Insurance recommendations come for city workers
By Anthony Gadson
PLYMOUTH � During Monday night�s Common Council meeting, the Insurance Committee recommended six actions to be taken within the city�s insurance plan as the council works to help alleviate the city�s budget shortfalls.
The recommendations given by the committee would go into effect January 1.
�The first recommendation given to the Board by Brian Liechty, of KL Benefits, is to add a new section to the employee handbook in regards to the retirees� benefit plan. In the current handbook, retirees are not addressed at all, but section 6.8 would be added to address insurance for retirees. The new section to the handbook would state �Upon retirement from active employment, eligibility for all City insurance benefit plans terminates.� The retirees may be able to continue to stay on the city�s medical insurance, at their own costs, until they become Medicare eligible.
�The second recommendation is to renew the medical contract with an Advantage Health Plan. No changes would be made to benefits. There would be a 1.97 percent gross increase for basic plans and a 20 percent increases for the POS plan in regards to people out of state.
�The third recommendation involves �per paycheck� employee contributions. A single employee would pay a base amount of $8, a married employee would pay $55, employees with children $48 and an employee with a family would pay a base amount of $67.
�The fourth recommendation concerns the city�s dental plan. The recommendation is to replace the city�s current plan with a self-funded Dental Reimbursement Plan. The plan would be very similar to the current plan and the initial premium equivalency levels will be made to match the current rates being paid.
�A revision of the vision plan is the fifth recommendation discussed. With the current city plan, an employee is entitled to receive two pairs of glasses each year. With the new plan an employee would receive �an annual eye exam each year and one pair of glasses every two years�.
�The sixth recommendation given by the Insurance Committee is to leave the life insurance program unchanged.
The move to accept the recommendations passed unanimously. The recommendations collectively will reduce the budget by approximately $10,000 when compared to the 2002 benefit package.
The only other item of significance was to approve a tax abatement. Doug Anspach, head of the city�s Economic Development Commission, said this was a no-brainer.
It�s a 105,000-square foot addition to a 150,000-square foot Van Vactor building on Pine Road. Dean�s Foods will occupy the expanded part of the building.
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