CLAYTON 鈥 狐狸视频 County Executive Sam Page鈥檚 administration is moving ahead on an interim one-year employee health insurance contract with United Healthcare despite an effort by the County Council to try to block the move.
The council on Tuesday voted 5-2 to declare invalid any health insurance contract negotiated without prior consent of the council. The motion also declared 鈥渘ull and void鈥 any contract already signed, but Page said that hasn鈥檛 happened yet anyway.
However, one supporter of the motion, Councilman Ernie Trakas, R-South County, said Wednesday that the chief attorney for county government 鈥 County Counselor Dana Redwing 鈥 told him she has determined that the council doesn鈥檛 have legal authority to block the emergency contract.
Because of that, Trakas said, the council鈥檚 action 鈥渆ssentially is ceremonial, meaning that it has no legal impact or effect.鈥 Redwing, who said at the meeting she would do a legal analysis of the issue, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Doug Moore, a spokesman for Page, confirmed that Redwing had reached that conclusion.
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Trakas, during the council鈥檚 discussion of the motion, had asked Redwing to look into the matter.
Page鈥檚 administration had announced Monday that it would sign an interim one-year deal with United Healthcare because the council had yet to approve a longer two-year contract recommended by the county procurement division.
The division chose United over the county鈥檚 current health benefit administrator, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Missouri.
Anthem protested, claiming the bidding process was full of 鈥渋rregularities鈥 and that the United plan would cost the county as much as $6 million more, a figure disputed by United.
The council has scheduled a hearing for Monday to consider the issue.
With open enrollment for county government鈥檚 4,500 or so employees set to begin Aug. 15, Page said the county procurement division was using its emergency powers to ensure there is no interruption in health care insurance for employees.
At the council meeting Tuesday, Councilman Dennis Hancock, R-Fenton, introduced the blocking motion, arguing that the current situation didn鈥檛 meet the rules for emergency procurements outlined in a county ordinance cited by Page in a letter to the council.
The ordinance defines an emergency as situations in which the immediate procurement of contractual services is essential to prevent delays which may vitally affect the life, health, welfare or convenience of citizens.
Hancock noted that the wording doesn鈥檛 mention county employees.Page said at the meeting that 鈥渋t will take a while鈥 for the interim contract to be negotiated but didn鈥檛 specify a completion date.
Page in an interview said the council motion was 鈥渁 statement of frustration鈥 by council members who have yet to get detailed information on the selection process at a council hearing. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l soon get a chance to learn about it,鈥 Page said, referring to the upcoming meeting on Monday.
Council Chairwoman Shalonda Webb, D-North County, moved up the meeting to Monday from Aug. 13, its previous scheduled date, at the request of Page and most of the council.