Dependent Eligibility Verification

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

In an effort to control health care costs and provide appropriate stewardship over public funds, the Department of Human Resources (DHR), County of Los Angeles, conducted a Dependent Eligibility Verification (DEV) program in 2015. The DEV ensured that only eligible dependents were enrolled in County medical and dental benefits. The County partnered with HMS Employer Solutions (HMS) to reach out to the nearly 63,000 employees that had 146,000 dependents enrolled in its health plans. Those not documented were removed from coverage. Employees who removed ineligible dependents – voluntarily or involuntarily – during the DEV were granted amnesty by the Board of Supervisors and were not liable for past premiums. The County achieved a 98.9% DEV participation rate by working closely with Departmental Human Resources Managers in the 37 County departments and labor unions to supplement the formal communication with additional letters, emails and phone calls. The County’s participation rate exceeded the HMS Government Benchmark by 3.2%. The program resulted in a 3.4% reduction in covered dependents and saved the County $7.8 million in 2015 and over $17.8 million in 2016, resulting in a return on investment (ROI) for the program of over 925% in the first year.