Middleboro: Health Care Costs

As Middleboro's Annual Town Meeting (Tuesday, May 13th, please mark your calendars and attend) draws closer, the impacts on budgets will gain greater scrutiny.

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The health care costs are of major concern and additional information will be posted.
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Let's not allow the historical sacrificial lambs to suffer when alternatives are available that the Board of Selectmen are neglecting.

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Earlier in this forum (nemasket), when I commented about health care costs to the Town per employee, another poster, lacking the facts challenged my comments.

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The Town Treasurer indicated that health insurance costs had declined this year.

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The following is the list sent from the Treasurer's Office of costs for the upcoming fiscal year. (I'll send the doc to nemasket for post in the appropriate section so you can print it for yourself.)

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I would like to point out that THE TOWN'S SHARE 90% of the cost of health insurance for HMO Blue New England for family coverage is $14,380 PER YEAR

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Blue Care Elect (PPO) for family coverage is $15,579 PER YEAR.

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For each new town employee, those costs need to be taken into consideration and we need to have a dialogue about the costs.

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PLEASE POST FOR ALL EMPLOYEES

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The open enrollment period for health insurance, life insurance and dental insurance will be from May 15, 2008 to June 19, 2008 with an effective date of July 1, 2008. This is the time of year when you can change plans, if desired, without a qualifying event. If you are not currently a member of our health or dental groups, now is the time to join. If you are satisfied with your current plan, it is not necessary to do anything at all; your coverage will remain as it is. The monthly rates are as follows:

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...........................................Total ........Town.......Employee

..........................................Premium.. Share......Share
................................................................Per....... Per
.............................................................Month.... Month
HMO Blue New England Plan
............Ind..........................$508.21....457.39.......50.82
............Family..................$1,331.57....1,198.41....133.16
Blue Care Elect (PPO)
...........Ind..........................$696.29.....522.22........174.07
...........Family...................$1,731.00...1,298.25.....432.75
Medex 3 with Obra
...........Ind.........................$ 424.57........318.43.....106.14
Managed Care for Seniors
...........Ind.......................$ 420.32........315.24......105.08
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Informational booklets and enrollment forms are available at the Treasurer’s Office in the Bank Building. TREASURER'S MEMO

'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.' Margaret Mead