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Consultant: Geary County—s Blue Cross plan posted favorable 2024 loss ratio; county should remain fully insured for now
Summary
A benefits consultant briefed the commission on the county—s 2024 health-plan performance, recommended continued monitoring and said the fully insured arrangement remains preferable given recent claims.
Consultants reviewing Geary County—s employee health plan told the commission that the county—s fully insured Blue Cross of Kansas plan produced a favorable loss ratio in 2024 and recommended staying fully insured for now.
Courtney Bickelmeyer, a benefits consultant working with the county, said the county—s 2024 loss ratio was about 74% (reported as 74% for the year and a rolling 81% over a multi-year window), a level carriers view as manageable. She also told the commission the most recent renewal produced a roughly 2.5% increase.
Bickelmeyer highlighted several items for commissioners and staff to watch: one pharmacy claimant driving six-figure pharmacy costs, a handful of high medical claims (including low-back, cerebrovascular and septicemia cases), and a recent uptick in claims in February through April. She said pharmacy costs overall were performing well for a group the county—s size and noted 87% of prescriptions filled with generics.
The consultant explained the difference between fully insured and self-funded options, saying county estimates show self-funding would currently expose the county to higher near-term outlays.
"Right now, you want to stay fully insured because you want the risk to stay on the insurance company," Bickelmeyer told commissioners, adding the consultant team would continue monitoring claim trends and market the renewal broadly at renewal time to push carriers to compete.
County HR said staff would continue running member outreach and cost-saving programs, for example promoting Blue Cross— smart-shopper options to encourage members to seek lower-cost facilities for imaging and elective procedures.
The consultant said the county should expect renewal materials in late September and recommended staff use the summer months to gather more data before finalizing July budget assumptions. No formal vote was required during the presentation; commissioners received the report and asked staff to continue monitoring and to coordinate with finance during budget season.
