The House of Representatives led by Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo has put clear language in its 2012 budget bill that will allow cities and towns to enroll their municipal employees in health insurance programs that will save the cities and towns millions and millions of dollars.
This includes the city of Everett, which will be the likely beneficiary of savings of as much as $7 million a year for the next five years.
Union leaders in the city will be allowed the right – which they have anyway – to bargain for the best plan for their member municipal employees.
However, in the end, it will be up to the mayor to choose the best deal for the city and the employees.
This will probably require city employees to make larger co-pays and to pay more for their personal health insurance premiums.
However, municipal employee health insurance will remain a true benefit while costing the taxpayers substantially less.
This was great work by Speaker DeLeo – and the governor has said he is in complete agreement with DeLeo on this issue.