Board of Aldermen 3-24-2020 Page 10
what it provides for and provide for an opportunity for people to weigh in on this; | am opposed to that. |
would be opposed to suspending the rules to allow for a second reading tonight. | think it ought to be
referred to a Committee and if that Committee has to meet remotely like we are tonight, that’s fine. But |
think it deserves an opportunity for the Mayor to explain in detail what this is for. And also an opportunity
for anyone who might be opposed to it to voice their opinion. So | would be against suspending the rules to
have a second reading tonight.
President Wilshire
Very good. Alderman O’Brien?
Alderman O’Brien
Yes.
Alderman Harriott-Gathright
Don't forget Linda.
Alderman O’Brien
Oh Linda.
Alderman Gathright
| agree with all that sooke before me and that was my thought pattern, my thought was that we really need
someone to weigh in, we heard our Mayor and | respect him, truly respect him, but | also would like to
make sure that others, that that would affect, would have an opportunity to speak to it as well.
President Wilshire
Ok. Alderman O’Brien.
Alderman O’Brien
Thank you. | would like to ask a question of the Mayor through the Chair if that’s ok?
President Wilshire
It is.
Alderman O’Brien
My question to the Mayor is that this is not a new-fangled idea. There are people currently that do have the
high deductible and so it is just basically limiting the choices that are out there. This is not a new program
it is already.
Mayor Donchess
For the in-patient hospital visits being for out-patient surgery and the like and urgent care, does increase
the cost of the deductible considerably to $250.00 to $1,500.00 or $500.00 / $3,000.00. But it keeps
people’s working rates down. Now it is something we have talked about, at least some people. But this is
the first reding tonight. We do need to get this past in early April, the first meeting in April. It doesn’t need
to be passed tonight. It is the same thing that Manchester offers; | believe. We have worked closely with
Manchester to try to develop design changes that could save money. But | think the employees have a lot
