The city is not just hurtling toward financial disaster with misguided TIFs but with a proposal to extend health benefits, read all about it here, to those on the state's domestic partnership list.
A little anecdote might just illustrate the future that awaits us. Someone dear to me had a friend who worked for an airline. The airline extended some flight benefits for any partner of the employee. Though the two were merely friends, the former flew many times for nearly free, courtesy of the airlines domestic partner policy.
Big deal you say. There are only a handful of people - 57 or so in the entire county - who are on the domestic registry list. How many of them work for the city? One, maybe two?
Yes, but here is the problem. As soon as benefits are extended, and they surely will be, you can say goodbye to city employees with single coverage. A single employee will be sitting on, ie wasting, a $900 per month or $11,000 annual benefit. How long before said single employee offers to sign up for the domestic registry with the chronically ill acquaintance that offers him $4,000 per year? Before long everyone working for the city will either be married or will have a domestic partner, and our costs will skyrocket. Mark my words.
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10 comments:
It's how the Left moves the agenda. Now you can't win by defending morals and marriage.
You can only win now by ONLY covering the employee. Any other coverage, IF it is to be made available, must be at 100% cost for family members or Domestic partners. It also must NOT be self-funded, it must be by a third party willing to take the increased risk.
Meanwhile, how that bit of legislation suddenly came into being, and the two people involved is a strange story indeed. There are some documents about this strange liason posted here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/unisexcar/
You are absolutely on target with your forecast. Why would anyone leave "free" money on the table? What is the percentage of single/family coverage now? That difference is absolutely measurable, but alas, won't be budgeted. And it will be Walker's fault of course (Bush's too)
Actually, the costs should be very predictable. Just go out to Madistoned, San Fran or any other city that has already done this and see how much unintended "creep" has invaded this noble cause. I'll bet it's eye-opening. It is so easy to spend other people's money, like falling off a log. Which explains why so many log-heads are attracted to public service.
That's a great idea.
An insurance exchange whereby I, a city employee, take on a housemate. Part of his/her (above market rate)rent includes $$ for insurance coverage (which because of preexistings, could not normally be afforded).
The best of both worlds - Obama's insurance exchange idea and the free market!
I checked to see if the City is "Self-Insured" - and yes, it is.
From the 2012 Budget:
"Function
HEALTH INSURANCE
Internal service funds are used to account for the financing of goods or services provided by one department or agency to other departments or agencies of the City, or to other governmental units, on a cost reimbursement basis.
The health insurance internal service fund is used to account for all expenditures relating to the City’s health care costs for it's active and retired employees and their dependents including
prescriptions, doctors, hospitals, clinics and administration. The goal of the fund is to charge all
departments and areas of the City monthly premiums sufficient to cover the expenditures incurred. These premiums, one for a single plan and one for a family plan, are calculated and budgeted within the departments based upon the staff makeup at the time the budget is prepared."
It's costing the residents of Racine $18,670,231 for 2012.
Here is an even better idea. The Residents simply STOP the insurance program, and let employees purchase it on their own - at their own expense, from a private provider.
The Residents MUST, for their own financial protection, END public employee Health Benefits.
TSE -
Is $18.6 mill high?
What would be the effective comparable cost if the RESIDENTS increased wages so that employees could buy similar coverage on the open market (or go without and spend the extra wages on a fishing boat or ATV)?
Maybe we should just let Obama push through universal coverage and cut the crap. If everyone is covered, and we all share the burden, it will all even itself out. No more hidden fees to cover the uninsured, such as $1,000.00 MRI's, $20.00 aspirins and $10.00 syringe charges when you are in the hospital, on top of the insurance coverage you already pay for.
Yes anon 2:16, and we can do the same for housing, food and transportation and then none of us will ever have to exert ourselves ever again. Utopia awaits!
When I pull into the (always full) parking lot of St. Mary's I just assume it is all teachers families, assorted city employees, and medicare/medicade. Then I go home and take a Tylenol. Sheesh! It's just gonna get worse under ObamaCare. Shortages, death panels, longer lines, even more red tape, the best doctors defecting to friendlier countries (where the free market still exists, for a price.) Yeah, it's "free" but what does that mean when you cannot get it (because of the aformentioned shortages?) It doesn't get better. Only worse.
Anon said:
"TSE -
Is $18.6 mill high?
What would be the effective comparable cost if the RESIDENTS increased wages so that employees could buy similar coverage on the open market (or go without and spend the extra wages on a fishing boat or ATV)?"
LOL. TROLL.
Get a dose of reality from the compassionate Democrat Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois:
"Gov. Pat Quinn wants to eliminate state funding for two health insurance programs that provide coverage for retired schoolteachers and community college instructors across Illinois.
The idea, part of the new spending plan the governor unveiled last week, would cut roughly $92 million from the Teachers Retirement Insurance Program and the Community College Insurance Program."
"Gov. Pat Quinn plans to call for major Medicaid cuts during his annual budget address Wednesday and issue a warning that immediate changes must be made or the state's health care system for the poor could collapse.
A Quinn spokeswoman said the speech will serve as a "reality check" for lawmakers who also will be asked to approve 9 percent cuts for most state agencies and further reforms to the costly state worker pension system."
"SPRINGFIELD -- Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn will deliver a bad-news budget today, suggesting that Illinois close numerous prisons, mental health centers and social service offices, cut health care for the poor and shut down popular tourist sites for two days a week at times during the year.
Money for schools would remain essentially flat -- a better fate than the 9 percent cuts most state agencies would suffer."
ANON - Reality in Illinois.
Terms to know:
Peak Oil
Peak Credit
Life-Boat Ethics
In the future good health will be priceless, all others will be dead.
ANON - You don't have to deal with reality - reality will deal with you.
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