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.

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

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

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

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@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