County governments are responsible for billions of dollars worth of public property, as well as the health and welfare of their most important asset: county employees. Routine activities performed by county governments, such as road maintenance, law enforcement, recreation, and jail operations expose the county and its officials to the potential for frequent and sometimes large liability awards arising out of personal injury, property damage and federal civil rights violations. Retaining knowledgeable and experienced personnel is vital to successfully meeting their obligations.

Risk arising from governmental operations can be professionally and effectively managed.

Recognizing the significant risk exposure presented to counties, ACCG manages several non-profit insurance programs that are available to Georgia counties and Authorities:

ACCG - Group Self-Insurance Workers’ Compensation Fund (GSIWCF)

This is a self-insured group fund that is sponsored and administered by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia. The Fund is non-profit and member-owned. Oversight is provided by a seven-member Board of Trustees who are appointed by the ACCG Board of Managers.

GSIWCF operates under the authority of O.C.G.A. 34-9-150 et seq. The Fund began in 1982 with an initial membership of eleven counties. In 1991, Georgia legislature authorized county authorities, boards, regional commissions, and other similar governmental entities to join the Fund.

Since inception, GSIWCF has added safety & loss control services as well as a claim office dedicated to handling GSIWCF claims. These programs are intended to minimize the amount and the severity of losses, while providing superior service to members.

ACCG - Interlocal Risk Management Agency (IRMA)

This is a self-insured group fund that began in 1987 in which members join together to provide a source of coverage for their property, automobile, general liability, law enforcement liability, public officials’ liability, crime, statutory bond, boiler & machinery, and other specialized coverages. The Fund is owned by the members and overseen by a seven-member Board of Trustees appointed by the ACCG Board of Managers.

IRMA operates under the authority of O.C.G.A. 36-85-20 et seq. Similar in structure to GSIWCF, the Fund is non-profit and member-owned. IRMA estimates the members’ anticipated losses and collects premiums to cover those losses. Excess insurance is purchased to protect against catastrophic losses. The funds collected are invested until needed to pay claims. In-house safety and loss control, as well as claim service, help to control the amount of losses.

ACCG - Group Health Benefits Program, Inc. (GHBP)

This program began in 1992 when counties came together to counteract volatile and unpredictable rate changes in the private health insurance market.

The GHBP provides group health insurance benefits to Georgia county governments’ employees and their families. The program features on-site wellness programs, special underwriting allowances, lower administrative costs, and significant discounts from medical providers. The health program is overseen by a seven-member Board of Directors appointed by the ACCG Board of Managers.

The Program offers member Counties two ways to fund their employee health benefit plans: Fully Insured and Partially Self-Funded/ASO. The self-funded/ASO (Administrative Services Only) Option provides larger Counties the opportunity to participate in the GHBP Program’s group purchasing strengths while choosing the level of risk they want to assume.

The ACCG Program also offers group Dental, Group Life and AD&D, Short and Long Term Disability.

Local Government Risk Management Services (LGRMS)

Founded in 1988, LGRMS is a loss control and service organization of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Municipal Association. The purpose of LGRMS is to provide a variety of loss control services to help local governments minimize their workers' compensation, liability, and property exposures that have the potential to cause losses. LGRMS helps program members prevent accidents and avoid liability claims by providing a consultative package that addresses employee injury, wellness and public liability exposures and assists in managing these exposures.

Inmate Medical Service Program

This is a program that began in 2008 in which bills that are submitted by health care providers are reduced to either the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia network rates, or to the applicable Medicaid rate. The result is significant savings to Georgia counties.

Catastrophic Inmate Protection

This is an insurance product that protects a county from large, costly medical claims made by inmates. In exchange for an insurance premium, and subject to a large deductible, the risks associated with large medical bills is transferred from the county to an insurer.