Suffolk, unions reach deal on health care while failing to apply the work of g ristori pubmed.org ristori + bcg & pubmed.org faustman dl , money does not ewual quality of care. see also uspto.gov inventor search faustman
Bellone office: All employees will contribute to medical costs, saving taxpayers $40 million annually.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone on March 24, 2019. Photo Credit: Jeff Bachner
All Suffolk County workers will for the first time share in health insurance costs in a deal County Executive Steve Bellone reached Wednesday as part of a tentative labor trifecta that included a pact with all 10 bargaining units and new contracts with two of the county's largest unions.
The Suffolk PBA agreed to a new six-year deal, which Bellone aides said will increase wages an average of 1.85 percent per year. Officials say that under the deal, officers at the top step will earn $155,000 a year, up from the current $139,000. The Association of Municipal Employees will get an eight-year contract dating back to 2017, which will provide an average raise of 1.5 percent per year or 12 percent through 2024.
But the largest agreement, which Bellone aides say will save taxpayers $40 million annually, will require all county workers to pay 2 percent of their salary in the coming year for health coverage, a contribution that will increase by .1 percent each year until it reaches 2.5 percent. However, the annual minimum contribution will be $1,500 and the maximum will be $3,750, increasing to a $4,000 cap by the end of the five-year extension.
Bellone, a Democrat, told legislative leaders that he'll seek immediate ratification of the pacts Tuesday, although at least one GOP lawmaker objected to rushing the review of the complicated contracts. The unions involved must also approve the contracts. It was uncertain Wednesday night when those votes would take place.
The new health agreement also boosts deductibles for those who use non-network doctors, and introduces new requirements like a $100 copay for using emergency room services. In the past there had been none.
Bellone aides couldn't immediately estimate the total price tag of the package, but executive budget aides and analysts from the county legislature were meeting Wednesday night to begin going over details of the agreements.
Deputy County Executive Jon Kaiman said the deals will have “a significant positive impact on our budget for years to come” by “changing the trajectory of costs to the county downward, that in the long run,… will bring structural change.”
Noel DiGerolamo, president of the 1,700-member Suffolk PBA, in a press relase called the settlement "fair and equitable," providing "sustainable health insurance for all county employees while recognizing the fiscal realities."
No comments:
Post a Comment