WM sticking with current insurer for workers

WM sticking with current insurer for workers

City to stay with United for municipal employees in 2017

news@theeveningtimes.com

Everyone likes stability and change usually rocks the boat. So, news that the city is sticking with United Health Insurance for its employees group plan should be good news. A few changes were noted as the city administrators nailed down the details and moved to continue the coverage.

City Councilor Ramona Taylor announced the decision to City Councilors during the final meeting of November and was recorded for viewing on the city cable access channel.

“The city insurance committee met this past week in conjunction with the budget committee,” said Taylor.

“Thanks to the negotiation of our insurance agent Matthew Glass and our City Treasurer Frank Martin the committees recommend remaining with United Health for 2017.

The City will absorb an increase cost for the group health insurance and not pass any increase onto its 400 employees. Taylor underlined some changes that employees will notice.

“They were able to negotiate a 2.5 percent increase,” said Taylor. “That includes moving our vision insurance from CIGNA to United to keep this low rate increase possible. We will stay with Delta Dental with no increase and our life insurance will remain with CIGNA for the same price.”

City Councilors then waived competitive bidding to for the 2017 coverage as has been it past practice with reasonable rate changes.

“We don’t have to go through the rigors of changing everyone’s insurance for next year,” said Taylor.

Budget Committee Chairman Tracy Catt explained how the city blocked passing any rate increase onto its employees.

“The refund we are getting from CIGNA, around $62,000, will be very close to wiping out the 2.5 percent increase Councilwoman Taylor was talking about,” said Catt.

“We are not anticipating passing any of it along to our employees,” said Mayor Bill Johnson.

At the joint committee meeting in November the Mayor emphasized the strong insurance coverage and the low employee contribution to the enroll in the group plan with the city.

“Our employees are fortunate to have $500 deductible insurance and a maximum out of pocket of $2,500 that is almost unheard of anywhere today,” said Johnson.

By John Rech