YOUNGSTOWN Nonunion workers will help foot insurance costs

Criticism of the city for not making the change sooner is justified, the mayor said.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Nonunion workers are to join other city employees in paying toward their health care benefits.
Mayor George M. McKelvey is asking city council to approve changes starting Dec. 1 that mandate nonunion contributions toward health care costs. Copayments for doctor visits and prescription drugs are included.
Unionized city workers already have health care contributions and copayments in their contracts.
McKelvey said skyrocketing health care costs and falling tax revenue mean all city workers must help offset costs, as occurs in the private sector.
"I believe we can wait no longer," he said. "We can't, we shouldn't and we won't continue to."
City council's finance committee was to review the health benefit legislation at a 5:30 p.m. meeting today.
James E. Fortune Sr., D-6th, finance committee chairman, said he doesn't expect any opposition in council.
The change would affect about 182 city workers who are designated management. That means they aren't covered by a union contract. The category includes all elected officials and municipal court workers.
Of the 182 nonunion workers, 176 use family benefits. The rest use single coverage.
What they'll pay
The contributions amount to workers paying 10 percent of the monthly premium that the city pays for each employee.
A worker with family coverage would contribute $82 a month for health, dental and vision benefits. Single coverage would cost $34 a month for the same benefits.
The monthly contribution would be less if a worker opts to waive dental or vision coverage, or both.
All nonunion workers also would make these copayments: $10 for doctor office visits; $35 for urgent care visits; and $50 for emergency room visits, which is waived if the patient is admitted to the hospital.
Workers also would make copayments of $8 on generic prescription drugs and $15 on brand name prescriptions.
Workers covered by any other health insurance who waive city benefits would receive $139 a month. Union workers who waive city health benefits receive the same amount.
The city projects saving more than $100,000 a year with the new policy, said Iris Guglucello, a deputy law director who handles insurance issues.
Health care costs are rising 5 percent to 10 percent annually, she said. Last year, city health care costs shot up about 20 percent, she said.
Hope is that the copayments will cut unnecessary trips to the doctor or hospital, McKelvey said. The city's premiums will drop if workers limit their use of health care services, he said.
Overdue
McKelvey admitted the move to health care contributions is overdue. He also said criticism of the city is justified for not making the change sooner.
McKelvey acknowledged that the start of contract talks with police officers spurred the move.
Now is the time to make nonunion workers contribute toward health benefits because the city will ask union members for concessions, too, he said. The city should ask all workers to sacrifice at the same time, McKelvey said.
"Obviously, management should lead by example," he said. "It's only fair."
rgsmith@vindy.com