Police endorse insurance plan

By D.A. Wilkinson

wilkinson@vindy.com

SALEM

Salem policemen have voted to endorse a new insurance plan, but Mayor Jerry Wolford said Monday that the plan still needs work.

The mayor said Monday that the new insurance rates go into effect July 1.

Wolford had proposed workers could adopt a Health Reimbursement Account instead of conventional insurance.

The administration had asked workers in four departments — the police, fire, utility and street departments — to switch from conventional insurance to the HRA.

With a reserve account, the city would pay the claims and keep any funds that were not spent on payments.

Wolford said that it wasn’t clear how long it will take to provide new copies of the new benefits as well as providing health-coverage cards.

Workers from all four departments had to approve the plan.

The police department had been the only department to veto the idea. After more discussion by police officers, Patrolman Brent Slider, the department’s Fraternal Order of Police representative, said officers approved the plan. Slider was unavailable to comment.

The idea is to have a third-party administrator find a lower insurance premium with the same benefits as the existing contracts. The present benefits would not change with the HRA.

The city now pays $1.2 million a year for health insurance.