The ongoing discussion about coverage for city employees’ health insurance continued Monday night..
At their last meeting the aldermen were informed that their current carrier, Blue Cross Blue Shield, is initiating a $232 per employee, per month increase over last year's rate for the policy period that begins July 1. That could equate to a $278,400 annual cost increase for the city.
They were also presented with three cost options with regard to renewing that policy with Blue Cross Blue Shield.
On Monday night, during a 20-minute discussion, Alderman Marvin Elder made a motion to hold a special call meeting at 7 p.m., on Wednesday, to hear a different proposal from Collier Insurance, a Tennessee-based insurance company, before making a decision to go with either of the plans presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield representative Kent Barrett.
The vote was unanimously in favor of having the session; however, Alderman Gary Fratesi first called for a poll of the members to see who planned to attend alluding to the last call meeting lacking participation.
The city lawmakers have to make a decision and pick a plan by June 15 or risk having to pay an additional $20,000 for a one-month extension of coverage on the current policy according to Mayor Steve Rosenthal. "That's greater than the gain they're (Collier) talking about giving,” he said.
Elder maintained that his reason for requesting a meeting is so that the whole board will be made familiar with and get an understanding of the information that the Collier company has sent out. "At least the whole board will know exactly what's on the table. Right now the whole board does not know what's on the table," he said.
Rosenthal said he was not against holding the special call meeting but cautioned, "We're not going to spend $20,000 because we can't make a decision."
Rosenthal mentioned a six-month wait regarding Collier and a gap insurance policy, from the same company they are already dealing with to cover the cost of pharmaceuticals. “And the what if is, if we can prove that the numbers that Blue Cross is giving us is incorrect, that the pharmaceuticals won't be that high. But we've done them for three years and the pharmaceuticals haven't gone down in three years," Rosenthal said.
He added, "If we do that and it doesn't go down, then we've chosen the higher policy.”
Several questions were raised during the discussion, but even after the members decide on which company to go with, it's not over because they will still have to decide on the coverage options and how they are going to pay for it.
Alderman Darrell Simpson made a request for two things, the total cost the city would have to pay out per plan and to know who is going to come up with a plan as to how the city is going to pay for the increased cost.
