Board approves CDPHP for county health plan administration and pharmacy benefits after RFP review

The Columbia County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to authorize contracts with CDPHP to provide administrative services for the county's self-insured health plan and to continue as the county's pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), after committee review of proposals and a closed executive-session discussion with labor representatives.

County staff summarized an RFP process that drew multiple bidders: four vendors for administrative services only and seven vendors for pharmacy services, with several finalists screened for interviews. A staff member told the board that while an ASO vendor initially appeared to offer cost savings, those savings largely disappeared when combined with the available PBMs and when constrained by existing union contract terms.

"It was a unanimous decision from all of the members that they felt that it was in our best interest to stay with CDPHP both as our ASO provider and as our current PBM provider," a staff member said during the meeting.

Staff described prior changes in county vendors: the county previously switched from MPP to CDPHP and saw substantial savings at that time. The county also noted changes in mail-order fulfillment: Wegmans has taken over mail-order services previously handled by other vendors.

At the meeting, staff emphasized the uncertainty of future claims and the risk of relying solely on repricing projections: "All you need is one really horrific hospitalization or a premature birth of a child," a staff member said, noting large unpredictable claims can affect a self-insured plan's finances.

The board approved resolution number 42, authorizing the contract(s) with CDPHP. The resolution was moved and seconded and carried with an affirmative vote; no dissenting votes were recorded in the public meeting record.

The board asked staff to continue monitoring plan performance and to work with labor representatives to seek options to address rising prescription costs.

Clarifying details disclosed during discussion: the ASO RFP had four bidders (three finalists); the pharmacy RFP had seven bidders; the committee interviewed three finalists for each procurement stream; prior vendor change from MPP to CDPHP produced substantial savings in the past; Wegmans has assumed mail-order duties for some prescriptions.