Employee benefits claims $543,000 above last year; county monitoring cash to end fiscal year

Employee benefits claims are running higher than a year ago, and county staff told the Oklahoma County Budget Evaluation Team on Tuesday they are watching cash closely to get through the end of the fiscal year.

John Wilkerson, benefits staff member, told the committee that at this point medical claims are about 1% higher and prescriptions are trending roughly 4% higher than the same time last fiscal year, leaving combined claims about $543,000 over last year. "Overall, those combined were up $543,000 compared to this time last fiscal year," Wilkerson said.

The update matters because the benefits fund must cover claims as they are submitted and because timing of reimbursements can materially change the shortfall. Wilkerson reported that county COVID reimbursements budgeted at $300,000 have produced about $132,000 so far and that prescription rebate timing is uncertain. "The only one we're not gonna meet this fiscal year is the COVID reimbursements. We budgeted 300,000. So far, we've collected 132 thousand," he said, adding that a sizeable prescription rebate and pharmacy reimbursements are expected that could narrow the gap.

Wilkerson described the reporting and cashflow mechanics: prescription payments are prepaid on a rolling schedule (two weeks in advance, with a typical prepayment of about $250,000) and the final picture will be clearer as late claims and rebates post. He said the office is working with finance to produce a final estimate and that, if necessary, the county can push some year‑end expenses into the next fiscal year to preserve cash. "We can always, as we do in the past, push from those end of the year expenses into the next fiscal year if we have to," he said.

Committee members asked whether the $543,000 estimate assumes pushing expenses forward; Wilkerson replied the number is a current guesstimate and that the coming month’s claims and expected rebates will provide a clearer projection. He warned that very large individual claims can skew weekly averages — noting single weekly claim totals as high as $800,000 in previous months — and that timing matters when those large claims arrive.

The chair requested that the clerk’s office include Wilkerson’s spreadsheet in the record; the board voted to receive the report and make the document part of the meeting record.

Committee members said they will monitor the numbers and asked for an updated estimate next month as rebates and late claims post. The benefits office will return with a refined projection as finance and benefits finalize the month-end numbers.