The Public Service Committee met Tuesday to review the last quarter of health care insurance for Union County employees.
Glenda Grimmett, client manager with CoreSource, updated the committee on the quarter, dating from April 1 to June 30.
Compared to last year, total claims, including medical and pharmacy, are down 17 percent, “which is wonderful news,” Grimmett said.
Per month, individual employees’ medical expenses were down 33 percent, while the pharmacy expenses were up 36 percent. The total expenses were down 24 percent.
“Even though our total number of prescriptions is down, our overall pharmacy cost was up,” Grimmett said.
She added that comparing the total expenditures from last year, the county is 9 percent under, “which is really good.”
“Overall, from a dollars perspective, I think we’re looking really well,” Grimmett said. “It’s actually a little under average.”
County Judge Mike Loftin said he wanted to have the meeting because he was concerned that the county was going into the direction that they were last year.
County Treasurer Debbie Ray said 2013 was the county’s worst year, with 2017 being the second worst year in the last eight years.
“The way our county has been managing the money and what we’ve got in the reserves, there’s a pretty clear picture as to how well this is going,” said Cecil Polk, committee member. “I feel so good the way this is being handled, plus where we are now considering health care across the United States and we’re below average. I think we’ve got a really great plan.”
Grimmett said she agreed that the county had a good plan.
“I wish I could take y’all to some of the other people and say ‘OK, this is how y’all do this and this is why,’” she added.
Kaitlyn Rigdon can be reached at 870-862-6611 or [email protected].