Deadline to join state health plan is Oct. 1

By DIANA SCHOBERG
The Patriot Ledger

QUINCY – The clock is ticking.

Quincy, like other municipalities in the state, has until Oct. 1 to notify the state if it will be be joining the Group Insurance Commission to buy health coverage for municipal employees if they want it to be in effect starting July 1, 2008.

That means that in less than a month, the city’s union employees will have to learn the details of the plans and decide whether they want to join – 70 percent would have to vote to buy in before the city would be able to switch over – and the city council needs to approve the decision to shift to the state plan.

Gov. Deval Patrick signed the law giving communities the option on July 25, with the goal of providing affordable health care to communities who continue to be hit by skyrocketing insurance costs.

City councilors last night launched a discussion of the proposal at their first meeting following their summer recess.

Mayor William Phelan, who was not at the meeting, has been a strong proponent of joining the commission, saying it could save taxpayers and employees millions of dollars.

Initial reaction to the proposal was guarded, with some councilors wondering if they should so easily give up local control over such a contentious issue to Beacon Hill.

``I’ve never known of a situation where I’ve paid more and gotten less,'' said Ward 1 Councilor Brian McNamee. ``I’m very skeptical, and when you advocate so strongly I become even more skeptical,'' he told city Personnel Director Roberta Kety, who was on hand answering their initial questions.

Ward 3 Councilor Kevin Coughlin said that he’s been getting his insurance through the state pool for 30 years, and his experience has been ``terrific.'' Health plan participants have a menu of plans to fit to their families’ health care needs, he said.

Recent contracts signed with the city’s union employees that raise employee health care contributions from 10 percent to 20 percent have a clause that if they adopt the plan to join the state insurance pool, contributions will drop back down to 10 percent.

The city council has scheduled a public hearing at 7:35 p.m. Sept. 24 to discuss the issue further. Councilors expect to take a vote later that night or at a special meeting Sept. 26.

Diana Schoberg may be reached at dschoberg@ledger.com.