Sullivan County Commissioners Vote To Switch Health Plans

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – Sullivan County commissioners voted Monday to save $1.6 million next year by switching the county’s health insurance carrier.

The county spent about $6 million last year providing health insurance to more than 1,600 county employees and their families, said Commissioner Joe Herron of Kingsport, who is chairman of the commission’s Insurance Committee.

Herron said CIGNA, which has provided the county’s insurance since July 2006, offered to renew its services next year for 28.93 percent, or $1.7 million, more than it charged this year.

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee offered to take over the coverage for only a 3.9 percent increase, or $222,000, more that what Cigna’s currently charges. BlueCross BlueShield also included vision insurance in this price, Herron said, while CIGNA charges an additional $100,000 per year for the service.

The switch will occur on Jan. 1.

“The benefits that are being offered [by BlueCross BlueShield] are very similar to CIGNA,” said Phillip Ketron, a consultant who helps the county with insurance matters.
County employees will see a slight increase in their health insurance premiums as a result of BlueCross BlueShield. Those with employee-only coverage will pay about $1.02 more each paycheck, Ketron said, while other premium increases will depend on an employee’s level of coverage.

Ketron said the only drawback with accepting BlueCross BlueShield is the company wants the county to wait until November 2009 before it solicits new bids for the 2010 calendar year.

He said this would put the county at a disadvantage if it wants to switch carriers because it would only have two months to do so.

Also on Monday, commissioners approved plans to lease space in the Sullivan County Regional Department of Health’s Blountville office to Appalachian Mountain Project Access.

The agency will pay $1 per year to lease a small office, according to a resolution sponsored by Commissioner Sam Jones of Kingsport. The group operates under the umbrella of Kingsport Tomorrow’s Community Health Improvement Project, according to Jones’ resolution.

“This is simply an office to screen a single client,” said Barry Honeycutt, the health department’s director of operations. “It would allow them to screen clients and do the things that they would do.”

Based out of Johnson City, Tenn., Appalachian Mountain Project Access is a non-profit group that links people who do not have health insurance with doctors who provide volunteer care.

The group’s network of 163 volunteer health-care providers has donated $800,775 worth of medical care to 109 people since February, according to its October newsletter.

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