Supervisors Approve Health Plan Renewal
Mahaska-County-Courthouse
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Mahaska County Board of Supervisors met on Monday morning. They started off the meeting by hearing from health insurance representative Brad Reiman. Reiman, who is employed by Bearence Management to help administrate the county’s self-funded medical insurance, spoke about the potential health plan renewal.
Reiman, who discussed the policy, asked the board to consider looking into changes for the health care policy in the future. Reiman pointed out, “That’s another thing to think about. The benefit design you have is very, very rich and the government is saying, because it’s a rich plan, that you’re going to pay taxes on it.”
The tax would be 40% on $240. “So there’s not a huge adjustment to be made?” Mahaska County Supervisor Mark Doland asked of Reiman.
“Somewhere along the line, you need to start making some adjustments so you don’t run into this ‘Cadillac Tax’,” Reiman said to Doland.
Mahaska County Supervisor Mike Vander Molen said that negotiations with the unions would be necessary before changes could be made to the plan. Reiman suggested getting any proposed changes to a health care committee for discussion before contract renewal.
The board also heard reports from the Mahaska County Conservation Director Dave Sedivec, who talked about the camping season that just started. Eveland Access will potentially be busier this year because of the Lake Keomah campground being closed during the road construction that is taking place at the state owned facility.
The Board accepted the Mahaska County final fiscal year 2014 audit report, as well as the Central Iowa Juvenile Detention Center final fiscal year 2014 audit report.
Also approved were payroll changes for the Sheriff, County Attorney and Assessor office.
Also discussed was the County support for the Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter expansion. Supervisor Willie Van Weelden put the item on the agenda so that the Board of Stephen Memorial would have a better idea as to the level of support they could expect from the county.
“Are we participating or not participating?” asked Van Weelden.
Doland said that during the initial conversation that the Board of Supervisors had with the animal shelter, they wanted “to see a more equitable solution of all the animals that are picked up and the cost and all that kind of stuff; between the city and the county.”
Doland says that the potential 28E doesn’t reflect the county’s level of participation.
Vander Molen said that Oskaloosa City Manager Michael Schrock did reach out to him in regards to having further discussion about the 28E agreement. Vander Molen said that he would be willing to sit down with Schrock to “talk through some of those issues”.
Vander Molen believes that it would benefit the conversation to involve other incorporated communities in the county.
