Pine Township Drops Highmark, Adds HealthAmerica for Employees' Benefits

Highmark is out; HealthAmerica is in for employees of Pine Township.

Pine's supervisors voted 5-0 Monday to change the benefits provider for the township's 23 full-time employees. The move will save nearly $47,000 for the township and improves disability coverage, said Kurt A. Schweiger, president of TEC Benefits of Wexford.

The change goes into effect Jan. 1. The annual cost to the township for 2012 will be about $151,000.

Township Manager Cheryl Fischer said she believes the new disability benefit is the best aspect of the change. 

"Now [under the Highmark plan] if you get sick, the township will pay our salary for a year," said Fischer. "At the end of the year, we have nothing."

Under the HealthAmerica plan, employees receive two-thirds of their salary until they reach the retirement age of 67, Schweiger explained. That pay starts on the seventh day after the disability is determined, he said.

Noting that the battle between Highmark and UPMC is creating uncertainty in the local health-benefits field, Schweiger outlined a HealthAmerica plan that would give employees 100 percent coverage with no co-payments.

The plan charges a $5,000-per-person deductible that would be picked up by the township, Schweiger said. Employees and their family members would be given a debit card loaded with $5,000, to be used for medical expenses only, he said.

Even if all the employees spend the $5,000, the township still stands to save money, said Schweiger. 

HealthAmerica also doubles the accidental death and dismemberment benefit to $100,000, said Schweiger. In addition, it includes long-term care insurance that provides $3,000 a month to be used for nursing-home or home-health care.

Employees will pay 3 percent of the premium, said Schweiger.

The network of hospitals and doctors available through HealthAmerica is comparable to that of Highmark, he said, and the Cleveland Clinic is an in-network provider for HealthAmerica, he said.

TEC Benefits handles the administration of the program, which will save time for township staff, Schweiger said.

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