BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis said he had been approached by an area health insurance representative about whether the county would be taking bids for health insurance for 2016. He said he wanted input from the commission about the direction the county would take in providing health insurance to officials and employees next year.
Mathis said the county was just getting things straightened out with the partially self-insured program through Mutual Medical Plus in Peoria, Ill., that began this year. The commission opted for the partially self-funded plan because it was the least expensive while offering the same coverage as the current county plan. The plan included a $25,000 stop loss, which limits the county's liability for each insured official or employee. The plan was estimated to save the county around $34,000 in 1015.
Mathis noted there have been some "problems" with claims made by employees, but that seemed to be working out after the commission met with David Andreas, a representative of Mutual Medical in July.
Mathis said he would like to see the county go another year under the plan because they "could get a truer reading of the savings."
"In my opinion, we give them another year," said Talkington.
"We are just now getting it ironed out," said Commissioner Danny Talkington. "We can see where we are in November.'
"I agree totally," stated Commissioner Carol Jarrell.
Mathis asked County Clerk Joe Watson if they were having any problems with the paperwork for the plan. The clerk's office handles the required paperwork with Mutual Medical for the policy.
"I don't see any negative," said Watson. "It seems like we have just got things ironed out at this point."
Mathis said he was in favor of going another year with the partially self-funded health insurance plan. The other commissioners agreed.
Affordable
Health Care Act
Watson said he also received a visit from a representative of a firm that specializes in filling out paperwork required by the Affordable Health Care Act. He said the new rules were going into effect in 2016. The county will have to fill out Form 1095-C and Form 1094-C for each person on the health insurance plan. The county has more than 50 people on the plan, which means they must meet regulations for a big business. The forms are income tax forms and help the government in tracking individuals for compliance to the Act.
"I was unaware of this requirement," said Watson.
Watson said he contacted the agent for Mutual Medical to find out if they would take care of the paperwork. He said they handled some of the added paperwork, but not the tax forms. That would be up to the county.
"Unfortunately, there are several companies now offering this service to assist you," wrote Agent Jeremy Billington to the clerk's office. "There are many companies that have 'popped up' in the past couple of years to help fill the niche created by the Act and all its rules and regulations."
Watson showed the commission the required forms and the amount of paperwork that would be required.
No action was taken. Watson said he just wanted the commission to be aware of the new requirement.
Prosecutor salary
County Collector/Treasurer Carla Moore appeared before the commission to question what seemed like a pay increase for Prosecutor Russ Oliver. Moore said she noted that his pay had increased by $2,674.32 annually. She was accompanied by County Recorder Kay Asbell.
Voters in Stoddard County voted to make the county prosecutor a full-time position in 2013. The change took effect Jan.1, 2015.
Watson said the pay for the prosecutor did increase, but not by that amount. He said he discovered that a one percent increase for full-time prosecutors went into effect on July 1, 2015. He said that amount was $1,337.16 annually, but the increase did not start in July. He said payments are being made to catch up the prosecutor's salary in August, and then it will reflect the one percent increase. The pay for the prosecutor went from $133,716 to $135,053.16 per year.
Watson said the salary for the prosecutor is tied to the pay for associate judges, so the county had no control over the salary.
By Missouri Statute, the compensation for full-time elected prosecutors is tied to the salary of the associate circuit judges (Section 56.265). That compensation is established pursuant to the provisions of Article XIII, Section 3 of the Missouri Constitution.
A Citizen's Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials recommended that the salary of associate circuit judges be indexed to 73 percent of the salary of a federal magistrate, and that was approved by the legislature. A federal magistrate receives up to 92 percent of the salary of a federal district judge
Phelps County officials recently struggled with the same issue, saying they had not budgeted for the pay increase. Officials there labeled it "an unfunded mandate" by the government.
Moore said she was unaware that the prosecutor's salary was not set by the commission. She said she didn't think it was fair to to the other elected officials.
Mathis said the Salary Commission would have their first meeting in October to discuss elected officials and employees wages.