[Michlib-l] Employee Health Insurance Compilation

Tue Nov 3 18:55:35 EST 2015

*Hello all!*

*My sincere apologies to all in my delay getting this compilation out to
everyone.  I've included the responses and contact information I received
to my original post.*

*Albion District Library has in the past and will continue in 2016 to offer
a Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan Silver $2,000 Plan to our 5 full-time
employees at 80% coverage by the Library and to eligible spouses and
dependents at **50% coverage by the Library**.  By offering the plan, which
meets the "affordable" guideline of the ACA, spouses and dependents without
other coverage are obligated to take it or lose any available subsidy.
This has proved upsetting to some of our employees, because it meant that
they couldn't choose a less expensive plan that might be more affordable to
them.  We felt it was generous to offer 50% for non-employees.  *

*We offer a compensated opt-out plan, but only to employees who
have insurance available to them by another avenue, usually a
spouse'sinsurance, and who opt out their entire family.  We do not offer an
opt-out stipend to employees who only opt out their spouse or dependents.
We have an spousal insurance verification form that we use, and I can make
that available to any who would like it.  *

*We considered the BCBS Suite Option, which is new this year.  The employer
chooses one suite of four.  Each includes four options.  Your employees to
choose which plan of the four in the suite that their employer has selected
that they'll use for themselves and any covered spouses and dependents.
You can use a percentage or dollar amount that you contribute, but it must
be uniform.  This was the element that broke this as an option for us.  We
have some employees that are very young and some that are near retirement.
No matter which one we picked, it wouldn't be a cohesive and consistent an
option depending on the employee or the plan they chose.  *

*Please note that I did receive feedback from our attorney that it is
against the law for district libraries to opt out of the 80/20 rule for
municipal employees contributing to their own insurance.  If any of you are
in that situation, it may be worthwhile to double-check that with your
attorney to make sure your benefits are in line with the current law. *

*Hope this helps. *

*Cynthia Stanczak*

*Interim DirectorHead of Adult ServicesAlbion District Library501 S.
Superior St.Albion, MI  49224(517) 629-3993 <%28517%29%20629-3993>*

*Albion District Library: Transforming Minds, Changing Lives.  Online
at www.albionlibrary.org <http://www.albionlibrary.org/>, or find us on
Facebook! *

______________________

The library provides health, vision and dental insurance to FT employees --
FT is considered anyone over 30 hrs. (there are only 2 of us). No benefits
to spouses or children. FT pay 20% of health only. $1000 deductible,
employee pays first $250, library picks up the $750, We have Priority
Health, Lincoln Dental (and Lincoln also for disability and life insurance)
and VSP for vision. We've been using Creative Benefits out of Muskegon for
years to negotiate the best deals for us.

Susan Wess, M.L.I.S.
Director

151 Wabash St.
Milan, MI 48160
734.439.1240
734.439.5625 -- FAX

_____________________

We offer a benefit credit of $5300 and take life insurance out of that,
which leaves about $5000 for staff to pay for health insurance or put into
a 457B.  We currently still sponsor a plan- Gold level from BCN- and that
amount of money covers staff differently depending on how old they are now
that all plan are priced by age. It covers the whole cost for younger
staff, only about half for older ones. We only have two staff persons still
needing our plan so are considering just giving them the money to spend in
the Marketplace next year. We would be interested in what others doing.
-- 
Linda Ballard
Interim Director
Chelsea District Library
734-475-8732

_____________________

We've kept a decent BCBS plan for full time staff and their families.
 (Total went down .17% for 2016--woo hoo!)  Staff used to pay 10% but we
went up to the 20% a couple of years ago, and with the increase last year
went up to 22.51% (the cost of the total increase for 2015).  Vision is
included with the BCBS, and we do have Delta Dental as well, with a 10%
premium percentage for staff.

The plan we have has an HRA component, so we pay $1500 for their
deductibles.  (It used to be the total cost of the out-of-pocket so this is
great!  And it's all we're allowed to pay by law, I understand.)

If you get someone who moved to stipend-based, I'd like to hear about it as
it's an option we're considering.

And no, staff was NOT happy with our changes but we did keep a very good
plan.  It's just costing them more--well, those above a certain age.  The
younger ones are benefitting from the new method of calculating premiums.

Melissa Malcolm <director at lib.lapeer.org>

____________________

We continue to look at this every year. We just got our renewal information
last week. For this current year, we are on the 80/20. I don’t know what
the board will decide for the coming year, but with the individual level
pricing, 80/20 seems to be the most fair to everyone.

Karen Knox
Director
Orion Township Public Library
825 Joslyn Road
Lake Orion, MI 48362
(248) 693-3000 x305
kknox at orionlibrary.org

____________________

We have 12 staff members and only 2 are full time and offered insurance.
The library funds both plans at 100% and the plans cover the employee only-
not family.  We do not cover any deductibles. We also offer vision and
dental-those rates are fairly reasonable.  We opt out of the employee
contribution rate.

I think the higher the rates go, the response will continue to be to hire
workers part time to avoid having to pay for insurance (as has been the
trend in libraries for years now). And believe me I don't like that trend,
I would prefer to have more full time staff with benefits because it
undercuts the profession not to.  That being said, the Branch Manager
position does not require a college degree.  Only my position requires the
MLIS.  Also, I don't think there is a requirement to pay for employees
insurance at all even if they are full time? At least if you are under 50
employees. Not that I would go that direction but I don't think it is
required.

Thank you,

Jami Cromley
Director
Community District Library
989-743-3287
www.mycdl.org

____________________

We have the 80/20 set up for insurance here. Library pays 80% and staff
pays 20%. There is no buy out offered if you decline the insurance. Only
those who are full time receive the option of health insurance and we only
have 2 full time staff; all other staff will be part-time hours only.

We get our insurance through the township’s plan but the Library Board does
review the costs each year and review options but currently choose to keep
it the 80/20 through township’s plan.

BillieJo Bluemer
Library Director
Rauchholz Memorial Library
1140 N Hemlock Rd
Hemlock MI 48626
989-642-8621
billiejo at rauchholzlibrary.org

____________________

Remember you cannot give a stipend and let staff buy health insurance on
the federal exchange.  That is against the law.  See attached document.

If you have less than 50 employees you do not have to provide health
insurance.  Of course it may be hard tor recruit new staff.

I think what everyone has done is raise employee contribution to premium
and decreased benefits to keep it affordable.  Unfortunately as some point
you have a pretty bad health plan.

Some libraries may have gone around the law prohibiting stipends and gave
staff raises instead for them to have more money to buy health insurance.
This would be taxed though.  And check with an attorney, if caught
circumventing the law you could have big fines with raises.  So this is
iffy.

Sandra Wilson
Lakeland Library Cooperative Director
sandra at llcoop.org
616-559-5253 x201
616-559-4329 FAX
4138 Three Mile Rd. NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49534

____________________

Canton Public Library does continue to offer insurance to our 16 full-time
employees for single, two-person, and family coverage. We used to have
several plans to choose from, but now we offer just one healthcare plan,
Healthy Blue Living from BCBSM. The library complies with PA 152; we pay
80% of the premium and employees pay 20% through payroll deduction.
Deductibles and copays are the employee’s responsibility, though we do
offer an optional flexible spending account (125 plan) through BASIC that
is funded through employee contributions (no library contributions).

We have optical reimbursement for single, two-person, and families at a
maximum of $200 per person per year (we are self-funded)—again, only for
the 16 full-time employees.

We offer dental to our 16 full-time employees through Canton Township’s
Delta Dental Plan. The Township has a much larger group and so we get good
rates as compared to doing it on our own.

As an aside: We use Kapnick Insurance in Ann Arbor as our benefit
consultant. Dave Huntzicker is our rep. He does an annual analysis and
brings us the best options and rates for the medical plan, dental, vision,
disability, and employee assistance program. He insures that we are in
compliance with all laws and regulations and fills us in on anything coming
down the pike. Dave does the open enrollment presentation for staff and
answers any questions they have. He is able to explain complexities like
the Affordable Care Act and put in context how the library’s healthcare
plans stack up against what he’s seeing with other municipalities and
governmental units. This helped a lot when we changed our plans. Kapnick
has customer service staff who will work with individual employees as they
navigate the healthcare coverage bureaucracy and mediate any issues with
coverage; this has saved my HR person a ton of time and headache and is a
great service. All of this costs us nothing directly, and we are very
pleased with Kapnick’s service. I am happy to put you in touch with Dave if
you’d like; let me know.

Hope this helps,
Eva

Eva Davis, Director
Canton Public Library
1200 S. Canton Center Rd.
Canton, MI 48188
734-397-0999 x1065
davise at cantonpl.org

__________________

We do provide health, vision and dental for our full-time staff and their
dependents.  The library pays the full amount.  The employee is responsible
for the co-pay costs.  It is with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan.  It
is not fantastic insurance, but we are very grateful that the library pays
for it for us.
Lisa

Lisa Poignant Waskin
Director
Superior District Library
541 Library Drive
Sault Sainte Marie, MI 49783
906.632.9331 v
906.635.0210 f
lisaw at uproc.lib.mi.us
http://joomla.uproc.lib.mi.us/SDL/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail3.mcls.org/pipermail/michlib-l/attachments/20151103/8c53c160/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 96135 HCR Paying Premiums for Individual .pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 202314 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mail3.mcls.org/pipermail/michlib-l/attachments/20151103/8c53c160/attachment.pdf>