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County reviews ‘patient’ medical credit program and a proposed preventative-screening incentive for employees
Summary
Duchene County staff reviewed a no-interest medical credit option used by employees on the high-deductible plan and proposed a $50 preventative-screening reimbursement for insured employees; commissioners asked for usage data and further outreach before deciding.
Duchene County human-resources staff briefed commissioners on two employee-health proposals on Sept. 15: (1) continuing or expanding a no-interest medical credit product known as “Patient” that provides employees with a $1,000–$2,000 credit line for medical bills, and (2) a proposed preventative-screening reimbursement program that would give insured county employees a modest cash incentive to complete recommended screening tests.
Staff said the Patient card currently operates for employees on the county’s high-deductible plan and carries a $2,000 credit limit (an apparent increase from an earlier $1,000 limit). The county pays a per-employee monthly fee for the program; staff estimated the 2026 cost at $3.12 per eligible employee per month to maintain the $2,000 limit or $2.95 per employee per month if opened to all insured employees. HR reported no defaults on repayment in the county’s experience and described payroll-deduction repayment as the mechanism for recouping amounts charged by employees.
Separately, HR proposed a preventative-screening reimbursement: $50 per insured employee who submits proof of a qualifying preventive exam (eg, annual physical, mammogram, colonoscopy and other listed screenings). Staff priced a program limited to the 155 employees currently on county insurance at $7,750 if every insured employee used it; expanding the program to a broader set of part-time or reserve staff at a lower per-person amount would raise the total cost accordingly. Commissioners asked HR to survey employees, gather usage statistics (how many have signed up for Patient and how many have used it historically), and perform outreach at the county wellness fair before making a final decision during open enrollment.
Why it matters: Both proposals are employee-benefit decisions that affect county payroll costs and employees’ access to medical care. Expanding Patient eligibility increases the county’s per-employee fees even if it reduces employee medical debt stress; the preventive-screening reimbursement has a direct cost but aims to reduce long-term insurance claims by catching conditions earlier.
Ending: HR will report back at a future meeting with counts of how many employees are enrolled and have used Patient, alternative fee scenarios (including reverting to a $1,000 card limit), and results of wellness-fair outreach ahead of an Oct. 15 internal decision timeline for open-enrollment planning.
