Productivity Committee Administrative Services Subcommittee Minutes 06/15/2009 Subcommittee on Administrative Services 12 noon Underlined text added at the
suggestion of Laura Davisson, June 15, 2009
Attending: Janet Vasey, Gina Downs, Jim Gibson, Larry Magel, Len Price, Laura
Davisson, Connie Murray
Laura brought in handout.
Countywide millage. There are 300+ areas with different millage and MSTU, etc.
Difficult to explain to people.
Purchasing dept. When they moved from 75% budget to 85% budget, put back
employees. Prioritized in order in which they would be restored.
Human Resources: $100K Page 38-39 in original budget. Larry: External consultants,
$48,700 and employment operations for $39K. Are those staying out, or will they come
back in? Answer: Still feel you need external consultants. Len Price; Some is
background checks, some is educational checks. Fingerprinting is also external
consultant service. Administration support ... what is it? Len is not sure, will find out.
Self insurance: Jim Gibson talked with Jeff Walker. Growing unrestricted reserves.
Post retirement pension must now be included in reserves. BUT, given that, total liability
was $10M, now has gone to $9M. Assets of$34M. Have enough money to pay the
claims once, and still have 2 % times the funds to pay again. Len: Cover difference
between the reinsurance aggregate coverage and the maximum liabilities. Biggest
thing is they are keeping the rates stable. Could ha e reduced the rate, done a one time
rebate, but when doing so, rates start to increase. Felt that right now, keeping the rates
stable (especially health insurance premium) put them into a better situation. This year,
changed health plan dramatically. Will have some up front costs (for screening in year
one to get started). Wanted to be able to cover those. Could not predict how many
people would go into the higher plan.
Plan rather than what you pay determines your coverage. There are three plans. Do
nothing provides a 5K deductible, major medical type of plan. Plan B is the middle plan
which started this year. $500 deductible, $25 and $50 co-pay. They put everybody into
that plan. To stay in that plan, must have blood draw, do a wellness profile, meet with
health advocate. Higher plan is $200 deductible, $15 and $25 co-pay. To meet this plan
requirements, must meet all other requirements PLUS age-related base tests.
Same cost to the county for each plan. Three payer groups. One is the employee.
Cost to county for all those tests are borne by the county. Jim: Improvement in claims
percentage? Len thinks 10 to 15% reduction in claims.
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Similar to Manatee County which was implemented 5 years ago.
Larry: Risk management is down. Why? Projection of claims to be processed goes up
even though you have fewer employees. When you increase deductibles, people make
more claims.
Len: Only pay actual claims. Janet: Do you really have excess money? Len: You have
acquired reserves. Jim: Times like this it might be time to use some reserves (without
touching the unrestricted reserves).
Talking about whether county can afford to take on the increased insurance coverage.
Got to where we are now because of good measures in the past. Step plan,
prescription coverage for example. Will only cover certain drugs. If patient wants
another drug, they pay the difference. Covered over the counter drugs when FDA
deregulated dugs like Prilosec
Jim Gibson: In 2007 you had a comment on the build up of all reserves. '08 is almost a
50% increase over 07. Lori: Since audits have been done, there have been very large
rebates. IBNR seems to be anticipating an increase. BUT, it has decreased instead.
Lori: they have changed the policy (wind damage, property damage) on the front end in
terms of reinsurance vs increasing the deductibles. Len: Also readjusted property
values which brought rates down.
Janet to Jim: Having talked to Jeff, what is your feeling? Jim: Issue needs to be
seriously looked at. Baring anything else, he would agree with auditor assessment from
2007. Have drawn down BUT, reserves are there (with smoothing effect). Thinks NOW
is the time to draw upon reserves, NOT build them up.
Laura: Workers comp rates increased. Reduced from 09 levels WITH rebate. I believe
our discussion was that workers compensation premiums charged to departments have,
on the whole, decreased from FY 2009 levels
Janet: What magnitude do you think is excess? Cover needs even though they would
be higher as is the case with health care coverage?
Jim: When you approach (after all reserves for payment as required by Fl. Statutes a 2
month run of period). But, still have reserves more than double all of that. Lori:
Reserves are reduced 1.2% going into 2010.
The health plan dipped so low, they had to borrow from property reserves to pull funds
to fund reserves.
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