County employees to pay more for insurance

County employees to pay more for insurance

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Tuesday, July 27. 2010

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Employees of the Barrow County government will pay more out-of-pocket for health insurance in the next fiscal year as the county grapples with cutting a wide gap between projected income and expenses.

At a Barrow County Board of Commissioners meeting July 19, the BOC voted unanimously for another year of health coverage through the Athens Area Health Plan Select. The new plan will not raise the county’s costs for FY2011, but it will increase employees’ share of the costs.

Employees’ premium costs under the lower-cost HMO plan will rise from $4.99 to $17.13 per pay period for individual coverage; from $64.78 to $89.07 for an employee plus one dependant; and from $124.58 to $161 for family coverage.

Employees choosing the more expensive Point of Service plan will pay $32.01 per pay period for individual coverage; $118.82 for employee-plus-one coverage; and $205.63 for family coverage.

With no money for pay raises in the coming year, the changes in the health care plan will reduce employees’ take-home pay.

But it could have been worse.

An option rejected by the board would have reduced the county government’s share of premiums to 80 percent for employee-only coverage and 60 percent for all dependant coverage.

That option would have saved the budget about $258,000.

Commissioner Steve Worley pointed out during the board’s discussion of the issue that the unrealized savings will have to be covered some other way in the new budget. But Commissioner Eva Elder said the board’s selected plan would be kinder to employees while not costing the county government any additional money.

“They already had pay cuts and this increases what they have to pay on their insurance, but it is no increase to the county,” she said.

Commissioner Larry Joe Wilburn cautioned employees in the upcoming year to use only the benefits under the plan that they medically need, because premium costs are tied directly to how much in benefits the insurance company pays.

Athens Area Health Plan Select as of April had paid out in benefits slightly more than it had collected in premiums from the county government and its employees, according to a July 13 proposal presented to the board by the county’s insurance broker, MSI Benefits Group of Kennesaw.

EMPLOYEES CONFUSED BY VOTE

Employees at the meeting walked away confused by the board’s action because BOC chairman Danny Yearwood’s presentation of the options was inaccurate and unclear.

He initially said the option later chosen by the board would mean “no increase to the employees at all.”

Questioned by Elder about that misstatement, he corrected himself and said the option would mean no increased cost to the county government.

For more on this story, see the July 21 edition of the Barrow Journal or click here to read the full story online when you subscribe to our new e-edition.

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#1 B.S on 07/26/10 at 06:35 PM [Reply]

just another way to make the employees pay for their mistakes. what they need to do is just hike up the taxes and quit messing with the employees.

#1.1 Lisa on 07/27/10 at 10:29 AM [Reply]

I agree with no tax increase. What you pay is dirt cheap even with the increase. If you don't agree with the increase QUIT. Get a job in the public sector and 2 to 3 times that amount. Get of your soap box someone needs the firewood.

#1.2 Red Ryder on 07/29/10 at 09:02 AM [Reply]

Remember that County government, or any government for that matter, does not exist so that the county employees can have a job. It exists solely for the citizens. The goal should be to deliver the services needed by the citizens with the least amount of employees, as salary probably takes up the bulk of the expenses. Keep services up, costs down. That's what business does. That's what government should do.

#1.2.1 just my thought on 07/29/10 at 05:33 PM [Reply]

The problem with that is it takes top dollar to recruit top talent. Low starting pay, nonexistent raises, constant uncertainty and poor leadership don't make quality people want to work here. We will get precisely what we pay for. As this continues, the best employees will continue to leave, and we will basically get rejects from other places to fill their positions.

#1.2.1.1 Steve Oh on 07/30/10 at 12:07 PM [Reply]

Man, do you think we have the best now? That is sad!!

#1.2.1.1.1 just my thought on 07/30/10 at 08:02 PM [Reply]

Ok, since you aren't smart enough to read into what I was saying, I will clarify. OUR best employees. I wasn't intending to say our county employees are the second coming. But we do have some good ones.

#1.2.1.1.1.1 Mike on 08/01/10 at 07:20 PM [Reply]

I am smarter than you think. I have THREE BS degrees two of them in engineering. So I fully understood your STUPID remarks. I have lived in Barrow Co now for 8 years and I have not seen any sign of intelligents in the city of county. You may think you are smart ... but remember you ONLY HAVE WORK because OF THE TAX PAYERS YOU DUMMY!!!!

#1.2.1.1.1.1.1 Are You Really? on 08/01/10 at 10:09 PM [Reply]

You would think that a guy with three "BS" degrees could actually spell the word "intelligence"...

Then again, perhaps your "BS" degrees are just that.

#1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1 Mike on 08/02/10 at 11:23 AM [Reply]

Man you really don't get it do you? It was written that way to sound like the others that are writing about this topic. Get a grip. Have a little fun. Now I really wonder what works for the City and County.

#1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Red Ryder on 08/03/10 at 04:29 PM [Reply]

"When you lay down with dogs, ..........

#1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Mike on 08/03/10 at 07:04 PM [Reply]

Sounds like you know a lots about dogs.

#2 no tax increase on 07/27/10 at 09:22 AM [Reply]

I already pay enough in taxes. Employees should get used to paying more for health insurance like non-public workers. What they pay looks cheap to me.

#2.1 Anonymous on 07/27/10 at 11:32 PM [Reply]

Well then.
Next time you call for someone to help you, then maybe everyone has gone to the private sector to stay away from whiners like you.

#3 for it on 07/27/10 at 10:24 AM [Reply]

It's a rare company that pays 100% of the employee health insurance premium! It's good that the county is taking this step. I don't know anyone who isn't paying more for insurance this year due to employer budget problems. The next step would be for the county to start one of those programs that encourages employees to get healthy (= lowers insurance premiums) by offering incentives for health moves. My employer offers a premium reduction after I do 6-months of wellness oriented stuff like lose weight, eat right and exercise. It's food for thought...

#4 for it also on 07/27/10 at 11:37 AM [Reply]

In the 'real world', those lucky enough to have jobs pays significantly more for health insurance. Yes, the employees have received cuts, but they still have jobs when others don't. The commissioners need to cut deparments (license and permits) that presently are lounging around.
With many of Barrow taxpayers losing jobs and homes a tax increase is insane!

#4.1 over it on 07/27/10 at 01:38 PM [Reply]

Completely agree here.
Rising costs of insurance?...hello?..join the real world out here! My family's health care costs have been rising for several years now - with NO raises. I am just thankful to have a job!
Can't wait 'til our next open enrollment to see what all that "great" legislation has done for my family!

#5 cheap NOT on 07/27/10 at 05:48 PM [Reply]

You think the employees are having cheap ins huh! So do 500 to 700 a month sound cheap to you that what it is! so now do think they have cheap ins I think NOT.

#5.1 Lisa on 07/27/10 at 07:16 PM [Reply]

cheap NOT...... like I said to B.S...... If you don't agree with the increase QUIT. Get a job in the public sector and 2 to 3 times that amount. I am sure that there are several people out there that don't have jobs would be more than willing to pay it and be happy to do it.

#6 klp@hotmail.com on 07/27/10 at 07:52 PM [Reply]

I'm an employee and I wouldn't mind the increase in insurance if they had insurance worth a s&*%!! We want the Blue cross blue shield option instead of this Athens Area Junk. Give of insurance worth the premiums we are paying for.

#7 Cheap NOT- I agree on 07/27/10 at 08:11 PM [Reply]

We pay close to 700 a month for insurance. Commissioners: please consider increasing insurance premiums before you raise our taxes. Look at Barrow's unemployment rate-the county employees do have jobs. Many of us that live in Barrow do not.

#8 Phil on 07/28/10 at 07:37 AM [Reply]

Look employees I do not want to sound negative or anything and you do us a great service in your every day job but you do have a choice. You know what the job pays and you now know what the insurance is going to cost. You now have to make a choice for you and your family whether to stay or not. Let me remind you that over 70% of the people in Barrow Co drive 20-40 miles a day one way to get to their jobs. There is a cost of the gas and the wear and tear on your car. And as others have said the insurance is higher away from the government. I personally pay $225 every two weeks for just me and my wife. So insurance in the private sector is not any cheaper. I feel your pain but the private sector has been going thru this now for the last 3 years. You have been very lucky over this period but now times and Obama has caught up with you. I wish you well my friend.

#9 hmmm on 07/28/10 at 09:43 AM [Reply]

its sad to think that every cost cutting measure by barrow has fallen on the employees, not one has affected the citizens, the employees alone cannot fix the money problem. i agree and increase was needed in their premiums. But we have to raise taxes or lose services, its that simple.

#10 Steve Oh on 07/28/10 at 10:52 AM [Reply]

There are extreme things that can be done and not cut the fire, police and EMS. We have lived high on the hawg so long that we are not willing to cut to bear bones. I do not want a tax increase. There are other ways but the comm's want do them because of the back lash. Well Mr. Comm's do the job you were hired to do not what will make YOUR votes happy. These are hard times and things have to be cut. I have to cut back on my family money and what I can do. The county should too. They raise my taxes but I get no raise to help pay it. I go further in debt with new taxes but the county doesn't. Where is the local TEA party. Does someone want to start one here in Barrow Co?

#11 dave on 07/30/10 at 05:59 AM [Reply]

which one of you puts a gun on their hip, straps a bullet proof vest on to protect you and your children. which one of you goes into a burning house to pull you and your children out. when one of you does this in the PUBLIC sector feel free to speak out. these people put their lives on the line daily barely feeding their children for a county of the most ungrateful people i have had the displeasure of meeting. none of them expect to get rich, they are doing it because you will not and they have children in this county. if you think the county is such a cake job put in an application at the jail and if you can put the meth pipe down long enough to fill it out then welcome to government work. i would say the majority of the people posting are collecting SSI due to frying their brain on meth.

#11.1 Steve Oh on 07/30/10 at 07:09 AM [Reply]

You knew when you took the job that you could loose you life and you knew what it paid. You knew when you took the job that you have to run in burning homes. As others have said "if you don't like your job then QUIT". Enough said.

#11.2 Barrow County meth heads on 07/30/10 at 07:21 AM [Reply]

I totally agree, and will even go further . I think that over 60 percent of all Barrow countians between the ages of 16 and 25 are methj heads, and at least 50 percent of those over 30 are drunks.There is really no other explanation for the way people conduct themselves in public. just look around next time your at walmart or the grocery store.Those people ar ethe ones makingall them demands on govt. it wouldnt hurt my feelings if they cops would just start shooting them on sight then maybe the rest would get the message and move out of Barrow county.

#11.3 Self Reliant on 07/30/10 at 08:36 AM [Reply]

If you don't like your job, quit. Or get one elsewhere. I am not obligated to fund insurance for your or your whelps. ALL of your so-called benefits should be cut. to zero.

#11.4 Steve Oh on 07/30/10 at 07:23 PM [Reply]

Last time I looked all roads led into Barrow Co and THEY LED BACK OUT TOO!!! If you don't like what we the tax payers do for you ... then get the hell out of Barrow Co.

#12 Well Said Dave on 07/30/10 at 07:20 AM [Reply]

and as far as collecting SSI and blogging all day -- that would be my neighbor

#13 Not on SSI on 07/30/10 at 09:12 AM [Reply]

I am not a drug dealer on Meth or receive SSI. I'm a citizen who work for over 20 years and was laid off. I have a bachelor's degree. I had to commute to my job and paid gas for 20 years. I have searched tirelessly for a job. I've cut everything from my house except food, water and whatever gas is needed.

The county needs to do the same. We are at a point where there is not a choice left. If departments do not work together and sacrifice (yes every department in the county), the county will file bankruptcy. Then there will not any county employment because no one can pay thousands more in taxes. Can't get blood out of a turnip.

County government become cohesive, get smart and cut--overide department heads. Become business-minded and save our county. You have too....there is not a choice.

#14 local on 07/30/10 at 12:43 PM [Reply]

I am reading all about these people that don't think county employees are worth a flip. I would like to point out that as a county employee I did choose to work here, I also took less money than the private sector, unlike most of you now whining about losing your jobs. That's always been the trade off, during good times you all made a heck of a lot more than me. I took the the less money for better benefits route, but it would seem to me you all wont it both ways. Maybe what you don't want to see is that we have taken not one but two pay cuts, in my case 10k plus, now add another 2600 to that with the insurance increase. It may be better to be unemployed, so please lay me off, so i can collect unemployment, cause unlike you in my choosing to make less, I also am someone who is in a job field which Barrow cannot seem to hire (wonder why, and 6 month vacation is a good idea) and can get another job tomorrow, so please lay me off. I would like to spend some time with my family, and luckily my wife is also in this same field in the private sector making great money. So please continue to whine about being laid off and how i make so much money and my premiums are to cheap, and I am lucky to have a job, cause really I would like to be where you are, rather than helping people who don't want my help.

#14.1 Billy B on 07/31/10 at 01:52 PM [Reply]

YOUR FIRED CRY BABY!!! Hit the road jack. You CAN be replaced.

#15 Wheels on 07/30/10 at 01:15 PM [Reply]

Everybody is missing something important to all of us that have to pay for insurance, which no one pays for any of my family's plan, but that is my choice.

The one clear thing the democraps would not go near in their so-called insurance reform, was Torret reform, make the other side pay in a malpractice suit. Right there would make all plans cost less.

#16 Thelaw on 08/03/10 at 04:13 PM [Reply]

Thanks to all the County Employees that work hard and try to do the right thing.

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