SAGUACHE COUNTY — A closer look at Saguache County’s 2019 budget shows a dramatic increase in health care costs for the county, with some departments’ costs doubling and almost tripling from 2018 to 2019.
The budget can be viewed at https://www.saguachecounty.net/images/docs-downloadable-by-department/admin-downloadable-docs/2018-admin-docs/Adoption_of_Budget_for_the_Fiscal_Year_2019.pdf
The county was forced to find a new insurance provider this year and reportedly received only one bid through its insurance broker, which it accepted. While some have blamed the increase on the problems with the Affordable Healthcare Act, variations in costs from department to department seem to indicate there is more figuring into the equation.
Department by department, the increases are listed below.
Commissioners — $25,890.84 in 2019, $8,820 in 2018
Administration — $34,521.12 in 2019, $17,100 in 2018
Assessor — $43,151.40 in 2019, $17,400 in 2018
Clerk and Recorder — $34,521.12 in 2019, $11,400 in 2018
Coroner — $8,630.28 in 2019, $5,700 in 2018
Office of Emergency Management — $8,630.28 in 2019, $5,700 in 2018
Housing — $17,260.56 in 2019, $5,700 in 2018
Land Use — $34,521.12 in 2019, $17,000 in 2018
Landfill — $17,260.56 in 2019, $11,400 in 2018
Maintenance — $17,260.56 in 2019, $11,400 in 2018
Jail — $94,933.08 in 2019, $50,000 in 2018
Sheriff — $103,563.36 in 2019, $45,000 in 2018
Courthouse Security — $8,630.28 in 2019, $5,700 on 2018
Treasurer — $34,521.12 in 2019, $21,800 in 2018
Public Health — $34,521 in 2019, $17,00 in 2018
Social Services — $189,866.16 in 2019, $70,750 in 2018

Road and Bridge
Maintenance — $241,648 in 2019, $120,500 in 2018
Snow Removal — $1,125.13 in 2019, $1,125.13 in 2018
The total in health care costs the county pays for employees is $975,016.65, nearly one-fourth of its annual budget.
The Center Post-Dispatch has submitted a Colorado Open Records Act request to county administration, asking for:
a) The current amount the county pays towards each employee’s insurance premiums, whether this amount is the same for each employee and whether this same amount is paid for each employee’s dependents listed on the policy;
b) How many employees covered by county insurance are in each department and how many total employees are on Medicare;
c) Total costs paid in 2018 for those on Medicare per county policy and whether said policy includes payment of the Medicare recipients’ supplemental insurance policies;
d) The formula the county uses to determine how health care costs will be paid, distributed, reimbursed and/or adjusted.
e) The county’s employer self-insured medical reimbursement plan
The county has not yet answered the request. See next week’s issue for more on this topic.