Commissioners cross county line for health care

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The Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) has endorsed Coast2Coast for a countywide health discount program. Commissioner Paul C. Anderson reported that discount cards will be mailed out to households in Douglas County.

The Coast2Coast program averages a savings of 55 percent on prescriptions each year. The program also offers a royalty incentive to the county for participating. For each prescription filled, the county will receive $1.25 and the AMC will receive 40 cents. Coast2Coast operates under a one-year term agreement.

Although the official paperwork has not yet arrived, the commissioners passed a motion on May 22 allowing Chair Jerry Johnson to sign off once the documents are available. Commissioners expressed concern that they would like the public to be able to save money on health care as soon as possible.

Assistant Public Health Director Kathy Werk said the department has not yet received any information on the program.

In other health related news, the public health department has extended its search for a second full-time sanitarian. A position opened upon Todd Appel’s resignation.

In the interim, Countryside Public Health has been assisting the county one day a week, Werk said. That arrangement will conclude in June and the memorandum of agreement between Douglas and Pope counties with Morrison County will provide uninterrupted environmental health service coverage.

Commissioners granted a contract to do business in Douglas County to Ramps and More out of Stearns County. Werk said this will allow for competitive bidding in the county since previously only one company that provided handicapped accessible ramps was available.

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Crystal Dey

Crystal Dey is a staff reporter for the Echo Press. Originally from Minnesota’s Iron Range, Dey worked for newspapers in North Dakota, Florida and Connecticut before returning to her home state to join the Echo Press in October 2011. Dey studied Mass Communications at Minnesota State University Moorhead with an emphasis in Online Journalism. Follow Staff Reporter Crystal Dey on Twitter at @CrystalDey_Echo.

Tags: local news, news, health, prescriptions, commissioners