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Cook County hopes to save $12.5 million in employee benefits costs

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Monday that a comprehensive dependent eligibility verification program conducted by the county's Department of Risk Management could result in up to $12.5 million in savings through the elimination of coverage for ineligible dependents.

Risk Management partnered with HMS Employer Solutions, an independent third-party audit company, to perform the review.

"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."

Over the course of the program, more than 91 percent of the 32,000 dependents enrolled in the county's health plans were certified. Benefits for dependents were eliminated in cases where eligibility guidelines were not met or appropriate documentation to verify eligibility was not submitted.

"If you are ineligible to be a dependent, the county should not be providing your health coverage," Preckwinkle said. "Cook County is facing a challenging budget year and we must continue identifying creative ways to find savings."

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