County to Consider Options for Employee Health Insurance

by Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson County will consider moving ahead with plans to find more affordable and comprehensive health care for employees at a special called council meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. in the historic courthouse downtown.

"The county is looking for innovative and affordable health care for all of our employees," said Anderson County Adminstrator Rusty Burns. "We are looking at a variety of options to find better health care that works."

Burns said that currently, even though the county provides health care through the state system at no cost to each employee, many employees can still not afford to go to the doctor because of co-pays, deductibles and other fees. The cost of the state insurance plan has been among the most rapdily rising budget items for the county, while the quality and availabliity of actual health care has decline.

Council will discuss a potential plan with Direct Access, MD, of Anderson, a group which provides affordable primary care to individuals and families. Dr. Amy Cianciolo and Dr. Shane Purcell, partners in the group, will be on hand for the meeting. 

A representative of Palmetto Insurance of Anderson will also be at the meeting to discuss medical issues which require hospitalization or other urget care not covered by primary care. Palmetto was chosen earlier this year after Anderson County Council put out a request for proposals on alternative health insurance options. 

"If council approves a plan, we'll move ahead quickly," Burns said. "The right plan could be put into place in three to four months."