The Pulaski County Commissioners say their decision to keep the same county health insurance provider will not have a negative impact on taxpayers. Earlier this month, the commissioners decided to stay with insurance company Cigna and local agent Dave Bennett, after several county employees said they were happy with their current coverage.
But concerns about whether that was best for taxpayers were raised during last week’s commissioners meeting. The commissioners explained that another provider promised to save the county $300,000, but would have combined employees’ individual health savings accounts into one county HSA.
Commissioner Kenny Becker said that would have meant more work for the Auditor’s Office, and a loss of benefits for some county employees. “At the end of the year, if they don’t use that, they keep that,” he explained. “We’ve got guys in the county – I know one who says he’s got about $14,000 in there.”
Under the other plan, that unused money would have gone to the county, instead. The commissioners said that Bennett ultimately agreed to match the low price, and they decided not to switch.
