Health Care Renewal Report: JFC, BJE, JBBBS, JCF

April 30, 2019

AFSCME Local 800 Bargaining Team members met recently with Jewish Federation management and their health insurance brokers, Mercer Inc. Here is a summary of the results of our annual Healthcare Renewal meeting:

1. The overall renewal increases will be only 3%. Mercer was able to negotiate this modest increase down from Cigna’s initial proposed renewal increase of 11.5%. 3% is the lowest health insurance increase we’ve received in many years. If we’re able to negotiate a 5% increase in the Employer’s share of the monthly premiums in our current union negotiations, as we have in the past, then the employee share for the “employee only” premiums will go down slightly!  See rates listed below.

2. Only minor changes will be made to the prescription drug coverage. There are no mandatory plan changes beyond the RX modifications, including co-pay and deductible amounts.  According to Cigna, no current JFC and affiliated agency enrollees will be impacted by the changes in the prescription drug formulary. For more information, please contact HR or discuss with Mercer representatives at open enrollment. Open enrollment begins on May 6.

3. Delta Dental is currently under a two-year rate guarantee through June 30, 2020. Premiums will remain the same.

4. Vision: 7% increase with two-year rate guarantee through June 30, 2021. Under the terms of our current Union Agreement, the Employer covers the full cost for Employee-only coverage for the vision insurance plan. Dependent coverage will increase slightly.

5. JFC is also considering creating a Health Savings Account (HSA) with Discovery Benefits and offering a new Pet Insurance benefit.

Here are what the new rates for Employee-only coverage will be, if we negotiate a 5% increase in the Employer’s share of the monthly premiums in our current negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (the current Agreement expires on June 30, 2019):

For information about dependent coverage rates or other questions, please contact Union Representative Gary Guthman at gary@afscme36.org or (213)248-0381.