Posts Tagged ‘coverage’
Lexington’s Urban County Government is dropping health insurance coverage for 556 employees of “outside agencies” — organizations that are affiliated with, but not directly run by, city government.
Based on 2008 spending, dropping employees of the 20 organizations from Lexington’s insurance plan would save the cash-strapped city $506,218 a year, the difference between what it took in and what it had to pay out.
Among the organizations that will be making new health insurance arrangements are the Fayette County Health Department, Kentucky League of Cities, Lexington Housing Authority, Lexington Convention & Visitors Bureau, Lexington Parking Authority and the Lexington Urban League.
“The satellite agencies had been paying only their premiums,” said Susan Straub, spokeswoman for Mayor Jim Newberry. “… They were not funding the full cost of their health care.”
Over the past three years, the city has shelled out $2.2 million to supplement the insurance premiums paid by the employees of outside agencies.
In late November, Newberry said the city might consider layoffs, pay cuts, furloughs and the elimination of city programs to stem an estimated shortfall of $12 million to $13 million. City government division directors were asked to propose ways to cut expenses by 5 percent.
The council approved cutting health insurance for outside groups on Dec. 8. In all, the city offers health insurance to 3,622 workers and retirees, whose health claims outpaced revenue by $8.5 million last year.
Most of the agencies will have until Dec. 31, 2010, to finish their new health care plans, but some — such as the Fayette County Health Department — will switch to new insurers within the next month.
Health Department Commissioner Melinda Rowe said city officials told her the agency should be covered by the state’s health insurance program. Instead, the department chose a plan offered by Bluegrass Family Health.
Still, the cost of premiums paid by the department could go up by more than $600,000 over two years, Rowe said.
Not providing health insurance to employees was never considered, she said.
“Obviously, we’re the health department; we have got to concentrate on our own employees and their wellness,” Rowe said.
P.G. Peeples, president of Lexington’s Urban League, said his organization’s insurance options are limited because it has only six employees. He hopes to band with United Way agencies or other Urban League offices to build the number of employees needed for a large bargaining pool.
“I’m disappointed they’re going to remove this option,” Peeples said. “I understand that they’re trying to do cost savings.”
How did the city wind up providing insurance benefits for agencies outside city government?
“For the most part, we don’t really know,” Straub said. “We inherited this situation, and the arrangements have apparently been in place for a number of years.”
Jan Isenhour, director of the Carnegie Center for Literacy, said the center’s budget initially came from the city, so its inclusion in the health pool seemed logical.
In 2003, the center became an “outside agency” and started taking over its own finances but remained in the city insurance group. The Carnegie Center hasn’t started pricing outside health policies; it has another year on the city’s plan.
Meanwhile, the city continues to look for other ways to shift expenses to outside agencies.
Ed Lane, councilman for Lexington’s 12th district, said the city might soon consider asking outside agencies to contribute money toward the upkeep of city office space they occupy.
“The recession puts a lot of strain on government to provide all the services necessary for the taxpayers, but it also gives us an opportunity to look at what are essential services and what are non-essential services … to try to maximize the efficiency of government as much as we can,” Lane said.
It is possible to find quality coverage at an affordable price. But there are some things you should know you, so you end up with the right plan.
A low cost health plan can sometimes be poor quality, as some plans offer coverage only up to $ 50,000 or $ 75,000. In addition, many plans will only pay for an operation, if you have more than one operation, requiring from the same accident or medical event. This could leave withfinancial trouble, after you recover.
Make sure that your plan has a comprehensive major medical care. Find out what is the lifetime maximum benefit, and what the annual benefit is maximized. “Low cost health plan mean” do not have to, “no protection.”
Tax advantaged plans
If you could benefit from tax savings, and the plan that you can use selection, not to offer the possibility of a health savings account with your plan, youLook at the wrong plan. Low cost health plan options include “Qualified high deductible health plan.” These plans are qualified by the Internal Revenue Service to deal with a health savings account, which means that you will use for all your medical costs, which have deposited the money into your account before taxes to pay, and comes without taxes.
Paying Claims
As the company is on the payment of claims? Have people had problems collectingif they used their insurance for them the most? After surgery or an accident is not the best time to find out how reliable your insurance company is requesting the payment. Do your research up front. Visit the Better Business Bureau website to find out if there are problems with the company who have seen you.
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Much has been said about the importance of being healthy. If you have been paying attention to your health, you probably would have a California health insurance coverage. If you don’t have one yet, there is no better time than now to get California health insurance quotes. There is indeed nothing more important than keeping healthy than protecting yourself from illnesses and its consequences. What consequences are we talking about?
Among many other things, an illness or degradation in your health can mean loss of your earnings if you are unable to work. It can also mean huge financial burdens as medical bills are getting extremely expensive. A serious illness not only cripples you of the normal life you are used to, but it also endangers you and your family from all security – financial or otherwise. ACalifornia health insurance coverage will help you avoid most of these problems. It can also help you lead a life that is healthier as it pays for various preventive measures including immunizations and regular checkups, among others.
Recent statistics reveal that more and more California residents have been neglecting health insurance, most especially in the recent years. This can be attributed largely to the growing global financial crisis that all of us seem to experience. Although one can live without aCalifornia health insurance, imagine how much more impact a health problem can bring you and your family to top off the existing crisis.
If you take a look at California health insurance quotes, there are certain things to pay attention to. There are various items included in a health insurance plan. Some of these include inpatient services, outpatient surgery, medical testing, office visits, prescription drugs, physical therapy and rehabilitation care, and mental health care. These items are usually included in your California health insurance quotes.
You should remember is that your insurance should serve its purpose, which is to protect you and your loved ones from financial burdens in the event of serious medical conditions. There are a couple of effective ways to get more affordableCalifornia health insurance quotes. You can, for example, ask your California health insurance agent to take out coverage that you think you don’t need and see how it can lower your premiums. You can also set a higher deductible which will be your out of the pocket threshold before the coverage kicks in.
The importance of having a California health insurance coverage should not be ignored or underestimated just because the economy of the country is hard-up these days. In fact, the rise in medical costs should be the exact same reason for you to get thoseCalifornia health insurance quotes now. Even the most routine of surgeries can cost you thousands of dollars. Governor Schwarzenegger may now have a universal health policy plan forCalifornia, but an affordable health insurance can be yours if you know the right place to find it. Get access to low California insurance health quotes and start living a healthy, more secure lifestyle.