House Ways & Means Proposes 70/30 Health Insurance Premium Split for State Employees
April 15, 2009
The House Ways & Means Committee is releasing its budget this afternoon with a plan to require all state employees to pay 30 percent of their health insurance premiums—up from 15 percent for employees hired on or before June 30, 2003; and up from 20 percent for employees hired after June 30, 2003. The proposal is being touted as providing $135 million in savings to the Commonwealth.
The governor had earlier proposed a tiered system, with employee contributions ranging from 15 percent to 25 percent.
"The governor is being disingenuous in calling this a savings—it's not cost-saving, it's cost-shifting," said National President David J. Holway. "The Patrick administration is merely shifting the Commonwealth's fiscal crisis onto the backs of state employees, and that's unconscionable. He's doubling health insurance costs for most of our members at a time when most of them are struggling to just get by in this economy."
How much is Governor Patrick's proposal going to cost you?
Again this year, Representative Marty Walsh (D-Dorchester) has circulated among his House colleagues a letter strongly opposing the governor's unfair health insurance proposal. Dozens of state representatives have already signed on to the letter.
NAGE is asking members to contact their representatives to urge them to sign on to Rep. Walsh's letter if they haven't already done so. If your state representative has already signed the letter, we're asking you to send him or her a quick thank-you email.