A wellness program could potentially help the county save money and improve the health of its employees, a company representative told commissioners on Tuesday.
Tria Health, an Overland Park company, offers to be a middleman between patients, physicians and pharmacists. The service will manage medications used to treat chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and more.
Matt Baki, a senior vice president for Tria, outlined the program for commissioners. The company would charge a flat fee of $20,000 per year, but he recommends the county also pay an incentive of about $85 per person to encourage employees to take part.
The program works by asking employees who have chronic health conditions to consult with a Tria pharmacist to discuss their condition, treatment plan and medications.
It starts with education, he said.
“We have to focus on the education component and make sure every person is on the right medication, taking it as intended and getting the right outcome,” he said.
Out of 124 employees on the county’s health insurance plan, 60 have been identified as having a chronic health condition, are also taking four or more medications and managing multiple diseases.
“More conditions lead to more doctors, more medications and more costs,” Baki said.
The most common conditions for county employees are diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and mental health issues.
One of the biggest challenges is when people don’t take medications correctly, he said. For example, they may skip doses to try and make the prescription last longer.
“If you’re not taking it as prescribed, how is your condition under control?” he said.
Tria’s program also works with physicians to identify the most effective and affordable medications.
“A lot of these patients are on an island by themselves, trying to manage their medications,” he said.
Tria guarantees the county will see its insurance costs drop, or will refund part of their fee. Typically, those who use the service save an average of about $2,000.
About 25% of those with chronic conditions are expected to enroll. At Allen County, that would be about 15 people.
Based on that figure, the county could expect annual savings of at least $30,000.
Phil Drescher with Bukaty, the county’s insurance broker, recommended the county try the program for a year. If it works, continue it for another year. Then, cancel it and maybe restart in about five years.
