Agenda - 10-14-2008 - 1 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

3 of funds into a spending account used for health related and/or dependent care expenses, resulting in a tax savings for both the employee and the County. The maximum contribution employees may currently make to the Medical Spending Account is $2,600 each benefit year. Federal regulations allow employees to contribute $3,000. Maximizing the amount of potential contributions allows employees and the County to take full advantage of all possible tax savings. The County's maximum allowable contribution to the Dependent/Child Care Spending Account is already at the Federal maximum of $5,000 per year. An enhancement to the 2009 Plan incorporates a debit card feature which enables employees to pay for expenses at time of service with the funds from their accounts. This feature should increase employee participation in the Flexible Compensation Plan. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Magellan Behavioral Health provides the County's EAP for County employees and their dependents. This benefit includes a number of services such as confidential assessment and counseling services, 24/7 emergency services, and legal consultation. Several changes that would greatly enhance the EAP can be made with an increase in cost of 7 cents per month per employee which would bring the overall cost to $1.61 per employee per month. The 2009 recommendation includes increasing the number of counseling sessions from three to five, the removal of the LifeManagement Resource and Referral Service, and the addition of financial consultation services to the legal consultation services. The LifeManagement Resource and Referral Service provides members with referrals for dependent or senior care which is duplicated by County departments. Increasing the number of counseling sessions will . allow employees more treatment and a greater continuity of care in dealing with personal, emotional and financial issues. The EAP is a complement to services provided through the County Health Plan at no cost to employees. Staff surveyed a number of local jurisdictions and found the average number of counseling sessions available to employees at no cost were 5 sessions a year. Organizations surveyed provided a minimum of 3 sessions to an unlimited number of sessions per year. (See Attachment 1.) Health Currently the County offers two fully insured health insurance plans. Both health plans are contracted through the NCACC Health Insurance Trust and administered by CIGNA. Over 90% of employees participate in the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plan, which requires participants to use a vendor network of physicians and facilities. The second plan is a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) that allows both in and out of network services. When using out- of-network services, the employee pays a higher portion of the cost. Both plans offer an in- network wellness benefit at no cost which includes physicals, health screenings and immunizations. The current number of employees enrolled in each plan, past rate changes and past plan changes to the health insurance are shown on Attachment 3. The County currently pays the entire monthly premium for employee and retiree only coverage for both the HMO and PPO plans. The County also subsidizes the premium cost for the employee's and retiree's dependent coverage at 52%, based on the lower priced plan (which has been the HMO plan for the past several years). This pracfiice provides affordable and accessible health insurance coverage for dependents (spouse, domestic partner, children, or