Keeping it real but still optimistic, Upshur County Commission is planning to save some money, and probably a few jobs, by getting rid of the Public Employees Insurance Agency. Last Wednesday night, County Administrator William Parker informed the employees about the possibility of moving to a private healthcare plan that would offer the same benefits as PEIA, but with a potentially lower cost.

How are they planning to begin the cost-cutting process? Well, they have not yet come up with final figures but Parker said that most of the savings would come through OPEB.

“We’re trying to control the costs of premiums, as well as the Other Post Employment Benefits side of it,” Parker said.

What’s OPEB? When a public employee retires, they continue to receive benefits, such as healthcare. Although the employee is no longer on the payroll, those benefits cost money, and so the state requires that PEIA participants contribute funds for the future, and that’s to the tune of $9,000 per policy, according to Parker.

“We’ll have to have less people, or more money, or both,” Parker said.

So now, the county asks for the help of Shenandoah Valley Group. This group acts as a mediator for clients and insurance companies. As a result of that collaboration, the county commission will soon vote on leaving PEIA for Coventry Health Care.