[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6185341,"mediaKeyId","5082483-ad93da76807d9273958c62f7f190d826","parentId",5082483,"title","Blue Cross notifies group it will stop COBRA administration; county to explore alternatives","audioSeconds",110,"startMs",4858000,"endMs",4968000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5082483-ad93da76807d9273958c62f7f190d826&start=4858&end=4968","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5082483-ad93da76807d9273958c62f7f190d826/thumbnail_4858000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6185341/LaSalle-County/Illinois/Blue-Cross-notifies-group-it-will-stop-COBRA-administration-county-to-explore-alternatives","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185341-aa89c3255551a1444a1060d3a2d1cf7e/orig.mp4?Expires=1774672218&Signature=mR1WF8stAxl-cth01m1J0fmjpzHvJbngh~oyx1Qm3JIGwE4ITFwgXorVJ8lmHieA31FlrPbyjCaPLZcHSAGhxkpo1JJqwvoV7E9GChp3YLMi9evsOyFk2NzxRA5katqpQLn9zWycpIjKRLoEdSzEqS1H4drdJN5FWE3fD4WHV~MwsQJpNynCtqJMfWM1ZPFYD7bgm02DGEOS6jLRB-g4fhqknW~TeVEkQ0Gv4obl3SXJEZ1zm8tcSl42MKp0T-DIw0K7XH6T8Y75JmwEfkDR7RtN8lus6p02JpWCxkN-G5gZLFd5gDvbD6e0XzPh3kInzA0hv5oyzPXRd1o9Y-EWGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","LaSalle County, IL","date","2025-06-27T04:21:48Z","article","During the midyear briefing, Horton told the LaSalle County Insurance Committee it had received notice that Blue Cross plans to discontinue COBRA administration for employer groups and that LaSalle County may need a replacement vendor for COBRA administration beginning with 2026 coverage.

The Horton Group representative said the county may be one of few remaining groups administering COBRA through Blue Cross and that Horton would propose replacement vendors. Horton identified Medcom as a preferred vendor and offered to arrange a demo or call so county staff and the committee could evaluate options. Horton also said using a preferred vendor through Horton’s scope of services could avoid an extra vendor cost.

Why it matters: COBRA administration is an operational function that ensures continuation coverage for qualifying former employees; a vendor change will require data transfers, vendor selection and a short administrative transition timeline to have coverage administration ready for 2026.

Ending: Horton and county staff agreed to schedule follow‑up calls and to bring vendor proposals to the committee for approval ahead of the 2026 administration renewal.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Insurance 6/26/25","oneSentenceSummary","Horton told the LaSalle County Insurance Committee that Blue Cross plans to discontinue COBRA administration for employer groups; Horton recommended the committee consider vendors such as Medcom and will present options for 2026.","taxTitle","LaSalle County, Illinois","taxId",59330,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6185348,"Committee approves $300 HealthJoy direct‑mail test to boost employee activation",269,5249000,5518000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5082483-ad93da76807d9273958c62f7f190d826&start=5249&end=5518","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5082483-ad93da76807d9273958c62f7f190d826/thumbnail_5249000.jpg","/articles/6185348/LaSalle-County/Illinois/Committee-approves-300-HealthJoy-directmail-test-to-boost-employee-activation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185348-e1c032b847b9675937db7d8d42ba6678/orig.mp4?Expires=1774672218&Signature=JXnZPytDJJ-KmoHHo~NKwk7xY7A6A88d81vPnHESfX87JA32SYnddjH-9vQ4SJGaYPIn1AI8EcdGeugWyHZojJfhJhGucAcva-Mm6uX3U5NOtS9w6LkyPkAao4JphyUVhezhXABov7D0Tr0sW08wdC4MUJsnE~Gn~SDCESx8oStHLbIxmL2bglVGpBTZs2uGVfxixpNnkD9h~WhWABD7WhC6av-iYg4UgmHrVuZQoHbCgE7ciYW55KysGAB~Su9r~endukzQrT3c6HponMxzQUmlEdeTWlJTwPMZP499xna72fRT25~ZaH2K816NM8M4ZsVaVfbLhdHaKukwY5DCZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The LaSalle County Insurance Committee approved a one‑time $300 expenditure to print and mail a HealthJoy promotional postcard aimed at eligible employees who have not activated the benefit app.

Committee Chair Nancy Yurek said the mailer is intended to increase activation among workers who have not yet used HealthJoy. The Horton Group representative reported that 315 active employees are eligible for HealthJoy, 120 have activated the app (about 38 percent activation), and the tool produced $11,006.38 in attributed savings for the first five months of the year with an ROI of roughly 1.9.

The committee debated printing options and whether the county’s in‑house printing shop could produce a mail‑quality, weather‑resistant piece. Tom Walsh questioned an in‑house option; county staff said the county print shop did not produce the glossy mail pieces HealthJoy provided and a local printer in LaSalle/Grundy area gave the $300 quote. The committee approved the one‑time direct‑mailer expense by roll call: Kendra Pottinger — aye; Doug Sackley — aye; Tom Walsh — aye; Nancy Yurek — aye.

Why it matters: Horton representatives and county staff said higher HealthJoy activation could steer employees to lower‑cost providers and services, generating savings for the plan. The mailer is a limited test; the committee asked staff to report back on activation changes after the mailing.

Ending: County staff and Horton said they will proceed with the vendor and expect the mailer to appear in the next committee bills, as approved.","The LaSalle County Insurance Committee approved a one‑time $300 direct‑mail budget to promote the HealthJoy benefits app to employees who have not yet activated the service; committee members also reviewed current activation and savings figures.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6185352,"LaSalle County committee hears midyear health-plan review; consultant flags possible double‑digit renewal",2452,186000,2638000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5082483-ad93da76807d9273958c62f7f190d826&start=186&end=2638","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5082483-ad93da76807d9273958c62f7f190d826/thumbnail_186000.jpg","/articles/6185352/LaSalle-County/Illinois/LaSalle-County-committee-hears-midyear-health-plan-review-consultant-flags-possible-doubledigit-renewal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185352-371910c52179afca7b10c6d48ed58e75/orig.mp4?Expires=1774672218&Signature=RosO1ACBxlMDVfIwUczhxrfJuSE4BvAEYsmvvR40Cq0fatOebH5ew~qkl~2JXpVPi-s1VFfIftwMP6Vcr-DNQIKLBa5DaB45sqmjvcmrp6sVpKTRUZN24Lks2sYelLSw2qaYBJeeKYtRIp7vRqPMSNv2MF6wc9wJtE5fQJLFMSha7UHaUllE03WTbxmm9ojqAJmcSxA4~1GbvzdD0-ZWXRDXtocbSNttw71QdPMClPAHxTPVSNNthqme5~rWKwKavAuy-T6itmiGeHlogWky8Wfjz~RR7ErAd8KY6ggMAuvZO7N81poy1gHMDt5fahQb~18cycY-UQklN5QiRRJLLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","LaSalle County Insurance Committee members heard a midyear performance review of the county’s self‑insured health plan and were told the market is unsettled and the county’s 2026 renewal could be steep.

In a presentation to the committee, a Horton Group representative said carriers have struggled to underwrite recent years and that the county has seen more large claimants this year than last. “We are expecting a tough one this year,” the Horton Group representative said, adding that the firm used conservative assumptions for renewal planning.

The Horton Group representative told the committee that, in the firm’s early renewal modeling, stop‑loss costs were estimated to rise about 30 percent and overall renewal pricing could approach roughly 21 percent. The representative also said the county’s stop‑loss experience has included multi‑year reimbursements and that large claims remain the primary driver of year‑over‑year cost increases.

Why it matters: The county’s employee and retiree demographics — including a significant retiree per‑capita cost — and recent multi‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar claims mean the county’s premiums and stop‑loss expenses are sensitive to a small number of high‑cost cases.

The presentation reviewed plan performance since Horton began advising the county in 2018. Since then Horton said the county’s average plan increases were below national trend, in part because the county carved out post‑65 retirees onto a Medicare Advantage plan in 2018 and has pursued pharmacy contracting and utilization tools. Horton reported that, for the first five months of the year, the county’s per‑capita claim cost was up about 8.3 percent versus the same period last year and that the county had eight claims above $75,000 so far in the year compared with five in the first five months of the prior year.

Horton described pharmacy trends and new high‑cost therapy categories. The presenter said the county covers GLP‑1 medications only for people with type‑2 diabetes and that 29 members have used those drugs so far this year at about $62,000 in spend; for the full prior year Horton reported 53 members and about $200,000 in spend. The consultant also flagged an industry pipeline of gene and cell therapies with list prices ranging into the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars and said underwriters are trying to factor those risks into reinsurance and stop‑loss pricing.

Horton outlined several cost‑containment options the county could consider before renewal, including alternative network designs (Blue Choice Options or similar tiered networks), “bolt‑on” provider‑steerage apps such as Garner, point‑to‑point chronic‑care solutions, continued pharmacy contract negotiations and stronger member steerage via tools such as HealthJoy. The presenter said the county’s HealthJoy activation rate was 38 percent among eligible active employees and that the tool has produced some savings so far.

Committee action and next steps: Committee Chair Nancy Yurek asked for a motion to accept and place the Horton midyear health‑insurance report on file; a motion was made and the committee carried it by voice vote. Horton said it would gather the final census, run market solicitations in mid‑July to mid‑August, and aim to bring renewal recommendations to the county board in September.

Discussion versus decisions: The committee’s acceptance of the report placed Horton’s analysis in the record and authorized work to continue toward renewal and market negotiation; no plan design change or carrier selection was approved at the meeting. Horton repeatedly described the renewal figures as an early, conservative forecast pending final carrier proposals and market shopping.

Ending: Horton and county staff said they would provide an initial renewal estimate to the committee as soon as it is available and planned an in‑person committee meeting on Aug. 28 for further review and action.","The Horton Group briefed the LaSalle County Insurance Committee on midyear plan performance, citing rising large claims, pharmacy pressures and a conservative renewal forecast that could require roughly a 20–25% increase without market changes; the committee accepted the report.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Blue Cross notifies group it will stop COBRA administration; county to explore alternatives

Committee approves $300 HealthJoy direct‑mail test to boost employee activation

LaSalle County committee hears midyear health-plan review; consultant flags possible double‑digit renewal