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Commissioners approve $250 ER copay, move benefits to Unified Care Connect and accept wellness plan changes
Summary
The board approved a $250 emergency-department copay, transitioned the county—s group benefits to a Unified Care Connect product, and approved a redesigned wellness incentive program; commissioners also discussed a proposed employer clinic and other pharmacy strategies.
Dubois County commissioners on Aug. 18 voted to implement a $250 copay for emergency-department visits and to move the county—s group health benefits to the Unified Care Connect product. The board also approved a redesigned wellness incentive program for 2026 and discussed, but did not finalize, a proposed employer clinic model and other pharmacy initiatives.
Benefits broker and county staff presented options and financial impacts. The commissioners voted to adopt the $250 ER copay and transition to Unified Care Connect as recommended by staff and the benefits broker.
The board spent considerable time discussing a proposed clinic. County staff presented a Beacon/Deaconess-affiliated clinic proposal that would be available to employees and covered dependents; staff estimated the employer cost at roughly $115,000 a year for the county—s population, which equates to an estimated $500 additional benefit per covered life under current enrollment assumptions. The proposed clinic would offer no-cost sick visits, telehealth, annual and sports/DOT physicals, basic labs and a selection of covered generic medications dispensed at the clinic (staff estimated about 67 covered drugs and 18 labs). The board expressed general support but asked staff to return with contract language and operational details before final enrollment.
On wellness incentives, the board accepted committee recommendations for the 2026 design: keep minimum incentive structure, retain monthly lunch-and-learn events as reasonable alternatives, add waist-circumference as an alternative measure within the weight/BMI category, tighten cholesterol standards slightly, and require covered spouses on family plans to complete the health screen and meet three of five screening standards to qualify for the wellness incentive.
Commissioners also discussed pharmacy-management strategies, including proposed biosimilar coverage language (to encourage use of lower-cost biosimilars where clinically appropriate) and a Good Samaritan program option to address very high-cost claimants; staff said Good Samaritan engagements are selective and typically require clinical review before acceptance.
Board members said they will continue to refine clinic contract terms, biosimilar language and Good Samaritan criteria with counsel and the broker and will return with finalized agreements at a subsequent meeting.
