Published: November 11, 2009 12:40 am      

City targets health costs

THE ISSUE:A health care clinic for city employees, retirees and their families.

OUR VIEW:The clinic could save taxpayers millions, while providing employees doctor visits and medication at no cost.

Last year, the Town of Fishers formed a task force. The mission of the Hamilton County community’s six government employees: Find a way to reduce health care costs.

Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums in the U.S. have increased 131 percent in the last decade, according to The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Those increases rose at four times the rate of inflation and wage increases over the last 10 years, the foundation has reported.

The Fishers task force proposed an innovative solution. In April of this year, the town opened a health care clinic for its employees. The town believes it will save taxpayers $1.3 million in health care costs through 2012.

The Fishers clinic won a “best practices” award from the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. Kokomo city officials studied the concept.

Monday, Kokomo officials announced they will contract with Novia CareClinics LLC, Indianapolis, to run a health care clinic for city employees, retirees and their dependents. Plans are under way to retrofit the former Kokomo Early Learning Center for a Jan. 4 opening.

City Controller Jim Brannon told the Kokomo Common Council Monday he believes the clinic can lower city health care costs next year by more than $400,000.

The council will host a public hearing at 6 p.m. Nov. 23 in City Hall on the plan. We encourage Howard County officials to attend. The county commissioners are considering joining the city and offering the benefit to county employees.

We congratulate Mayor Greg Goodnight and his administration in addressing employee health care costs and encourage county participation.

The clinic could save taxpayers millions of dollars, while providing government employees doctor visits and medication at no cost.