Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced that a comprehensive dependent eligibility verification program conducted by the County’s Department of Risk Management could result in as much as $12.5 million in savings through the elimination of coverage for ineligible dependents. “This program allows the County to verify that all dependents enrolled for coverage are actually eligible and that taxpayers are not incurring unnecessary costs,” Preckwinkle said. “Whether through accidental oversight or deliberate action, it is important that we make sure we are not paying for ineligible dependents. This is another important best practices initiative that saves taxpayer dollars and promotes increased accountability.”

Over the course of the program, which allowed employees nearly two months to respond, more than 91 percent of the 32,000 dependents enrolled in the County’s health plans were certified. The audit allows the County to confirm that all of the dependents enrolled for coverage are indeed eligible based on the County’s plan requirements. Benefits for dependents were eliminated in cases where eligibility guidelines were not met or appropriate documentation to verify eligibility was not submitted. In early June, employees with dependent coverage received a letter explaining the process, with additional outreach occurring over the course of the program. In total, nearly 43,000 communications were sent to County employees via email and letter from HMS Employer Solutions.