Carroll County Delegation weighs $164,000 assessment after NHIT trust insolvency

Carroll County delegation members on an August meeting discussed a request from county commissioners to pay roughly $164,000 to cover outstanding employee medical claims tied to the insolvency of the NHIT interlocal health trust.

The request, described during the meeting as an assessment from the trust's receiver to cover unpaid claims, prompted debate over where the county should take the money. Linda Mattchet, Carroll County's director of human resources, told the delegation, "We signed an agreement with NHIT back in 2012. It's a member services agreement. Mhmm. We joined a risk pool." Mattchet said NHIT had been the county's prior health plan administrator and that outstanding claims remain to be settled after NHIT wound up operations June 30.

Why this matters: delegation members and county staff said unpaid claims could result in providers seeking direct reimbursement from employees if the county does not pay the assessment. One county official reported the receiver had indicated that if Carroll County did not pay the assessment, the receiver "will not pay our outstanding claims," which could leave employees liable for medical bills.

County staff and representativ…