June 10, 2021 at 1:12 p.m.
County self-insurance rates up from 2013
An insurance committee representing supervisory, union and non-union employees recommended the changes.
The county manages the program, with Blue Cross/Blue Shield processing claims.
In 2013, Cass had $4.8 million in claims under the insurance program and finished the year with a $4.1 million balance in the fund. It includes options for three levels of single and family health plans.
To prevent what could have been a 48 percent increase in premiums for some employees, the committee recommended and board approved increasing deductibles by $500. Now, employees will have a choice of a $1,000, $2,000 or $3,000 deductible. Employees also may choose a $6,500 deductible family plan or $3,250 deductible single plan and may couple that with a health savings account.
The current, lower deductible had been in place for at least 20 years.
Under the adopted plan, the employer contribution will rise 4.74 percent, going from $1,060 in 2014 to $1,012 in 2015.
Employees must choose at least a $3,000 deductible health plan and a minimum $10,000 life insurance plan. They also can opt to buy disability, higher life coverage, dental or a health savings account.
Total 2015 cost per plan ranges from $610 for a single plan with $3,000 deductible to $1,813 for a $1,000 deductible family plan. The lower cost plans, which run less than the employer contribution, permit the employee to accept the difference between the plan cost and employer contribution to be paid in cash or to be applied to an optional coverage such as disability.
Single plan employees get between $277.44 and $444.44 credit to accept as cash or use toward other coverages, while family plan users must pay between $604.56 and $758.56 additional beyond the county contribution toward their health insurance plan. They get no credit toward any other type of coverage.
Chief Financial Officer Larry Wolfe reported the state auditor gave the county an "unmodified" status for the 2013 audit of the county's financial records. That is the best opinion available for county government financial practices, he said.
Tuesday, the county board voted to accept the lower of two bids to provide propane to the county this winter. Lakes Gas Company will supply the county with an anticipated 61,000 gallons of propane by full-load 9,500-gallon tank trucks to the county's large tanks at $1.415 per gallon.
They will supply about 46,900 gallons the county's smaller tanks with smaller truckloads at $1.49 per gallon.
That is up from the $1.375 per gallon the county paid in 2013-14 heating season for transport truck loads and $1.394 paid for smaller truck deliveries.
The board voted against paying $400 per month rent to continue using office space for the sheriff at Pine River Police Department and to move the sheriff's substation for that area to the land department building at Backus.
Sheriff Tom Burch noted the county does not pay rent for any other sheriff substations in the county.
Jana Sampers, who has been 4-H program coordinator for Cass County since June 9, provided the county board Tuesday with a long list of local 4-H students who won first place ribbons at a variety of competitions throughout the state this year.
Samantha Stewart came to the county in May to lead nutrition education programs. She said she has been coordinating with food shelf, farmers market, county health, family centers, schools and other community organizations to provide community support to complement her individual nutrition education instructions.
She focuses on helping people learn to prepare healthy meals, with a focus on fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
Health, Human and Veterans Services spent 59.7 percent of the 2014 budget during the first 66.67 percent of the year. Out of home child placement costs in the same time period ran 60 percent of budget.
An anonymous donor gave $75 and the Hackensack Legion, $400 for the veterans transportation program, which takes veterans to medical appointments.
The board authorized Cass Lake Fire Department to spend $346,211 from the department's $400,000 savings account to buy a new fire truck.
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