~Employees will enroll on Monday
BENTON -- After much discussion, Scott County commissioners approved a bid for the county's health and life insurance.
During their regular meeting on Thursday, commissioners decided to go with a plan provided by Principal Insurance Company, with the bid for health insurance awarded to Anderson Green Insurance in Sikeston for $48,916 a month.
But first, commissioners voted to negotiate on the health insurance.
"I want the same thing we had last year," said Dennis Ziegenhorn. And that's what they ended up approving.
The plan includes a $20 co-pay, and a $1,000 deductible, which is included in the $3,000 out-of-pocket maximum. Prescriptions will be $10 for generic, $25 for preferred brand and $40 for brand-name. Enrollment for county employees will begin at 8 a.m. Monday, noted Rita Milam, county clerk.
The total premium for the life insurance is yet to be determined, depending on how many people sign up, said Milam. The amount will not be more than was previously charged, but could decrease.
Once the negotiations were complete, the commissioners had a bit of trouble deciding to whom award the bid, as both Jeremy Anderson with Anderson Green Insurance and Dwayne Lorenz with Lorenz Insurance Agency in Sikeston had submitted identical bid packages.
After a brief meeting, they decided to try to split the package and award the health insurance bid to Anderson and the life insurance bid to Lorenz.
"We appreciate both of you working with us trying to get a settlement," said Commissioner Ron McCormick. He noted that the commissioners were in a tough position, as they were choosing a plan for close to 90 people.
Last year's health insurance was provided by American Community Insurance and obtained through Broker Benefit Services in Chesterfield, said Ziegenhorn. "With that plan, we saved the county $70,000 and we're actually right back to where we started (on the premium amounts) in 2006 with the rates," he said. Ziegenhorn said that although it was a good deal, it likely won't be a pattern that will repeat.
In other business Thursday:
Ziegenhorn, who was on hand in Miner on Thursday morning when that 911 call center was shut down and calls were redirected to the main office in Benton, said "everything went super."
He added, "It's really saving the county a lot of money with not having to upgrade the system there."
County Developer Joel Evans also presented commissioners with a resolution pertaining to a grant to help pay for a FEMA trailer which was bought for the county earlier this year. The resolution was a formal way to apply for $1,500, used to purchase and restore the trailer.