Pierce County employees may have to pay for health insurance next year
Posted By David Wickert on September 9, 2009 at 3:29 pm
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Pierce County employees may have to help pay for their health insurance for the first time as the county tries to balance its budget and address rising insurance costs.
Deputy County Executive Kevin Phelps told the County Council at a study session Tuesday that premiums for medical, dental and vision insurance are expected to increase about 15 percent next year, or about $5.3 million.
With some exceptions, the county in the past has covered the entire cost of insurance for employees. But with the county already looking to cut millions of dollars in spending to balance next year’s budget, Phelps said the county likely can’t absorb next year’s price hike.
In an interview, Phelps said the county might require employees to pay health insurance premiums for the first time. Alternatively, it could change the insurance plans to provide less coverage.
Phelps said county officials are looking at a tiered premium system that would treat single employees differently than married employees and employees with children.
Any changes would have to be negotiated with unions representing county employees. Phelps was to meet this afternoon with representatives of more than 20 unions to begin discussing employee benefits for 2010.
Phelps said Pierce County is “behind the curve” on charging employees for health insurance. He said most other governments already require employees to share the cost.
“Whatever we come up with, we need to come up with a way to mitigate the 15 percent increase on the premium,” Phelps said.
It's amazing we will give free medical to those who choose not to find a job or to a felon who can get a job but the county wants to make honest hard working people to pay for there medical. What the @#$% is the incentive for them to get off of welfare there allowed to smoke, drink have alcohol, And have fancy coffee remind me why i work. The county want to save money kick the unwilling off of welfare
How much money is being spent on prisoners in the Pierce County Jail? Look at the cost! These guys get to see medical staff for things that the regular working stiff takes care of themselves. They whine about the littlest thing and get to see a PA or nurse for it. Then they complain about the treatment they get. Maybe they should be made to pay the going rate for their medical care instead of buying candy and sweets from the jail commissary.
The cost savings could go towards the workers medical insurance.
Why is it that whatever the subject of a news story, people in the Comments start trashing the poor?
I'm talking about the comment here, "What the @#$% is the incentive for them to get off of welfare there allowed to smoke, drink have alcohol, And have fancy coffee remind me why i work".
TOOCAN, what makes you think these people _want_ to be on welfare? They just might have had a lot of bad luck, not gotten the breaks that you and I received, etc.
I'm a conservative -- as my name, LakewoodConservative implies -- but if you ask me, TOOCAN, your idea of just "kicking the unwilling off welfare" simplifies the issue too much.
Toocan - The Federal Government - not the County - runs the welfare programs. So why are you blaming PC?
I agree with TOOCAN...the majority of those on assistance are there sucking up help rather than helping themselves. YES there are some out there that have had bad luck and need the help - yes these programs are needed for those, but there are many many many who don't take action for themselves. If you're on assistance, you should NOT be smoking or drinking or pulling your foodstamps out of your coach bag.
Boo! Hoo! Cry me a river. Welcome to the real world government workers!
fatuous- I believe government "workers" are in the real world. Along with all other "workers". The real world is about getting up every morning and going to work to EARN money and benefits.
Gadzooks.. did this string get lost.
PC employees will have to face the fact that they will have to pony up for some medical. I'm suprised they haven't been already, just about every employer I know has employees chip in, depending on level of coverage.
Another facet of the health care debate - the creep of those employed getting the pinch of higher rates, whatever the cause.
"The real world is about getting up every morning and going to work to EARN money and benefits."
So, if someone works for a company that has medical benefits, that person shouldn't have to pay a dime? I don't think so, and I doubt the CEO of that company would think so either. What makes county or government employees or officials better? Why should the county (taxpayers) flip the bill for their medical? We already pay their salary for doing, for the most part, a lackluster job.
Wow, they got their medical for free? I worked for the Federal govt. for years and had to pay part of the premium along with increasing deductibles and co-pays. Sorry their sweet deal may be coming to an end but they were in a unique situation for modern times.
Pierce County pays for the health care costs of inmantes to include but not limited to their medications, abortions, deliveries and dialisis...these people are criminals and the hard working devoted workers of Pierce County will have to pay for a benefit for working at the County.....WRONG, you got it WRONG..I hope the council will actually listen to the union reps and non-union workers and pay attention at the public comment portion of the council meetings. Try putting down the papers and actully listen to the folks who took the time to come and comment, remember you were elected by those folks who you ignore and as you "read" when they comment. Just a thought.
Boo! Hoo! Cry me a river. Welcome to the real world government workers!
Fatuous, Everything Alaska, Toocan hit the nails right on the heads !!! You can't and shouldn't help those who won't help themselves - I 'm the first to give someone the shirt off my back if they need it while trying to better themselves, but giving help to those who sit around waiting for the Mailman to show up with their welfare check / my tax dollars is absurd. Why work when others will work for you?
Well, any step backwards for a worker is unfortunate. Is it necessary, perhaps. Could an employee share the burden with an employer, sure, but what's fair and comfortable? What I never seem to see are articles or reports about insurance companies trimming their fat, cutting their costs in order to keep premiums stable or increases at a minimum? If they do anything it's to reduce their cost to increase their profit. Instead of getting angry at the workers or management for trying to balance their budget, we should all be applying pressure on the insurance companies and our own states Insurance Commission. Insurance is a necessary EVIL. We go through life paying and avoiding using it and when we do those companies try their best to avoid covering us. check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jng4TnKqy6A
You must read this this while thinking about "Triumph the insult comic dog""-- pretend what you are reading is coming from Triumphs mouth..........
"OOOOOHHHHHH NOOOOO! They have to start paying for their own insurance! The world is coming to an end! Woe is me! What will they ever do now that they will have to pay for insurance?????? All I know is I need some to p**p on and I found it!
One of the areas that the County can cut on medical premiums is the area where they have husbands and wifes working for the county. They can let one of them opt out of the system, because they are already covered by one of the spouses. I know of many husband/wife county employees. This would cut on costs. The other area is pay for what you have. Instead of this one large premium for every employee, pay for the coverage needed. Like a single person's medical costs are going to be less than a family, and a couple that does not have any children would not have to pay a full premium either. Just some common sense issues.
Now hold on, IKNOW....you say you pay their salary for doing a lackluster job - you ever thought that most of them live with in the county so they pay just as much of their salary as YOU do? You ever thought that all of them don't do a lackluster job but rather the few ruin it for the good workers? How annoying it must be to get the pinch from the higher ups and have your budget cut and then have other fellow tax payers put it in their face that they aren't doing their job when they aren't given the resources to do so!
sw4n6xprt, the county is thinking about addressing the issue of spouses and insurance. Phelps told me there are 65 couples in which both spouses work for Pierce County. He suggested eliminating one of the from the program would save a lot, though I don't have details. I was hesitant to mention that in the post because I don't have enough information. Presumably the "de-enrolled" spouse would still be covered by the county's program, but as a spouse, not as an employee. I don't know the details of how it would work, but it's one of the issues they were going to raise with the union officials yesterday.
Almost everyone agrees that healthcare insurance costs have skyrockected.
Well, so have automobile and home insurance costs. And they are parallel worlds: behemoth corporations that are largely indifferent to the average consumer, no real market competition, ever-rising costs. Let's also start a national dialogue about automobile and home insurance costs.
I work in Grays Harbor County... we have had to pay for dependent coverage for years. The county pays for the cost of the employee only. I was shocked when I saw the Medical rates, and that Pierce county is paying a composite rate and not tiered. I know it's not always easy to get everyone on board with a plan, but tiered rates make sense. And maybe the county should just pay a fixed amount only and let the employees pick up the balance... I don't know of anyone else that pays for full benefits for their employees... those days are long gone!
I was also not aware that PC did not pay for healthcare. I have no problem with employees paying a reasonable amount, but you need to consider the balance between private pay scale and public pay scale. In most cases you work for lower salary to receive better beni's and stability. Not always the case though.
This is one playing field that has never been level. Health insurance should never have been allowed as a tax free fringe benefit. I had to pay for my insurance with after tax income for years. Government and private sector employees should have to do the same.