Orange County NC Website
Budget for Fiscal Year 2005-06 <br />The County budget for fiscal year 2005-06 provides funding for up to a 15,9 percent health <br />insurance increase effective .)anuary 1, 2006. In dollars, this is $361,024 budgeted for the <br />projected increase, <br />Based on the 22.3 percent quoted renewal rate for 2006, the cost of the County contribution for <br />individual coverage and dependent coverage is greater than the amount budgeted for health <br />insurance for 2005-06. In dollars, this is an increase of $517,817 for 2005-06 or an increase of <br />$156,792 over the budgeted amount of $361,024, <br />Available Options to Reduce Proposed Rate Increase <br />Recognizing the overall cost of the rate increase quote provided by the NCACC and the <br />significant amount over the 2005-06 health insurance budget, staff conferred with our health <br />insurance providers to identify possible strategies for reducing the amount of the County's rate <br />increase, while simultaneously preserving the high quality of our health plans, <br />There are several options available for reducing the renewal rate increase quoted by the <br />NCACC Health Insurance Trust, These are summarized below, More detailed information as <br />to cost is provided in Attachment 2: <br />1, Option 1 -Renew the Contract with the NCACC Health Insurance Trust As Is <br />This option would continue County health insurance benefits at their present level. This <br />option requires a 22.3 percent budget increase, This exceeds the amount budgeted for <br />2005-06 and would require $156,792 in additional funding, <br />2.. Option 2 -Increase the Physician Office Visit Co-Pays <br />With this option, the co-pay for a primary care physician office visit increases from $10 to <br />$20, and for a specialist visit from $20 to $30 for bath plans. This option requires a 20.3 <br />percent budget increase. This exceeds the budget for 2005-06 and requires $110,350 in <br />additional funding. This option affects all physician visits by covered employees and their <br />dependents. <br />3, Option 3 -Increase the Prescription Co-Pav Tiers <br />With this option, the co-pay tiers for prescription drugs increase from $5 (generic)/$15 <br />(preferred brand name)/$30 (non-preferred brand name) to $10/$20/$30 respectively for <br />both plans, Option 3 requires a 19.1 percent budget increase, This exceeds the amount <br />budgeted for 2005-06 and requires $82,485 in additional funding. This option affects all <br />prescriptions obtained by covered employees and their dependents, <br />4. Option 4 -Increase Both Physician Office Co-Pays and Prescription Co-Pay Tiers <br />This option combines Options 2 and 3 above, affects both plans and requires a 17,2 percent <br />rate increase. Option 4 exceeds the amount budgeted for 2005-06 and requires $38,366 in <br />additional funding, This option affects all physician office visits and all prescriptions obtained <br />by covered employees and their dependents. <br />