Citing cost, Wellington leaving county's health insurance plan

WELLINGTON — Lorain County health insurance coverage for Wellington employees will be terminated at the end of the year. Village Council voted Monday night to leave the $40 million group plan negotiated by county officials. "We're burning the bridge tonight," said Councilman Guy Wells, who cast the lone vote against shedding the county plan. He said he would have preferred to wait and have questions answered about potential changes that may be made to the county plan. "But the commissioners have not made it easy to defend the plan," Wells said. A move to contract instead with Magis Advisory Group of Cleveland for health care coverage could come as early as next week. If adopted, the new plan would kick in Jan. 1. For Wellington, the county's plan comes with an annual premium of $958,056, according to Council. Under Magis' plan, that premium would drop between 11 and 15 percent, depending on enrollment options. A change has been in the wind for a couple years, said Councilman Gene Hartman, noting increases expected to hit the county's insurance plan make it unsustainable for the small town. The trick has been finding another provider that would save money without cutting into workers' benefits. Hartman said Magis' offerings do that and more: "The cost is for some employees less than what they are paying now for basically the same benefits." Councilman William Bogan said he wouldn't throw his support behind any insurance plan that would save Wellington money on the backs of employees. "I would have a problem with us saving money by passing it on to them, because that's a pay cut. That's not happening," he said. Magis' plans not only evade that problem, he said, but could effectively put more money back in employees' pockets. He also said built-in cost increases due to inflation and other factors are anticipated to be much lower under Magis than the county's health insurance. The vote to leave the county's plan comes as commissioners are gearing up for a "dependent eligibility audit." The audit was announced in an unsigned July 1 letter to municipalities. It's intended to find whether people who should not still be covered — ex-wives or children who have aged out, for example — are using county health insurance. The audit is "an effort to be diligent in ensuring we only have the appropriate persons on the Lorain County health care plan," the letter stated, noting that "every dollar spent comes from our hardworking taxpayers." The letter also alleges that no routine eligibility audit of the county plan has ever been conducted. Aaron Marinelli, CEO of Magis Advisory Group, told the Wellington Personnel Committee that kind of audit should be done every three to five years. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.