Travis County Commissioners Court
February 8, 2005
Items 19, 20 & 21
19 is to approve exemption order for the third-party administrator for county's self-funded programs for workers' compensation, liability and property loss as professional services, b, approval negotiation of continuation of third-party administration contract with current provider, c.m.i.barron risk management.
>> good afternoon. Alicia perez, executive manager for administrative operations. Item 19, 20 and 21 are similar in terms of what we are asking. We'll go ahead and start with 19, but it has the same [indiscernible]. And we are asking for the court to approve the negotiations or approval of these companies as professional services and exempt them from the purchasing act. Why these? These three are the people who handle our workers' compensation, people who handle the audits on the worker compensation claims, and then united health care, which is our administrator for health care. It has taken us quite some time in these areas, especially in health care, which is one that I can address, to find an appropriate fit. If you remember about five years ago we had the employee hearing was full of dissatisfaction, employees expressing dissatisfaction with their health care. About four years ago we went out on a self-funded health care. Really we are such a large unit in terms of the members that even if we went out today, it is a select group of companies that could put in a proposal to administer our health care. We manage our own health care. These are the administrative services. Does this include the stop loss too?
>> no, it does not include stop loss.
>> just administrative services.
>> liability and property loss is what it says.
>> and for united health care the administrative services.
>> look at 19.
>> 19-a is for our -- our third-party administrator for workers' compensation.
>> this may be easier. We sent out an r.f.p. And we chose these.
>> yes.
>> so the contractor we put in place initially have expired or about to expire?
>> about to expire.
>> so we want to put another contract in place in the same --
>> the contract in place now has -- the court recognized the services of the third-party administrator for adjusting and medical auditing as professional services, but as barbara says, that contract is ending next month. We're asking the court to continue that recognition of those services as professional services and also to recognize the services of united health care as professional services because they are along the same lines.
>> but on 19 --
>> okay.
>> about to expire. We want another contract with the same vendor.
>> that's right.
>> basically. So -- but instead of extending the current contract, we want to exempt it and do a new one.
>> actually the exemption that's in there would be interpreted to be only for the four-year period. So we would need a new exemption even to extend that contract that we already have. The mechanical part of it, as I anticipate it happening, is that we would [indiscernible] the current contract to state the new term and state the new fees negotiated if you choose to allow this contract to go through negotiation. So we would not be going with a brand-new document.
>> I wonder where this came from in the first place. Originally -- we sent out an r.f.p. Four years ago and now we want to negotiate to do further business. My question is dealt with. I wasn't sure I understood that.
>> move approval of a and b.
>> second.
>> 19-a and b, any more discussion in all in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. 20-a and b, same explanation, just different vendors.
>> move approval of 20 and 21.
>> discussion? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. Thank you all very much.
>> thank you.
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, February 9, 2005 11:01 AM