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County’s insurance process questioned

WARREN — Trumbull County commissioners voted 3-0 to approve a floor motion made by Commissioner Niki Frenchko to hear from more companies that offer managed care services for county employee injury claims filed through the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.

Frenchko said she was concerned the human resources director selected a company one day after the open enrollment period began on May 3. The period ends May 28. The county can back out of that agreement, personnel said.

Richard Jackson, Trumbull County HR director, said he handled it as a duty typically handled by HR.

“When I first came here, the commissioners made the decision for the health and welfare benefit plans too. They had to sit through four-hour presentations dealing with something that they’re not familiar with. When I was hired, I told them we can handle it, that’s the job of human resources, to take work away from commissioners,” Jackson said. “So that’s why I made this decision. Why bother them with something they shouldn’t be bothered with?”

The county should be examining what other managed care organizations, or MCOs, can provide, Frenchko said.

MCOs work between the county and BWC after an employee files an injury claim, managing a worker’s injury and the claims process. The companies often employ medical professionals and provide answers as a claim moves through the system, said Nancy Marscio, the county’s administrator of the BWC program in the HR department.

Commissioner Frank Fuda said he told county HR officials last year he wanted to more closely study MCO options this year.

In a tense meeting Wednesday, Frenchko accused Jackson of making a “backroom deal” with insurance broker Fred Alberini, something Jackson and Alberini expressly deny.

The county has renewed the “contract every two years without a public process for the benefitting broker Mr. Fred Alberini,” Frenchko said.

FRENCHKO’S ACCUSATIONS

They went “behind the closed doors and made an agreement” to go with a company for which Alberini brokers, she said.

Jackson responded that Frenchko did not know “what the hell” she was talking about.

Frenchko said it was inappropriate for Jackson to have lunch on the dime of a broker who gets a bonus from a company if the county selects the firm.

She said it appears efforts are being made to follow Alberini after he stopped brokering for the MCO the county previously used, to go along with the new company for which he now brokers, Sedgewick.

Jackson said a plate of spaghetti from Salvatore’s wasn’t a bribe, and the lunch was an informational meeting about changes in MCO companies after some companies were bought out and Alberini began a new partnership with Sedgewick, formed after two companies merged.

“What you’re doing is you’re accusing me of taking a bribe,” Jackson said. “I’m not going to make a decision over somebody buying me a plate of spaghetti.”

Frenchko said the enrollment agreement was signed by Jackson after the lunch. Jackson acknowledged it was because the firm absorbed a company that Jackson and Marscio respect and always wanted to use, both said.

Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa said Frenchko should stop focusing on “the boogeyman” and “conspiracy theories” and that HR always handled the issue.

Alberini Insurance, the company Alberini founded 20 years ago, is an insurance brokerage firm that helps clients, mostly companies and other public entities, buy insurance for various types of coverage, he said when reached by phone Wednesday.

Alberini said his firm has a partnership with a firm called Sedgewick, so that there is a local office that has advisers and client support. It is typical for HR directors to make a selection, Alberini said.

“I don’t think (Frenchko) understands the process. During open enrollment, companies send in materials for commissioners to consider. I did the same as everyone else did,” Alberini said. “There is no money involved, it’s about selecting the best company to do the best job for the county.”

As a broker, the company may pay Alberini for bringing business their way, but the county does not. And, the county doesn’t pay the MCO; the state does with BWC premiums, Marscio said.

“I support the commissioners’ decision to interview several MCOs, and I am confident they will choose Sedgewick as their choice, because we do have a local office here as an advocate for Trumbull County. We are advocates for our clients, we aren’t in Columbus or Cleveland or Cincinnati, we are here and we are not exclusive to Sedgewick, we just think at this time, it is the best company out there. I studied this,” Alberini said.

An MCO report card distributed by the Ohio BWC shows the company rates near average or above average on all of the categories, and has the most employees of the 10 companies from which counties can choose.

Alberini and Jackson said Frenchko called neither of them to ask about the issue before she raised it at Wednesday’s public meeting.

CANTALAMESSA FIRES BACK

“You have to be very careful before you say commissioners are involved in backroom deals or somebody is involved in backroom deals,” Cantalamessa said addressing Frenchko. “You better have concrete evidence to say that because those accusations hurt this county, they hurt everything we’re trying to do in this county. And as far as economic development, as far as transparency, as far as everything, you’re creating fires instead of putting them out.”

Alberini said Frenchko is trying to paint him as a politician trying to obtain a contract illegally.

“This was planned and orchestrated by her, but she never asked me about it, I’ve never spoken to her in my life. I have the best interests of the county at heart. She is undercutting my reputation and trying to make me look bad,” Alberini said.

He wondered if Frenchko has someone else in mind for the service.

Alberini, who served as Trumbull County Democratic Party chairman in the 1990s, said he held that role for just a few years, but spent 30 years as a high school guidance counselor and 20 years in the insurance business, and is not in politics anymore.

Frenchko said commissioners should have final say in which MCO the county selects, not the director of HR.

“I want to see the county doing things a bit more transparently, a lot more transparently, and not just giving something to the same beneficiary, the same broker,” Frenchko said.

It is unclear if a different MCO could impact the amount the county contributes to BWC premiums. Marscio said it could, but more research would be needed to know for sure.

Marscio was asked to arrange meetings with other interested MCOs before the enrollment period ends May 28.

rfox@tribtoday.com

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