County adds health clinic offering to its employee health insurance options
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Wednesday, June 19, 2024 — Nelson County Fiscal Court employees will have a new health insurance option during next week’s open enrollment period.
Nelson Fiscal Court voted Tuesday night to offer its employees access to BluMine Health, a direct primary care provider that will offer county employees primary healthcare and an array of services at no cost.
BluMine will allow county workers who chose the high deductible insurance plan to have the typical primary health care visits covered without any the need to give BluMine a copay.
BluMine services will be available to all county employees, even those who do not participate in any of the county’s health insurance plans. BluMine will also provide services to the families and dependents of county employees.
BluMine clinics, like the one at 700 Portland Ave. in Bardstown, are open only to employers who are signed up with BluMine, which generally means less time waiting to get into the office for treatment.
According to Steve Church, a BluMine Health representative who spoke to fiscal court Tuesday, BluMine’s focus includes preventative healthcare. Keeping employees healthy means fewer health insurance claims.
BluMine services have no co-pay for participants. The company has a network of 13 clinics across Kentucky, including Shepherdsville and Lebanon. Each clinic has a nurse practitioner onsite.
The clinics can handle most of your typical primary care needs, including physicals, immunization, employee screenings and random drug tests for participating employers — all at no cost to the patient.
BluMine also offers a free telehealth option.
The clinics do not treat children under 2 years of age. They also do not offer X-rays, and some more advanced diagnostic services. The clinic will refer the individuals to an appropriate facility for advanced services they do not offer.
According to Judge-Executive Tim Hutchins, signing on with BluLine will cost the county $138,000.
Magistrate Adam Wheatley suggested the county go with BluMine and after two years evaluate its effectiveness and how satisfactory its services have been to county workers..
The option of utilizing BluMine is an option that came up rather quickly, and county employees are encouraged to ask questions during upcoming meetings during their health insurance open enrollment period next week, Monday, June 24th through Thursday, June 27th.
In other business, Nelson Fiscal Court:
— approved renewing its contract for employee dental insurance. The magisrates also agreed with Hutchins’ suggestion for the county government to absorb the 6 percent premium increase.
— approved the Tourist Commission budget.
— approved the second and final reading of the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget.
-30-
