The Rankin County Board of Supervisors approved a package of employee-benefit renewals and a pharmacy-vendor change at its Nov. 14 meeting, after a presentation from benefits consultant Mickey Watkins highlighted trends in claims and opportunities to save on prescription costs.

Watkins told the board that "medical claims are down for the third consecutive year," but that pharmacy claims have risen significantly. He proposed moving pharmacy services to Verus/BRx beginning April 1, explaining the switch could lower the countys pharmacy spend and reduce employee out-of-pocket costs through specialty programs not available via current PBMs.

Watkins also said Blue Cross agreed to reduce the countys administrative fee to $42 per employee per month (down from $46) and that, excluding pharmacy, the county was receiving roughly a 70% discount through current medical coverage arrangements. The net plan impact, he said, would be about a 1.5% increase overall in the current year absent pharmacy savings.

After questions about out-of-pocket treatment and whether pharmacy payments count toward out-of-pocket maximums, the board approved authority to renew medical insurance with Blue Cross Blue Shield, reinsurance arrangements, and add the pharmacy-management vendor with the administration and plan administrators set to finalize contract details.

Next steps: staff will finalize vendor agreements and complete member communications and open-enrollment materials so the pharmacy change is ready for an April 1 start date.