Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Employee Benefits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County staff recommend renewing Delta Dental; propose Teladoc copay removal and musculoskeletal program
Summary
USI consultants advised commissioners April 3 to renew dental coverage with Delta Dental to avoid increased balance‑billing exposure, and proposed two modest medical enhancements — a $0.37/employee/month musculoskeletal care program and a temporary elimination of the $10 Teladoc copay to encourage telemedicine use.
Consultants from USI told Davidson County commissioners on April 3 that the county's employee health plan is in a stronger position after two high‑cost claimants left the plan this year. USI presented renewal options, recommended staying with Delta Dental to avoid balance‑billing issues, and proposed two small benefit enhancements aimed at redirecting care from higher‑cost settings.
Larry Reese of USI said the departure of two large claimants produced a favorable renewal environment. For dental, Delta Dental's renewal was higher (13.6% on the current plan, an increase USI quantified as roughly $58,590 annually in premiums) but carried a broader network match; MetLife bid a smaller percentage increase (2.8%) but with lower network match and higher risk of employee balance billing. Reese told the board the lower network match with MetLife would likely force some employees either to change dentists or pay additional out‑of‑pocket charges for dentists who do not participate in the new network.
USI also proposed two changes to the county's medical benefits: (1) a musculoskeletal (MSK) care navigation program to help employees with knees, hips, shoulders and lower back issues — USI cited a vendor price of about $0.37 per employee per month (roughly $4,000/year at current enrollment) — and (2) temporarily waiving the Teladoc $10 copay to reduce barriers to virtual care and divert some urgent care and non‑emergency ER visits to telemedicine. Reese said Blue Cross tracks which urgent/ER encounters could be diverted and that enhanced promotion of Teladoc could reduce higher‑cost visits.
Commissioners asked about network complaints, out‑of‑network balance billing and usage of Teladoc. USI said balance‑billing complaints have been minimal under Delta Dental in recent years and recommended renewal with Delta Dental to keep the balance‑billing exposure low. Commissioners asked staff to incorporate these proposals into final renewal materials and to provide communications and enrollment tools for employees if changes are adopted.
