety and top priority goals of 50 the County.