Triple I a tells Garden City council its self‑funded trust saved about $2.67 million in 2024

Triple I a, a self‑funded public employee health trust, presented its annual report to the Garden City City Council Feb. 24. Amy Manning, Triple I a executive director, told the council the trust ended the year with growth in enrolled agencies and programs and reported cost savings driven by new member services.

Manning said Triple I a served about 117 agencies in the pool, with just under 2,500 employees and roughly 6,500 total members. She said the trust’s 2024 budget was about $38 million and that new programs and vendor negotiations produced roughly $2,670,000 in savings for the year.

Manning described the trust’s spending mix and service lines: approximately 89% of every dollar paid went to claims, with about 6% for administrative fees. She highlighted nearly $2 million in prescription rebates returned to the trust, and said stop‑loss premiums rose slightly because the plan hit several higher‑claim years. “As a reminder, that’s a benefit of being self‑funded,” Manning said of rebates, adding that those returned funds help the trust’s finances rather than flow to outside insurers.

On services, Manning described Triple I a’s telehealth program—two contracted nurse practitioners, Velma Siegels and Dustin Reno, staff a 24‑hour line that handled about 4,185 calls in the year. Manning estimated telehealth usage prevented roughly $305,000 in additional urgent‑care or emergency‑room costs. The trust also runs a 24‑hour helpline for member relations (5,536 calls) and an employee assistance/mental‑health program launched in 2020. Manning said almost 2,800 free counseling sessions were used in the year and the trust ran seven on‑site critical incident debriefs. The trust reported 30 members used inpatient behavioral‑health care (11 employees, three spouses and 16 dependents under age 26).

Manning also discussed onsite wellness screenings, which she said identified early diagnoses including several skin cancers discovered during screenings. She named recently launched initiatives such as a co‑pay assistance program for prescriptions; a CPAP/BiPAP sleep apnea program; a 15‑minute monthly “Mindful Mondays” session for members; new enrollment and billing software; and regional mental‑health wellness teams intended to improve clinician response times.

Council members thanked Manning for the report. City staff and councilors asked no specific follow‑up questions during the meeting. Manning said the Triple I a Board of Trustees would meet locally later in the week and encouraged staff to contact her office for any employee issues related to the trust’s recent pharmacy vendor change.

Key figures Manning reported: roughly 117 agencies, nearly 2,500 employees, 6,500 members overall, $38 million budget, $2,670,000 in recorded savings for the year, nearly $2,000,000 in prescription rebates, 4,185 telehealth calls and almost 2,800 free counseling sessions.