Town workers may get state health insurance

Municipal workers may be joining the state's health insurance group within the next two years.
The town will not take part in the statewide health insurance coalition this year, but a study committee headed by Assistant Town Administrator Jim Johnson will look at possibly joining next year.
An Oct. 1 deadline, difficulties in talking with all the unions, and the lack of a comparison of Walpole's health insurance options were cited by town officials as reasons for not joining the Group Insurance Commission right now.
The insurance commission bill - signed by Gov. Deval Patrick on July 25 - was meant to help towns deal with rising health care costs by tapping into the generally lower rates of the state's group.
``We would have to have it all wrapped up by Oct. 1,'' said Town Administrator Michael Boynton, ``and negotiations never go that fast.''
Boynton said the town would have to meet with all municipal union workers to decide if they would want to switch groups. The state requires 70 percent union approval for a municipality to opt-in to the commission.
Johnson is currently working up a cost-benefit analysis that compares Walpole's provider - West Suburban Health Group - to the commission.
``Financial options being what they are,'' Johnson said, ``we're exploring every option.'' But, he added, ``We're obviously not going to do it this year.''
``It must be taken on a case-by-case basis,'' Boynton said. ``Our insurance rates are currently lower than the state's rates.''
He also cited collective bargaining issues and the difficulty of getting 70 percent union approval as problems in getting anything done by Oct. 1.
``We're also concerned that non-union employees don't have a say in the matter,'' Boynton added.
The insurance bill was in the works for two years, according to Executive Director Bob Johnson. It was meant to help Massachusetts towns deal with rapidly increasing municipal healthcare costs by providing access to the state's group.
Johnson said the commission generally offers better rates, ``but this is not true for every city and town.''
``I know from years of experience that (West Suburban) is a very actively and well-run group,'' he said. ``Compared to the state's average experience, (West Suburban's) experience has been better than ours.''
``People who know are aware that it is a well-managed group,'' he added.
Still, the potential of the insurance commission is enough for town officials to take notice.
Jim Johnson said he hopes to bring together the insurance commission study committee - a Walpole group formed last spring - in late September or early October.
This may not align with the timetable hoped for by the Walpole Teachers Association, however.
The contract between the town and the association is entering its third and final year, association President Jeff Szymanski said.
Part of the negotiations involve health insurance for Walpole teachers. Having the town join the commission before Oct. 1 would take the issue of health insurance off the table in next year's negotiations, Szymanski said.
``I'm interested in sitting down with the town leaders,'' he said.
The Massachusetts Teachers' Association lobbied heavily for the passage of the bill, according to Szymanski.
``It offers intriguing options,'' he said. ``We would have to get the support of other unions. But we all have to sit down and agree.''
Across the state, town officials and unions have a lot to consider, in a very short time.
As Bob Johnson put it, ``through collective bargaining ... labor and management have to sit down and come to an agreement.''
No one has notified the commission of their intention to join as of yet, Johnson added. But he estimated that there were 10 to 15 towns that were ``very active'' and interested in joining.