Leavenworth County employees are now receiving a different health insurance provider for the first time in six years.

Beginning Oct. 1, the county entered a yearly contract with Humana health insurance, with the option to renew. Leavenworth County had used its previous provider, United Healthcare, since October 2002, according to the human resources department.

This is also the first year that the county will use Reilly and Sons as its insurance broker. Leavenworth County had previously used CBIZ Benefits and Insurance Services.

Humana will cost about $1.5 million in 2009, and the provider will save the county about $135,000 each year, County Administrator Heather Morgan said.

In August, the Leavenworth County Commission unanimously approved the enhanced Delta Dental plan for 2009, which costs $17.94 each month per county employee or $65.18 for a family plan.

“The county pays for all employees’ health and dental insurance,” Morgan said. “If the employee opts not to take their dental insurance, that’s their prerogative. If they don’t take their dental and they have a family that they’re paying to have covered under the health insurance, that $17.94 would be applied toward their family premium.”

The health insurance premium is $411.19 each month per county employee or $429.13 total, if the employee opts to not take dental insurance. The family premium is $908.16 each month.

The Humana health-insurance plan includes one yearly routine eye examination. Leavenworth County does not offer a separate vision service plan for its employees.

Commissioners also made a policy decision that allows dependents to stay on a family insurance plan until age 25, if they are students.

Dependents who are not students will remain on the plan until age 19. The county’s new insurance carrier also directs that only Leavenworth County employees, county employee retirees or family members of a Leavenworth County employee be covered under the health plan.

The county employs about 400 people, with about 350 county employees receiving health insurance, Morgan said.

“There’s less people on our health insurance than on our dental insurance because some of them take the insurance through their spouse’s family, their spouse’s job or through the military,” Morgan said.

A co-pay exists for each health service, though no co-pay is taken out of employees’ paycheck, Morgan said.

“Taxpayers are responsible for operations of the county, and just like the city would offer for their people, the taxpayers pay for the city’s, too,” Morgan said.

In early September, Morgan contacted the National Association of Counties about a program where county residents can receive a discount prescription card.

“If you’re currently covered by insurance, it’s not going to help you,” Morgan said. “If, for some reason, someone is uninsured, they would get a prescription benefit discount rather than paying rack rates.”

According to NACo’s Web site, the program was designed for uninsured and underinsured county residents, with no enrollment fees, no age or income requirements and no medical condition restrictions.

Morgan said she will mail the contract to NACo. The association then will review it and contact the prescription benefit provider to issue keychain cards.