Introduced by the Human Services and Finance Committees of the:

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners is committed to the goal of assuring that all residents have access to an organized system of health care; and

WHEREAS, the Ingham Health Plan Corporation (IHP) has played an important role in the County= s efforts to provide such access to health care; and

WHEREAS, the IHP has implemented a health care benefit plan which currently provides access to an organized system of health care to more than 11,000 previously uninsured persons, and will increase enrollment in that plan to about 14,000 persons by January 1, 2001; and

WHEREAS, the IHP will implement during 2001 with Michigan State University programs to address the needs of low income MSU students; and

WHEREAS, the IHP has implemented a Capital Area Prescription Program to provide low income persons more than 60 years of age, who do not have insurance for prescription drugs, and is working on plans to extend this discounted prescription drug purchasing program to other residents of Ingham, Clinton and Eaton Counties; and

WHEREAS, the IHP believes that it is important to provide incentives to small business to provide health insurance to workers and plans to implement a subsidized health insurance program through local Health Management Organizations or Health Insurers for low wage paying firms; and

WHEREAS, the IHP has requested the financial support of the Ingham County Board of Commissioners to implement the subsidized health insurance program for up to 2,500 low wage employees of small business in Ingham County; and

WHEREAS, the IHP plan to implement the subsidized health insurance program meets the intent of the In-Kind Contract between Ingham Regional Medical Center and Ingham County for the use of funds being paid to Ingham County under this agreement (to be used primarily for public health programs); and

WHEREAS, Ingham Regional Medical Center and Ingham County have executed an In-Kind Services Agreement whereby Ingham Regional contributes $794,022.16 annually to Ingham County in services or cash through the year 2007, with the cash payments to be utilized by the County primarily for public health purposes; and

WHEREAS, the Health Officer recommends that the Board of Commissioners designate $1.05 million from the cash payments made to Ingham County from Ingham Regional Medical Center to settle its in-kind obligation, for the purpose of supporting the implementation of the subsidized health insurance program to be implemented by the Ingham Health Plan Corporation during 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners appropriates $1.05 million from reserved payments made by Ingham Regional Medical Center for use in a subsidized health insurance program.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners deems that this use count toward the In-Kind Services Agreement condition that the funds be used primarily for public health purposes which will partially satisfy the County= s In-Kind Contract obligation.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Controller is authorized to make periodic payments from these funds to or on behalf of the Ingham Health Plan Corporation to support the implementation of the subsidized health insurance program for low wage paying Ingham County businesses.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Controller is authorized to transfer these funds to the State of Michigan in order to contribute to Disproportionate Share Hospital payments to Ingham Regional Medical Center and to the Sparrow Health System, given assurances that these funds will be provided to the Ingham Health Plan Corporation, along with Federal matching funds, in order to implement health benefit and health insurance coverage for low income, uninsured residents of Ingham County.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Controller shall annually report to the Board of Commissioners on the status of these funds and the IHP= s subsidized health insurance program.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board Chairperson is authorized to sign a contract with the Ingham Health Plan Corporation, after review by the County Attorney, setting out the mechanisms and conditions of the relationship established in this resolution.

HUMAN SERVICES: Yeas: Czarnecki, Smiley, Grebner, Schmidt

Nays: Severino Absent: None Approved 11/20.00

FINANCE:Yeas: Bernero, Grebner, Czarnecki, McDonald

Nays: Schafer, Juall, Minter Absent: None Approved 11/21/00