After hearing Stephens, Inc.’s proposal last Wednesday for the 2019 insurance renewals, Monday, before the budget meeting, LS& Associates CEO and Owner Leslie Smith spoke to the Quorum Court about what their consultant firm could do for Mississippi County for insurance and healthcare.
Smith said he’s been in the business of health care for 43 years and all he knows is insurance. He stated that five years ago they went into another customer in Arkansas and since being with LS & Associates they’ve never had a rate increase.
They have also spoken with county judges across the state of Arkansas about the program and the oldest county, Randolph County, they have saved about $90,000. In Lawrence County, they saved that county $70,000 the first year. In Crittenden County, they saved them about $167,000 last year.
Currently, there are eight counties in the state using LS & Associates and in total LS & Associates has saved $1.6 million in those counties alone.
Smith explained that their program works with Sharp St. Bernard’s health care facility out of Jonesboro. NEA hospital and the Mississippi County hospitals are in the Sharp network.
LS & Associates is working on a one card system for the Medahop secondary program, whereas they currently have two cards. They are the only company with a Medahop program, according to Smith.
Justice Neil Burge asked Smith if LS & Associates programs were self-insured group backed by the insurance.
Smith said he doesn’t like the word self-insured because it isn’t but it’s level funded, partial self-funded by insurance, which is Gerber.
County Judge Terri Brassfield told the CN other county judges “were all in favor. They said it’s saved their counties money and their employees were very well satisfied. And that there claims have been handled correctly and that their customer service was good.”
Insurance Committee Chairmen Ken Kennemore passed out the books that Stephens left from their visit and told the other justices to look over both companies and that they would make a decision before next week’s budget meeting.