The National Association of Counties (NACO) has informed the County that four innovative Pima County programs have received a NACO Achievement Award for 2017. Started in 1970, NACO's annual Achievement Award Program is designed to recognize inventive and enterprising county government programs. Each nominee is judged on its own merits and not against other applications received.
The County's entries are finalist for the Best in Category Awards, which will be announced at the Association's annual conference in July. The Association provides awards in 18 categories ranging from criminal justice to county administration and information technology to economical development.
These awards highlight the forward-thinking leadership of the Board of Supervisors and the innovative work the County Administration and staff to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of County government in order to save taxpayers money and improve the lives and welfare of the 1 million residents of Pima County.
Entry Title: Self Insurance Healthcare Benefit
Entry Excerpt: Pima County's successful adoption of a medical and pharmacy self-insurance High Deductible Health Plan with a Health Savings Account has greatly improved the administration of a critical employee benefit. In reforming the County's outdated and expensive PPO for employee health coverage, Pima County has saved taxpayers and employees more the $5 million while providing a modern health insurance solution. In addition to eliminating year-over-year premium increases, which were approaching 20 percent by 2013, the reforms have resulted in the creation of two functioning and healthy trusts. The first, the employee HSA trust, in which 80 percent of the County workforce participates and which has grown to more than $17 million. The next, the County's Health Benefits Insurance Trust Fund, has grown to $21 million. This program has saved employees money while helping make them healthier, has brought stability to the county budget via reasonable, manageable and predictable annual costs, and saved taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in avoided costs.