Vendor presents Washington National supplemental insurance options to Cass County commissioners

During the public-comment portion of the Cass County Commission meeting on Dec. 18, 2024, Tiffany Regiddle, representing Optimize and Washington National, described supplemental insurance benefits the company offers and answered brief questions from commissioners.

Regiddle said the company provides voluntary benefits — including cancer, accident and permanent life insurance — to counties and public employers in Missouri and Kansas. She described a “return of premium” feature under which planholders receive premiums back at a policy maturity date, and said Washington National’s policies are “permanent and portable,” allowing employees who leave county employment to keep their coverage. She also said certain plans are “non tobacco and non age rated” for cancer and heart benefits.

Regiddle told commissioners Washington National works with dozens of counties in the region and cited the City of St. Louis as a large client, describing that account as an 8,000-person group. She said the company is a member of the Missouri Association of Counties and that representatives attend conferences (she referenced MAC and CCAM). When a commissioner noted the county typically routes proposals through its human-resources director, Regiddle said she would follow up through HR.

The vendor presentation did not result in any formal action at the meeting; commissioners said they would discuss the vendor’s information with HR after the meeting. No contract, prices, or procurement schedule were provided in the meeting record.