Scott pays $400 a year for health coverage | August 10, 2011 | The
Associated Press | HT Politics
TALLAHASSEE Gov. Rick Scott, a critic of the federal health care overhaul, is paying less than $400 a year for health insurance for himself and his wife.
While Scott is accepting no salary for his job as governor, the multimillionaire and former hospital chain executive chose to enroll in the taxpayer-subsidized health insurance plan offered by the state of Florida.
Scott is among nearly 32,000 people in state government who pay relatively low health insurance premiums. It’s a perk that is available to high-ranking state officials, including those in top management at all state agencies.
Nearly all 160 state legislators are also enrolled in the program that costs just $8.34 a month for individual coverage and $30 a month for family coverage.
Brian Burgess, a spokesman for Scott, confirmed the governor and his wife are enrolled in the state health insurance plan, but refused to discuss why Scott signed up. He called the governor’s health care coverage “private matters.” The health insurance coverage provided to Scott used to be free for top state officials until 2010.
Rank-and-file state workers pay $50 a month for individual coverage and $180 a month for family coverage. Married couples working in state
government also pay the same amount as Scott and legislators.
9 comments:
I pay about $27,000 a year for full coverage on one person.
How much do our County Commissiners pay for their "cadillac coverage?"
I know that many municipalities provide FREE coverage as part of the perk packages for elected officials. Poor Homestead is at the top of that list.
Every county employee is given the opportunity to acquire individual health insurance at no charge. You must be really angry at that!
www.miamidade.gov/benefits/library/11%20MDC_BookRates.pdf
How about those in the US Congress that vote against "Obama-care" as they call it. If they were in the same boat as us regular folk you can bet they sing a different tune. Between their pensions and top of the line healthcare they are set for life thanks to the taxes we pay if we are lucky enough to have an income. It's just disgusting!
Instead of insisting that the bar be lowered for others, why not spend some time demanding more for everyone by electing legislators that have our interests in mind and not the insurers.
I've never heard so much griping about what others have. Demand more for yourself and others and elect those who are willing to work towards that goal.
Anonymous wrote: "Every county employee is given the opportunity to acquire individual health insurance at no charge. You must be really angry at that!"
Except this is a load of bull. Thanks to the cowardice of the County Commission and the previous and new Mayors, every County employee pays 5% of their salary towards their health insurance BEFORE the cost of adding family members. For some (non-bargaining unit employees) it is now 10% (and don't kid yourself, most of these employees make WAY less than six figures). Further, the Mayor has been clear that he wants all of the rest of the County employees at that 10% contribution level as well. So... let's do some quick math. a County employee making $40,000 per year currently has $2,000 deducted from his/her salary at the 5% level, and will have $4,000 deducted at the 10% level. I don't know about you, but I would much rather pay the $120 a year in property taxes that I am going to save from the dropping of the millage rate. Or, why not let me, as a County employee, opt out of the health insurance and find my own plan that will most likely cost less? Oh yeah, don't forget the 3% that the State is taking for my pension. Why not let me opt out of the retirement system which the republicans will probably bankrupt before I collect on it and let me invest my money on my own?
Dear Ungrateful Government Worker,
I have a BETTER IDEA. Why not let me (a non gov worker) opt into the government 3% pension fund and 5% healthcare fund.
Currently I have NO PENSION benefits whatsoever and I pay the full amount of my healthcare out of my own pocket,Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO Plan, which costs me $378 per month (no prescription and no dental because that costs $220 extra which I cannot afford).
Last anon responding to my previous post - I'm not ungrateful, but I have to pint out the obvious flaw in the system. The County is balancing their budget on my back when they don't have to, but thanks to the dumbing down of America through 20 second sound bites, I (and all other government workers) are easy targets. As for your suggestion, I'm all for it. The more we get in on the health insurance and retirement pools, the stronger fiancially they wil be and the lower the costs should be for all. Then the guys charging you so much for insurance will be forced to drop their rates to compete (theoretically, anyway) - a free market win for all. Except that the current political leadership in this state doesn't believe in a free market that lowers costs for all, only a free market that makes the rich get richer.
And by the way, if I had the choice, given the economy right now and the lowering of my pay and the rise in homeowner's insurance, gas prices, food prices, etc., I would rather have the dollars in my pocket and allow me to shop around for a better deal (which you should, too) and allow me to put my retirement funds where I want to and where I feel they would be more secure. If the County and State plans I have now are the best cost, benefits and returns, then so be it, but that should be my choice.
To the last anon (the county employee):
What do you mean you want to shop around for a better insurance deal? You and I both know the county’s additional 5% health insurance deduction has NOTHING to do with health insurance. It's about giving employees a pay cut without it showing up in their pensions, leave payouts, overtime earnings, and credit checks.
In 2009, Alvarez/Burgess initially gave nonunion employees and some unionized employees a straight 5% paycut. A few months later, that paycut was restored and changed to a pre-tax 5% deduction to the healthcare insurance fund to make the paycut more palatable to the other county unions. It had NOTHING to do with health insurance. The deduction was mandated whether you were using the county's health insurance program or not. Even part-timers who are ineligible for health insurance must pay it. The Gimenez increase to 10% is an extension of the same concept.
If you would rather take an actual pay cut instead of a pre-tax heath insurance deduction, I am sure the Mayor would be happy to oblige.
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