<div dir="ltr"><div>Hi, Pam.</div><div><br></div>We provide health and dental coverage for full-time (37.5 hours per week) employees only. For 2019, our health costs are going up 2.9% (renewing with same plan) and our dental costs are going down 32% (yes, down, 32% - with better coverage too - with switching to another provider). We shop the market each year using the online <span class="" id=":526.1" tabindex="-1" style="">Formfire</span>.com service.<div><br></div><div>For dental, the library pays 80% of the monthly premiums.</div><div><br></div><div>For health, the Employee pays $49 per pay-period ($49 x 26 pays = $1,274 per year or 20.98% of the premium cost). As costs continue to rise, I bet we move to an 80/20 split like we do for dental.</div><div><br></div><div>The library provides ZERO subsidy for premium coverage for spouse, child, or family. If an employee picks up this coverage, they pay all of it themselves. To give an employee more compensation just because they are married or have children is unfair to single, child-free employees (unless you give that person more cash to balance it out). Our personnel manual and our local nondiscrimination ordinances have long held that we do not consider "familial (marital or parental) status" in employment <span class="" id=":526.2" tabindex="-1" style="">practices</span>.</div><div><br></div><div>Many years ago, we moved from a health plan with a $500 deductible to one that is $1,000. This has saved the library a lot of money over the years. BUT to help employees, the Board does cover all of the deductible over $300 via a Deductible Reimbursement Plan. Some years, 4 employees request reimbursement, other years 10 might... but in the end the savings in premiums is far greater than reimbursement costs. We use a third party vendor (Service Organization in Toledo) to administer this plan as well as our Flexible Spending Account. If I want to request reimbursement of deductibles, I fax my <span class="" id=":526.3" tabindex="-1" style="">EOB</span> forms to Service Org and they send me a check, then bill the library.</div><div><br></div><div>Best of luck as you navigate this murky process! Each year, I tense up when our insurance agent calls with the quotes... but this year I nearly kissed him. :-)</div><div>Michael</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Nov 13, 2018 at 4:33 PM, Pam Hoesman via OPLINLIST <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:oplinlist@lists.oplin.org" target="_blank">oplinlist@lists.oplin.org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
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<p style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0">Hello, all,</p>
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<p style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0">Healthcare costs just keep going up. Does anyone have any tips or ideas for helping employees find the best deals? I am hearing that our plan is too expensive. Does anyone pay employees with families a designated amount
each month to help cover health costs? Would love to hear anything that might help.</p>
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<p style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0">Pam Hoesman</p>
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Pamela M. Hoesman
<div>Library Director, Birchard Public Library of Sandusky County</div>
<div><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=423+Croghan+St.,+Fremont,+OH++43420&entry=gmail&source=g">423 Croghan St., Fremont, OH </a> <a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=423+Croghan+St.,+Fremont,+OH++43420&entry=gmail&source=g">43420</a><br>
<div><a href="mailto:Pam.Hoesman@Birchard.lib.oh.us" target="_blank">Pam.Hoesman@Birchard.lib.oh.us</a><br>
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<div>419-334-7101, Ex. 204<br>
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*** OPLIN offers a free service that allows libraries to send notification messages directly to patrons' cellphones: <a href="https://www.oplin.ohio.gov/sms" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.oplin.ohio.gov/sms</a> ***<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>Michael Penrod, Director<div>Wood County District Public Library</div><div>251 North Main Street, Bowling Green, OH 43402</div><div>Voice:419-352-5104 Fax:419-353-8013</div><div><a href="mailto:michaelpenrod@wcdpl.org" target="_blank">michaelpenrod@wcdpl.org</a> </div><div><br></div></div></div></div>
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