MOULTRIE — Colquitt County Commission blunted the edge of a health insurance hike to some employees Monday, giving a break on coverage to single parents with one child and couples with no children.
After voting in December to increase family coverage to $300 per month, which applied to all but single employees, commissioners agreed during a Monday morning meeting to set premiums for an employee and one child at $175 per month. Premiums for an employee and spouse were set at $225 per month.
The vote on the change was unanimous, with Commissioner Billy Herndon absent from the meeting.
The insurance premiums approved amount to: An $18.46 deduction per pay period for single employees, $80.77 per pay period for an employee and child, $103.85 for an employee and spouse, and $138.46 for an employee spouse and one or more children or an employee with two or more children.
In December, commissioners addressed the premium and other insurance changes, voting then to begin deducting $40 per month from the paychecks of single employees, who had not paid any premium up to that point. Initially the deduction for all non-single employees was set to increase from $172 per month to $300.
Commissioner Johnny Hardin, who sits on the county’s Health Insurance Committee with Commissioner Ray Saunders, said that he asked County Administrator Marion Hay to examine the issue after the vote was taken in December.
“I thought a lot of employees didn’t have children on their coverage, and it would just be an employee and spouse,” Hardin said during a telephone interview Monday. “We also had a number that were divorced and had children. They came in today and gave us some options.”
The other options considered included a $200 per month deduction for an employee either with one child or a spouse. The third option called for a $150 per month premium for an employee and one child, and $200 for an employee and spouse.
The savings to the county on premiums, based on the proposal passed in December, were estimated at about $440,000. The changes decreased the amount of savings by an estimated $45,900.
Employees will see the changes on the first paycheck of the new year.
The changes in health insurance premiums and deductibles were recommended in December by Taylor Benefit Resource, a Thomasville company which reviewed the county’s health insurance premiums and benefits.
The recommended changes, not counting the premium increases, would result in $242,561 in health care savings for the county, according to the company. That includes estimated savings of $57,600 by increasing the in-network deductible from $250 to $500 and the out-of-network deductible from $500 to $1,000 and savings of $35,500 generated by charging a $250 co-pay on in-patient hospital stays.
Hardin said that implementing the proposals should help the county reign in health insurance spending.
“Hopefully, with the changes we’ve made in that, it should make a big difference and get our claims down some,” he said. “With the changes we can make and keep some of the folks out of the emergency room like we’ve been talking about, hopefully our premiums will come down.”
Commissioner Luke Strong said that commissioners wanted to give some employees a break.
“I thought that was good for the employees,” he said.
Local News
Insurance issue eases
- Local News
-
-
![5th electricity 003[1].jpg](http://d6673sr63mbv7.cloudfront.net/archive/x1346838054/g06e00000000000000006485a27f6a41274f4fedd9e375199d40c2a4b1a.jpg "5th electricity 003[1].jpg")
Fifth graders learn about electricity
-
Suspects struggle with deputies
An unlicensed driver who tried to avoid a license check Sunday morning didn’t help his cause when he allegedly struggled with two deputies after a traffic stop.
- Your Agenda 2/07/12
- 9:00 a.m. UPDATE: Homestyle News
-
Wayne Littles: From Moultrie to the moon shot … and beyond
The year J. Wayne Littles graduated from Moultrie High School — 1957 — Russia launched the world’s first man-made satellite, Sputnik 1. The Space Race was on, and America was losing.
Five years later, with a mechanical engineering degree from Georgia Tech in his hand, Littles joined the competition. Over the next half-century, the Moultrie native helped the United States put a man on the moon, develop a reusable space shuttle and establish a space station.
“I got into the program very early,” Littles recalled. “It was a very exciting time.” -
Fraud cases increase during tax season
With tax season in full swing, law enforcement agencies are fielding more and more reports of taxpayers whose personal information has been used for fraudulent tax filings.
-
'Spike The Bully'
-
EMC accepting applications for Washington Youth Tour
Colquitt EMC is accepting applications from area high school juniors to compete for an all-expense-paid spot on the 2012 Washington Youth Tour. The week-long once-in-a-lifetime leadership trip offers participants the opportunity to experience our government and our history up-close while having fun, making new friends, and gaining leadership skills.
-
Hamilton School helps Humane Society
-
SNAPSHOT: First performance
- More Local News Headlines
-
US, UK Pressure on Syria; More Homs Violence
Raw Video: Mass Killer Wants Medal, Freedom
Few Answers in Death of Sons of Missing Utah Mom
Court Strips Contador of Tour De France Title
Runaway Goat Leads Police on Wild Chase
And the Winner for Best Super Bowl Ad Is...
Raw Video: Deadly Helicopter Crash in Australia
Raw Video: Smoke, Purported Gunfire in Syria
Romney Latest Poll to Join Let-me-explain Club
Blast Kills Husband of Missing Utah Mom, 2 Boys
Obama: US, Israel Will Work Against Iran Nukes
NJ Museum Finds 19th Century Recording
Snow Causes Disruptions in Much of Europe
Clinton: Vetoed U.N. Syria Resolution 'travesty'
Romney Picks Up Decisive Win in Nevada Caucuses
Gingrich Renews Vow to Campaign Until Convention
Romney Rolls to Easy Win in Nevada GOP Caucuses
Raw Video: Missing Family Found Alive in Ore.
Police Clear Tents From Occupy Site in DC
Killer of Fla. Girl Found in Landfill Gets Life
