Kandiyohi County contracts USI for data-driven benefits review and ongoing claims support

Jonathan Sich, a benefits consultant with USI Insurance Services, told the Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 2 that USI will provide the county with underwriting and analytics, plan‑design modeling, quarterly claims review and population‑health services to help manage and forecast health plan costs. “We provide all services that have to do with underwriting and analytics, compliance, population health, HR services,” Sich said, describing the firm as “a full service agency.”

Sich said USI can download HIPAA‑protected claims data to produce renewal projections and predictive models and can benchmark stop‑loss and pharmacy contracts if the county considers switching to a self‑insured or level‑funded plan. “Going self insured, quite often can produce more efficiencies with your health plans,” he said, while also noting the need to set stop‑loss ceilings correctly to limit exposure.

Commissioners asked factual questions and raised concerns. Commissioner Imdeck asked whether younger recruits prioritize pay or benefits; Sich said younger workers “put more attention on compensation,” with benefits becoming more important as employees start families. Commissioner Imdeck also asked whether the benefit resource center reduces HR staff time; Sich replied that the center can take complex member issues off HR’s desk and return a single coordinated answer. Commissioner Dwayne Anderson pressed about disadvantages of self‑insurance; Sich recommended a deep claims‑level analysis, stop‑loss benchmarking and pharmacy contract review before changing funding models.

USI described a “3D” analytics feed to receive detailed ISD‑10 level claims data and said it will schedule quarterly meetings with county staff to review claims trends, propose plan design changes and provide an annual benchmarking report showing the county’s percentile among comparable employers. Sich said the vendor will also offer HR communications (presentations, short “flint” videos and open‑enrollment materials), a benefit resource center for employees and population‑health tools tied to incentives to raise program participation.

The board did not take formal action on the presentation. Administrator Kelsey Baker and county HR staff will coordinate follow‑up, including the next steps to share county claims data with USI for underwriting and modeling if the county elects to proceed.