2015-04-27 Disability Board MinutesEDMONDS' DISABILITY BOARD
Meeting minutes
1 /27/15
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Ken Jones, Chair
Gary McComas, Board Member
Joan Bloom, Council Member
Adrienne Fraley-Monillas, Council Member
STAFF PRESENT:
Mary Ann Hardie, HR Manager
Yvonne Chan, HR Analyst
CALL TO ORDER:
Chair Jones called the Board meeting to order at 9:30 am.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Council Member Fraley-Monillas made a motion to approve the meeting minutes of
January 27, 2015. Council Member Bloom seconded the motion. The motion carried.
DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF CLAIMS SUMMARY REPORT:
Ms. Chan reviewed the Claims Summary of January 1, 2015 through March 31, 2015 as
follows:
SERVICE
TOTAL NUMBER
OF CLAIMS
COST
Prescription Co -Pays
17
$6,335.98
In Home Assisted Living Care
3
24,062.00
Purchase of Eye Glasses
2
300.00
Medicare Premium Reimbursement
17
21,966.50
Dental Reimbursement
4
498.00
Payment of Annual deductibles & co-
insurance
11
2,341.54
Hearing Aids (batteries)
1
23.60
Routine & Preventative Costs or costs
associated with Annual Physical Exams
0
0.00
Eye Exam and Refraction
0
0.00
Out -of -Pocket Expense
0
0.00
Medical Equipment/Medically Necessary
Services
0
0.00
TOTALS:
37
$55,527.62
The total expense for the period 1/1/15 through 3/31/15 was $55,527.42 with a total of 24
claims for the period. The total Visiting Angels Nurse Care costs for the quarter were
$24062.00.
Councilmember Fraley Monillas made a motion to approve the claims summary report for
the period 1/1/15 up to and including 3/31/2015 in the amount of $55,527.62 based on
medical necessity. Council Member Bloom seconded the motion. The motion carried.
REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF LEOFF I RETIREE CLAIMS (REQUESTS FOR
REIMBURSEMENT)
The following two requests for reimbursement were approved for payment by a motion
made by Councilmember Fraley Monillas and seconded by Chair Ken Jones. The motion
carried:
Eye Exam - $94.00
This request for reimbursement was approved for payment.
Refraction - $49.30
This request for reimbursement was approved for payment.
The third request before the Board is being held pending additional information. Ms. Chan
will determine if this bill was submitted for payment by Medicare or Monumental.
The following additional requests for reimbursement were put on the table for discussion
again:
Vaccinations - $245.98
There was discussion that followed by the Board this reimbursement through Costco and
that Costco offered the Hep A shots. In the letter submitted to the Board (along with the
request for reimbursement), the LEOFF member explained why he acted quickly to get
the shots he needed and why the doctor's office recommended that he get Hep A/B shots.
According to the LEOFF 1 member, the shots offered (eventually) by Costco would not
have been sufficient for his medical condition. The member maintains that the shots
should be covered under the Board policy 007-08 — Reimbursement for Routine and
Preventive Service Costs or costs associated with Annual Physical Exams (up to $300).
Chair Jones moved that the vaccinations be reimbursed. Council member Bloom
seconded. The motion carried.
Portable Low Vision Magnifier - $219.98
VisioBook Video Magnifier - $3,087.00
There was additional further discussion by the Board about the portable low vision
magnifier and the ViosioBook video magnifier that were presented for approval for
payment reimbursement by the board. The LEOFF member submitted additional
information about medical necessity for the items purchased including a letter from the
consulting doctor.
Chair Jones moved that the Board approve for payment the reimbursement request for
the portable low vision magnifier in the amount of $219.98. Board member McComas
seconded. The motion carried.
On the second request for reimbursement for VisioBook Video Magnifier, there was further
discussion about the medical necessity for this device. There was also discussion about
creating a policy that required LEOFF 1 members to get pre -authorization from the Board
for items of this price range before purchase.
Board member McComas moved to reimburse the member for the device. The motion
was seconded by Chair Jones. Board member(s) Bloom and Fraley Monillas did not
approve the motion; therefore the motion did not carry.
A second motion was made by Councilmember Fraley Monillas to reimburse the LEOFF
1 member of request for half of the requested $3,087.00 (or a total of $1,542.50) with the
additional condition that the Board would be further considering a reimbursement policy
for adaptive devices. If a policy is created in the near future by the Board for such devices,
the LEOFF 1 member would be able to resubmit the request for reimbursement for the
remaining $3,087.00 under any new policy created [provided that allowed for amount of
reimbursement under a new policy does not exceed the amount to be reimbursed by the
LEOFF 1 member]. The motion was seconded by Council member Bloom. The motion
carried.
Board members requested that HR staff make other inquiries of other cities as to what
their policies are regarding reimbursement for these kinds of adaptive devices. The Board
further requested that Ms. Hardie draft a policy for the Board's review on adaptive devices
to include language in the policy regarding obtaining pre -authorization before purchase
(similar to the Hearing Aid policy). Ms. Hardie stated that she draft such a policy based on
the information that was received from the other Boards.
OTHER -Interim Meeting
The Board agreed to a meeting solely for discussion of policy review. The meeting will be
held in the first two weeks of June.
There was also discussion about the need for a Board doctor as well since the Board's
doctor retired in March 2015. The Board discussed their interest in having the Board
doctor also serve as the [vacant position of] Citizen -at -Large to the Board. Ms. Hardie
agreed to reach out again to try to contact Dr. Hickman to see if he would be willing to
serve as the Board doctor and that she would also reach out to Carl Zappora at Verdant
Health to see if there were any resources of doctors who may be interested in serving in
either position.
The meeting adjourned at 10:30 am.