Public sector workers paying more of their health care costs
Published: Thursday, Jul. 15, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 1A
Workers in private industry have felt the sting of rising health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs for decades. Now, as government budgets bleed, public employees are starting to share the pain.
In the past year, Sacramento's largest school districts have trimmed health care coverage. Local and state government officials also are looking for ways to save.
And while public employee unions have made preserving health benefits a priority, they have been pressed to give ground or face more layoffs.
"We can't afford to continue to pay double-digit inflation on health care costs," said Steven Ladd, superintendent of the Elk Grove Unified School District. "We must manage this because it's a huge portion of our expenditures."
Last year, the district spent $57 million on health coverage for its employees – more than twice the $28 million it cost five years ago.
To help save jobs, Elk Grove Unified's key unions this year agreed to double employee co-pays for prescriptions and doctors visits. The concessions will save the district millions of dollars and help its classrooms "get through these very dark fiscal times," Ladd said.
At the Sacramento City Unified School District, teachers last month agreed to a pay cut and trims in health benefits. The union initially refused to negotiate, but the district threatened to lay off 238 teachers, counselors and other employees.
Under the new agreement, SCUSD teachers enrolled in a Kaiser Permanente health plan will see
Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/15/2891358/public-sector-workers-paying-more.html#ixzz0tkhav2fu