Council rejects change to health insurance

Date: 3/13/2012

March 14, 2012

By Debbie Gardner

debbieg@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Tempers flared as a reduced complement of the Town Council took up the issue of municipal health insurance again at its March 5 meeting.

In the end, the quorum of voting members — which included District 2 Councilor Lida Powell, District 3 Councilor George Condon III and At Large Councilors Bruce Gendron, Brian Griffin and George Kelly — chose not to approve Mayor Gregory Neffinger's request to allow his administration greater freedom in negotiating employee's health insurance premiums and co-pays.

"The town of West Springfield is the one who lost last night," Neffinger said. "We had an opportunity to lower our costs, which frees up money for the School Department, for public safety or to lower taxes."

The issue at hand was the acceptance or rejection of the newly added sections 21 through 23 of Massachusetts General Law Chapter 32B. According to information supplied in a document explaining these recent changes to Chapter 32B, sections 21 to 23 "remove the requirement to follow … bargaining processes" outlined in other sections of the law, when making benefit changes. Approval of the mayor's request would have had a direct impact on the health insurance of every employee covered by the town's insurance policy, as well as the rates that apply to retirees still covered by the municipal plan.

Neffinger began his second round of discussions with councilors by issuing a blanket apology to the councilor who had submitted a written request for more information on sections 21 to 23. He said his office had been "extremely busy" during the past week and did not have the opportunity to respond in writing to the questions, many of which he said "were not the kind that needed a one or two sentence answer; they required a lot of research."

Neffinger suggested some of questions might have been discussed verbally.

He also reiterated his reasons why the council should adopt section 21 to 23, noting the "crushing" 155 percent rise in health care premiums during the past decade, the leverage passage would give the town to negotiate for lower-cost options, and the wisdom of the State Legislature, which had chosen to add the provision to Chapter 32B despite previous legislation that increased a municipality's negotiating power in health insurance matters under collective bargaining.

"Why did they go to so much trouble [to add sections 21 to 23] if section 19 already existed? Because they know municipalities are being crushed [by insurance costs]," Neffinger said.

Griffin, who identified himself as "the councilor who submitted the questions in writing," noted that he had been "a bit taken aback" that he did not receive written answers from the mayor.

"The previous administration always got answers back to me in writing," Griffin said.

Griffin also referenced Neffinger's comment at the previous meeting, which indicated he felt it was not the Town Council's job to "police the mayor."

Griffin said, "It is absolutely my job —it's what I'm elected to do."

The audience of approximately 50 individuals erupted in applause when Griffin added that because of the lack of written information from the mayor's office, he would "be voting no" on approval of section 21 to 23.

Powell, who noted concern over a resident's comment earlier in the meeting that Neffinger had referred to colonoscopies as "frivolous" medical tests, indicated she, too, would be voting "no" on the measure.

As a registered nurse, she said she did not consider any diagnostic testing "frivolous."

She briefly left the chambers in apparent frustration when Neffinger said he had tried to contact her following the last meeting to respond to questions about section 21 to 23, and she had not returned his call.

Powell reminded Neffinger that she had spoken to him in person about the issue the following day, and that she was not "at the mayor's beck and call."

Condon, who said as a former business owner he understood the "burden" of insurance costs and the difficulty individuals often face when, accepting change, saw merit in approving section 21 to 23.

"I see city employees getting a chance to save money on insurance, the city get a chance to save money and the taxpayers grab an opportunity to have the city save some money," Condon said.

He was the sole "yes" vote when the measure was defeated 4-1.

As was the case at the council's Feb. 21 meeting, Town Council President Kathleen Bourque, Vice President John Sweeney, District 1 Councilor Angus Rushlow and At Large Councilor Robert Mancini recused themselves from voting on the issue, as all are covered under the town's insurance plan.