ARTICLE 16: INSURANCES & LONG &SHORT-TERM DISABILITY
MEDICAL & HEALTH INSURANCE
A. Minimum Hours Restrict: Health insurance is offered to all full-time employees or regular part-
time employees, who work a minimum of twenty (20) hours per week.
B. Part-Time Employees: The cost for nealth insurance for part-time employees is pro-rated.
C. Available Plans: Except as otherwise provided in this Article 16, upon the request of an eligible
member of the bargaining unit, the City shall provide the amount of the premium specified below
for an individual, two-person or family plan, under one of the following plans offered by the City, if
available, or a comparable plan if the following plan(s) are not available:
(a) Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
(b) The City may make additional pfans available to members with benefit levels and
premium cost sharing determined by the City in its sole discretion, including, but not
limited to, carving out prescription benefits from a health insurance company to be
managed by a Pharmacy Benefits Manager.
The option of the health care plan is at the sole discretion of the City. It is agreed by all parties
concerned that the City reserves and shall have the right to change insurance carriers. Itis agreed
by all parties concerned that the city reserves and shall have the right to change insurance carriers
provided the benefits to participants are comparable and the city elects the least expensive plan
available to provide such benefits.
Should the City determine that it is in the best interests of the City to offer a “comparable” plan to
option “a”, it shall provide at least one hundred twenty (120) days prior written notice to the Union
and documentation of the cost to members and the benefits that will be provided under the
comparable plan. Should the Union determine that the proposed plan is not comparable, the
grievance shall not be subject to the grievance procedure (Article 12), and shall be submitted
directly for arbitration no later than thirty (30) days after the Union is notified of the proposed change
to the comparable plan. The grievance shall be heard in an expedited manner. The decision of
the arbitrator shall be binding on both parties.
D. Restrictions for Newly Hired Employees: Newly hired employees must sign up for a minimum
of one (1) year with plans “a” or “b” and may change to another plan during the normai group re-
opening period.
E. Comparable Plan Definition: For the purposes of this Article, a comparable plan means no
additional out-of-pocket increases to employees and no reduction in current benefits. In addition,
the plan must provide reasonable access to health services and physicians, including specialists
and hospitals
F. Birthday Rule: Employees who are married to another employee of the city who also subscribes
to a plan will be subject to the birthday rule. The birthday rule states, whichever spouse's birthday
falls first in a calendar year, is designated as the subscriber to any health plan.
JOINT LABOR/MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE: For the duration of this Agreement, either party to the
Agreement may request that a joint Labor/Management Committee be convened to consider the
performance of the aforementioned plans, any changes thereto.
