Oct 21, 2009 By Amy Revak 3 min read

Fayette commissioners to select insurance providers The Fayette County commissioners will take action Thursday to select the county employees’ health and life insurance providers for the coming year. During Tuesday’s agenda meeting, the commissioners voted to place on Thursday’s agenda motions to select the county health insurance provider for 2010 and the county life insurance provider for 2010 through 2012.

The recommendation is to keep the same health insurance provider and change life insurance carriers.

Consultant Gary Sefchok explained that the county has been fully insured in the past, with UPMC in 2005 through 2007, and with Highmark in 2008 and 2009.

Sefchok said he considered the fixed costs and actual claims using 445 employees, and the county looks like the perfect candidate for self-funded insurance for the coming year.

Sefchok said if everything runs according to plan, the county could realize a savings of $500,000 to $1.2 million.

“All things being equal, it makes sense to stay with Highmark,” Sefchok said.

The annual total cost to the county for 2009 was $3.8 million for Highmark. For 2010, Highmark offered a total cost of $5.2 million for fully insured coverage and UPMC offered a total cost of $5.3 million for fully insured coverage.

For self-funded options, Highmark provided a total annual fixed cost of $575,385, while UPMC provided a total annual fixed cost of $588,521.

The expected claims for 2010 are $3.4 million, making the estimated annual cost for the Highmark self-funded option $4 million and the estimated annual cost for the UPMC self-funded option $4.01 million.

Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites said the county does have a significant cost increase of 35 percent, but said it is part of a national trend.

“It’s more than double digits, it’s triple double digits,” Vicites said.

For the life insurance, Sefchok recommended that the county choose Fort Dearborn Life at an annual premium of $20,359. MetLife, which currently provides life insurance for the county employees, provided a price of $32,335.

Sefchok said MetLife offered a rate of 25 cents per $1,000 of monthly premium, while Fort Dearborn offered 15 cents per $1,000 of monthly premium, and gave a three-year guarantee.

In other business, the commissioners voted to again table action on an amendment to the county zoning ordinance that creates the “historic resource overlay.”

Although the process to create an amendment to the ordinance to address historic resources began three years ago, it has stalled in the last couple months.

Commission Chairman Vincent Zapotosky said he still hasn’t received answers to questions about noise, fences and signs.

Although Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink said the issue has gone on and on, Zapotosky said he isn’t satisfied with the final product.

Zapotosky said the questions he asked months ago haven’t been clearly answered by the consultant. Sara Rosiek, head of the county Office of Planning, Zoning and Community Development, said it would take a while to sit down and cross-reference the sections of the ordinance Zapotosky questioned.

“This thing has to be balanced,” Zapotosky said.

Zapotosky said municipalities normally decide the questions about noise and the only fence requirement in the zoning ordinance is for a 6-foot-tall fence around a gas well.

Zimmerlink said the idea of an overlay went from a simple approach to a more complicated one because Vicites wanted to hire a consultant.

Vicites said the consultant merely followed directives.

Zapotosky said he is willing to support the amendment, but it has to be discussed.

Zimmerlink then directed Rosiek to set up a meeting where it can be finalized.

“There has to be a balance. We can’t overlook economic growth and development, but historic structures are important also,” Vicites said.

Vicites and Zapotosky then voted to table the action, with Zimmerlink voting against it.