Agenda - 10-01-2003-8d - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 2004 Rates The NCACC Health Insurance Trust and CIGNA have provided renewal rate quotations effective January 1, 2004 for the current health plans as follows: Plan Rate Increase Blue Cross Blue Care Plan 13.80% Blue Cross Blue Options Plan 13.80% CIGNA 17.21 Benefits Changes The NCACC Trust renewal provides for minor changes to the Blue Cross Blue Care and Blue Options Plans. • The Blue Cross Blue Care Plan includes one adjustment to the benefits offered during 2003. With the 2004 renewal, the Emergency Room co-payment increases from $100 to $150. • For the Blue Cross Blue Options Plan the Emergency Room co-payment also increases from $100 to $150. In addition, inpatient and outpatient hospital diagnostic services (such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs) are changed from full coverage to 90% coverage after meeting the standard $250 deductible. The CIGNA plan renewal also includes two minor benefit changes. One provides fora 60 visit limit on home health visits as compared to the previous no limit on such visits and the other provides a $5 discount on mail order prescriptions. County Contribution for Employee Health Insurance For the 2003 benefit plan year, the County established its contribution for employee health insurance as the: • Full cost for individual employee coverage and • 52 percent of the cost of dependent coverage based on the Blue Cross Blue Care Plan rate. The County then applied the dollar amount of the dependent contribution calculated based on the Blue Cross Blue Care rate to the Blue Cross Blue Options and CIGNA plans. The County had increased the subsidy from 40 percent to 52 percent with the January 1, 2003 renewal to offset the impact on employees of the 25 percent health insurance cost increase in 2003. The Attachment 1 draft monthly health insurance plan rates are based on renewal of the current plans with continuation of the current 52 percent dependent subsidy based on the Blue Care Plan. Continuation of the subsidy at this level maintains a key "family friendly" policy offered by the County. This is a family friendly policy in that it makes health insurance coverage for dependents, whether spouse, children or both, more affordable and thus accessible. It particularly benefits lower salaried employees for whom dependent health insurance coverage is a significant cost.