Northampton County Council yesterday considered a $3,724,711 contract with Integrity Health for a voluntary and exclusive employee health center over the next five years. It's mostly a standard county contract, but also includes performance guarantees that Council members John Goffredo and Tom Giovanni suggested.
"How do we know it's going to save money if we have so many unknowns?" asked Goffredo. Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron said that patient advocacy alone would result in huge savings, as well as a replacement for urgent care. "I'm confident it will save money. ... It will work."
Goffredo said he really dislikes the idea of the county getting into the healthcare business. He said there are too many "I don't knows." If it passes, he hopes it works, but said it is silly to build a health center in an area that has so many of them.
The health center will be available for anyone covered by Northampton County health plans, including the spouse and children. Retirees might be included in the future.
Council member John Cusick applauded the administration for agreeing to put this matter out to bid, something he said should have been done from the beginning. He added this service is far from free. It is costing county taxpayers $3.7 million over five years. Barron agreed, but added that when employees use the health center, it will dramatically reduce the cost of services that would be provided on the outside. Barron responded, "If the services we provide at the health center cost us $7 million, and in the same year it would cost is $15 million to provide those health services, but we get it cheaper through the health center and our employees don't have to pay anything, I want to run it through the health center."
Cusick said he would support the health center. "It is a benefit for the employees." He thanked Councilmember Tom Giovanni for the work he out into the review of the proposals.
Northampton County currently spends $26,000 a year on average for each employee in health care costs.
Council member John Brown said he opposes the health center. "It is favorable to the employee, but it is not favorable to the taxpayer," he said. "There are other options that this administration has not pursued." Those other options would involve increasing co-pays or employee contributions to health care. Zrinski responded the employee health center would incentivize workers to stay. "We're investing in our employees and our futures."
Council member Ron Heckman, originally skeptical, has come around. He said the current health care system is "crazy. Yes, we have plenty of specialists, but good luck getting an appointment in the next few months." He said it would divert people from emergency rooms and urgent centers.
Mark Caliguire of Integrity said the health center in concierge health care, but it saves money to the taxpayer. He noted that the county spends far more than $3.7 million for healthcare now.
Northampton County Council will vote on the contract tonight.
Thanks for your compassion John Brown. We are already stretching our meager dollars as far as we can as our fellow employees run toward the door to better-paying private sector gigs. I also wonder how many out-of-pocket “fines” you have personally incurred from doctors from last-minute appointment cancellations due to mandated overtime??
ReplyDeleteOh, stop whining and get to work ! Earn your keep.
DeleteSounds like it has the votes to pass.
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect of example of bad policy instituted by bad government. It's why NorCo is a mess and can't ever have nice things. SSDD.
ReplyDelete"Sounds like it has the votes to pass."
ReplyDeleteI think so. Goffredo and Brown are the two hard-liners. Heffner was silent. Giovanni was silent, as he always is, but served on the committee that reviewed the proposal and offered some suggestions that the admin adopted, like a performance guarantee. Heckman is leaning for it. Myers is leaning for it. Lott and Zrinski will support bc they are McClure rubber stamps. My guess is 7-2 or 6-3.
" I also wonder how many out-of-pocket “fines” you have personally incurred from doctors from last-minute appointment cancellations due to mandated overtime??"
ReplyDeleteI never considered this possibility. It must suck to have to pay a fine to a doctor for missing an appointment bc you are mandated. Brown is not exactly a people person, and I am hard put to understand why he's even in public office.
John brown shows how much he cares about the employees just like when he was county executive, he acts like he really cares for the taxpayers of Northampton county but yet he spent money on stupid things when he was at executive for himself like a PR company that’s why the employees left and retired to get away from him and his cronies and jacked up our health insurance. Very bad man.
ReplyDeleteWell kiss your benefits good bye at the county. Give it a couple years and this will be your only choice.
ReplyDeleteAlso did I hear Barron right we won't be able to goto to urgent cares anymore..?? What about the employees that are gonna live 30 to an hour away from this medical facility. Just go to the ER.
I'm late to the commenting game on this one, but I'll gladly use my real name if it will help other County employees. Due to mandations and overtime, I don't use my beloved Slate Belt Family Practice any more. I actually use Patient First - pick a primary doc I like there, and "drop in" during that particular doctor's published hours on their website for my routine care. It's safer than trying to make appointments and cancel them, incurring those cancellation fees. One of my friends at the Juvenile Detention Center recommended this method to me when we became so short-staffed back in 2019.
ReplyDelete