County sticking with Wells Fargo

SANDPOINT — Bonner County is staying the course with its health insurance plan and broker, despite the objections of the Association of Bonner County Employees and one county commissioner.

The county commission opted on a 2-1 vote to remain with Wells Fargo Insurance Services as the county’s broker and PacificSource as the health insurance provider.

Commissioner Lewis Rich cast the dissenting vote, contending the county should have solicited a bid from its former insurer of 64 years, Blue Cross of Idaho.

“I think we’re making a mistake,” said Rich.

Rich’s remark was met with murmurs of agreement from some employees who crowded into the commission’s board room on Tuesday.

Rich said he hasn’t spoken with anybody from Blue Cross or the county’s former broker, Taylor Insurance, but has received advice privately that it would behoove the county to court Blue Cross for a bid.

“There’s a reasonable assurance we can save money,” said Rich.

The employee group, meanwhile, contends commissioners had previously pledged to go out to bid on a new plan and broker annually, but Commissioner Mike Nielsen insisted that he made no such statement.

Nielsen said the consensus from the board’s advisors on the matter was that going out to bid every year would not be well-greeted in the insurance marketplace and result in lackluster offers.

Nielsen said Wells Fargo and other brokers counseled the county to go out to bid every three to five years for a broker and every two to three years for a health insurance provider.

“We pay them for their advice,” Nielsen said of Wells Fargo’s $60,000 brokerage fee. Nielsen added that it would be “foolish” to disregard the advice, akin to seeking a doctor’s advice and then choosing not to heed it.

Commission Chairman Cornel Rasor also recalled discussions of the three- to five-year bidding time frame for a broker.

ABCE contends it was again disenfranchised from the health insurance discussions.

“It was a done deal when we were brought in,” said Chris Quayle, president of ABCE.

Nielsen stated that ABCE representatives were present at all the meetings that he attended on health insurance.

Employees also bristled at the prospect of a 30-day co-pay on prescription medications replacing a 90-day co-pay.

“I’m going to take the brunt of this and I am not the only one,” said Karen Olson of Bonner County Public Works.

Nielsen, citing figures produced by Wells Fargo, said leaving the current prescription co-pay would cost the county $65,000 a year.

“That is a significant hit for that provision,” said Nielsen. “I am not inclined to go that way at all.”