ACTION REQUESTED: Approve all six of the recommendations presented by the Benefits Advisory Board at the August workshop. Any Commissioner that wants to vote separately on any of the recommendations, could pull out that one item by number.
Virtual Musculoskeletal Program Replacement
Cigna is discontinuing the pilot program for our existing virtual physical therapy provider at the end of this year, despite great engagement and a 3:1 ROI. As a replacement, the BAB recommends Hinge Health through an amendment to our CVS contract. Hinge Health includes an expanded list of treated conditions and technical enhancements including wearable sensors to ensure proper form. We will also be able to continue offering this benefit at no cost to our members. Hinge Health has guaranteed a conservative ROI of 1.5:1, so there will be no cost to implement.
Pet Insurance
This voluntary benefit is the result of employee requests for a Pet Insurance offering. Employees will have a link to the MetLife website where they can get a customized group rate quote based on their pet’s breed, age, and other factors. Further discounts are available for multiple pets and premiums will be paid directly to MetLife by the employee. There is no cost to the county since this benefit is 100% paid for by employees.
Dental Buy-Up
Employee requests for an additional dental plan with richer benefits have led to this recommendation to offer a Dental Buy-Up plan. The county will still contribute the same amount of premiums by tier that it does for the Base plan, so employees who elect this coverage will be responsible for the additional cost of this plan. Zero-dollar impact on the county budget.
Vision Buy-Up
Employee requests for an additional vision plan with richer benefits have led to this recommendation to offer a Vision Buy-Up plan. The county will still contribute the same amount of premiums by tier that it does for the Base plan, so employees who elect this coverage will be responsible for the additional cost of this plan. Zero-dollar impact on the county budget.
Medical Plan Design Enhancements-
In an effort to keep up with local benchmarking, the BAB recommends the following medical plan enhancements:
a) Reducing the deductible and out-of-pocket max on the Consumer Choice Plan from $4,000 individual/$8,000 family to $2,750/$5,500
b) Reducing the out-of-pocket max on the Hybrid Plan from $6,900 individual/$13,800 family to $4,000/$8,000
c) Decreasing employee premiums by $250,000
d) Increasing HSA seed money contributions from $500 individual/$1,000 family to $900/$1,800
Reallocating current program funding means there is no new funding required to pay for these enhancements.
Approval of 2024 Premiums
Incorporating the recommendations of BAB, the Office of Financial Management, and our benefits consultants at Aon, the following benefit premiums have been calculated for 2024 (see attachment).