Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Healthcare Cooperative topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County proposes $3 million reserve and expanded indemnification to form REACH health cooperative
Summary
Albany County officials presented two linked resolutions to create a $3 million reserve required under New York Insurance Law and to expand indemnification coverage for county officers and employees involved in the formation and administration of the REACH health cooperative.
Albany County officials presented two linked resolutions to help form a regional expansion of a county-centered healthcare cooperative called REACH (regional expansion of Albany County Healthcare Cooperative). Staff asked the committee to approve (1) a transfer of $3 million from the county fund balance into a newly created human-resources budget line to serve as the reserve required under Article 47 of the New York State Insurance Law, and (2) an amendment to Resolution 164 of 1993 to expand defense and indemnification coverage for county officers and employees when they act in roles related to development and administration of the cooperative.
County staff said the reserves are a statutory requirement under Article 47 of New York State Insurance Law and must be in place prior to submitting an application to the New York State Department of Financial Services for the cooperative’s formation. “These 2 resolutions represent the essential final steps in the process and require your authorization,” a county presenter said. Staff also noted that the recommendation to expand indemnification coverage came from outside consultants guiding the regulatory process.
Committee members sought clarification about who would be covered. David Moore and other presenters explained that the expanded indemnification would apply to county employees acting in duties beyond normal day-to-day county work related to the consortium; staff said members of participating organizations would be offered a model resolution to adopt similar coverage within their own entities.
The presenter said REACH currently counts eight partners and that partners include libraries and two villages within the county; the cooperative is modelled after a Tompkins County effort but is Albany County-based. Because the session was unofficial and lacked a quorum, committee members did not take a formal vote; staff said the resolutions would be circulated for sponsorship and presented for formal consideration when a quorum is present.
