43
Trustees approve wellness, health-savings programs
By Mary Smith
MINERAL RIDGE
Township trustees approved new wellness programs and health- savings plans as part of health insurance offered to employees.
Fiscal Officer Fred Bobovnyk explained that Ohio Legislature approved adding the two plans to township employee’s health plans for 2012.
Employees can also obtain reimbursements of their health-care contributions if they don’t want insurance through the township, and receive 35 percent of what their contribution would be.
The addition of a wellness program will allow employees to receive preventive health testing, such as mammograms or prostate testing, which will be fully covered by their insurance to make it easier to get preventive testing done.
Before the addition of a wellness program, employees would have paid a portion of the cost of such testing, Bobovnyk said.
A health-savings program will also be started, which allows individuals to save money before taxes to have money set aside to pay for medical costs, such as deductibles, or other amounts they have to pay for medical care.
The plans cover all full-time employees and township officers and their dependents.
Trustees set their 2012 meetings for the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. and will have their organizational meeting at 6:45 p.m. Jan. 10 before the regular meeting.
In other routine year-end business, trustees rehired fire Chief Randy Pugh and assistant Fire Chief Ken Boring, both at same rate of pay and benefits; and all firefighters and part-time police officers at no change in pay.
Bobovnyk will be paid at the maximum allowed by state law at $21,221 a year in 2012, and trustees will receive $12,346 annually, also the maximum.
A hearing on the suspension of Patrolman Richard Mattessich will be at 7 p.m. today by trustees at the township administration building.