Hutchinson County reviews health-plan claims, sees pharmacy costs driving upcoming renewal

Kathy Davenport, a wellness and benefits consultant for the pool that insures Hutchinson County, told the Hutchinson County Commissioners Court that the county’s combined group health plans are seeing a modest easing in previously very high claims but that prescription costs have jumped and will be a major factor in the upcoming renewal.

Davenport said the county’s 12‑month claims or loss ratio is 124.76%, down from a prior 147% figure and near the county’s six‑year average of about 116%. “All of you have been here through some extremely bad claims. We are starting to see those in the claims data start to turn down,” she said. She added the insurance pool returned roughly $30,000 to the county over the past six years from investment surplus distributions.

The consultants emphasized that pharmacy spending has increased faster than medical inflation. “Number one was your cancer or chemotherapy at just over 123,000,” Stacy Brewington said when reviewing prescription categories; she also flagged costly diabetic medications and heart‑related drugs as top drivers. The…