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AND RETIREES.[*This meeting was joined in progress*]
[1. 25-01249 Establishing health insurance rates and plan design for employees and retirees, effective January 1, 2026. By Councilwoman Jen Racca, Councilman Cleve Dunn, Jr., & Councilman Dwight Hudson.]
JANUARY 1ST, 2026 BY COUNCILWOMAN JEN ROCKA.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEN NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN, OH, SORRY.
JUST AFTER THE ITEM IS PASSED, I WANNA UPON A PERSON TO APPEAR THIS, PLEASE.
SO I HAD A MEETING WITH HUB, I HAD A MEETING WITH, UM, ANGIE, UH, BLUE CROSS AND, AND I EXPLAINED TO THEM, 'CAUSE I WANNA MAKE THIS CLEAR THAT I GOT AN EMAIL THIS MORNING SAYING, THANK YOU FOR VOTING NO TO TRANSITIONING US FROM WHERE WE ARE TO WHERE THEY WANNA TAKE US.
AND MY RESPONSE TO THAT INDIVIDUAL WAS, IT MIGHT BE THE RIGHT PLAN FOR YOU.
JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU COMPARE YOUR CURRENT PLAN TO YOUR OLDER PLAN TO ENSURE THAT WHAT'S IN IT COVERS WHAT YOU NEED.
AND I MADE SURE THAT I SET IT ON THE CALL.
'CAUSE I'M NOT AGAINST THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE.
I WAS TOLD THAT EVERYTHING BUT THE INDIVIDUALIZED PLAN THAT WE HAVE IS HORRIBLE OUT IN THE MARKETPLACE.
THEY'VE HEARD THAT FROM HOSPITALS AND OTHER FOLKS TO MEDICARE ADVANTAGE IS AWFUL.
SO IN THIS CASE, UM, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP THAT MADE ME HAVE A CAUSE FOR PAUSE.
AND I'M GONNA ASK ANGIE TO COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE BECAUSE I, I WANNA CLEAR THIS UP FOR THE PUBLIC BECAUSE WE HAVE THRIVE ON THE BALLOT AND IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE DISSEMINATE INFORMATION THAT'S, UM, RELEVANT TO WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, IN NOVEMBER.
BUT THE STATE OF THE CITY, SO I SAW THAT IN TONS OF DISCUSSIONS, THE NUMBER 19 MILLION WAS BROUGHT UP.
WHAT IS THE GROSS NUMBER? AND THEN LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT NUMBER ACTUALLY AFFECTS THE GENERAL FUND.
BECAUSE WHAT I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO DO IS SAY, OH, THE CITY SAVED 19 MILLION.
UM, THERE'S NO NEED FOR US TO VOTE YES TO THRIVE.
THAT WAS ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS THAT I BROUGHT UP LAST MEETING.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE THE OVERALL SAVINGS AND THEN HOW MUCH DIRECTLY IMPACTS THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS WHAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTENING AND WATCHING WANT TO KNOW.
IF THE CITY'S IN A CRISIS, HOW MUCH OF THIS DIRECTLY AFFECTS THAT CRISIS? SO CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE OVERALL NUMBER AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE DIRECT NUMBER THAT AFFECTS THE CRISIS? SO THE OVERALL NUMBER THAT'S BEING PROPOSED NOW IS 16, A LITTLE OVER 16.3 MILLION.
WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS THE 19 MILLION.
Y'ALL HAD PASSED A ORDINANCE THAT ASKED US TO CONSIDER $19 MILLION WORTH OF SAVINGS.
WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED NOW IS 16000016.3.
SO WE ARE STILL CONSIDERING AND MOVING TOWARDS TO GETTING TO THAT FULL 19 MILLION.
HOWEVER, THIS WAS SOMETHING CONSIDERING THE TIME THAT WE WERE GIVEN TO IMPLEMENT THESE CHANGES THAT WE FEEL ARE ATTAINABLE AND REASONABLE AND LESS DISRUPTIVE TO THE EMPLOYEE AND RETIREES.
AND THAT'S GREAT AND, AND AGAIN, I I'M GLAD YOU'RE PUTTING THE EMPLOYEE IN RETIREES FIRST.
SO HOW MUCH OF THIS 16 MILLION DIRECTLY IMPACTS THE $21 MILLION DEFICIT IN TERMS OF SAVINGS, WHICH IS THE GENERAL FUND MONEY? SO GIMME, YOU WANNA KNOW A DIRECT NUMBER, BUT YOU GAVE ME A NUMBER SO JUST REPEAT THE NUMBER PUBLICLY.
SO IN THE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN, 6.2 MILLION IS THE GENERAL FUND SAVINGS THAT WE ARE SEEING IN THE HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM AS WELL AS THE POST-EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM.
I, I'M GLAD THAT THEY, I THINK 6 MILLION IS A LOT TO SAVE AND I'M GLAD THAT THEY WENT TO EXERCISE.
THE POINT IS FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT YOU STILL NEED TO VOTE YES TO THRIVE BECAUSE 19 MILLION SAYS IF I'M A VOTER AND I'M SAYING 19 MILLION, I'M SAYING, WELL MAN, THEY COULD FIND 2 MILLION SOMEWHERE, CUT SOME COST SAVINGS.
I'M OKAY WITH A $2 MILLION DEFICIT.
BUT A $21 MILLION DEFICIT IS DIFFERENT AT SIX THAN VERSUS 19.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC.
AND I HAD ONE QUESTION 'CAUSE I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW I WAS ACTUALLY IN FAVOR OF VOTING FOR THIS UNTIL THE OP THE OP OUT PART CAME TO ME BECAUSE THEY HAD CLEARED UP THE MEDICAID ADVANTAGE STUFF AND I WAS FINE.
WE ASKED A THOUSAND QUESTIONS UP FRONT ON THE BACK END, I THOUGHT IS WHAT GAVE ME CALLS FOR PAUSE.
LATOYA, YOU COME TO THE MIC PLEASE VERY QUICKLY, I'D LIKE TO SAVE MY TIME IF POSSIBLE.
SO THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE AND WHAT WAS MORE CONCERNING FOR ME IS THAT
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MAJOR HEALTHCARE RISKS FOR INDIVIDUALS TYPICALLY DON'T HAPPEN UNTIL THEY WARN THEIR YOUTHFUL BODY OUT, WHICH IS POST-RETIREMENT.I ASKED FOR A YES OR NO QUESTION AND I SAID I KNOW THE GENERAL STUFF IS GOOD 'CAUSE I'VE ALREADY ASKED THAT AND THAT'S WHY I'M FOR IT.
MOST OF THE MEDICINES ARE COVERED, MAYBE NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT THE SPECIALIST, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE ONCOLOGY, RENAL, UH, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, LIFE SAVING SPECIALIST, I ANSWERED, ARE THEY ABLE TO GO TO THE SAME DOCTORS NOW THAT THEY ARE IN THE FUTURE? AND THE ANSWER WAS SOME, AM I CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND WHEN I SAID, WHAT IF SOMEBODY HAS A SPECIALTY MEDICAL PROGRAM LIKE THE MD ANDERSON OR SOMEWHERE ELSE, IS EVERY DOCTOR GOING TO BE COVERED? THE ANSWER WAS IT WAS THE SAME.
IT WAS THAT ALL SPECIALISTS WILL NOT BE COVERED IN THE NEW PLAN.
AND THAT WAS MY CONCERN BY AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHING SOMEBODY OVER TO THE SPECIALIST, NOT THE GENERAL PRACTITIONER WOULD BE BECAUSE I THAT'S FINE.
LET ME, YOU CAN FIND A BUNCH OF GPS MM-HMM
SO I THINK ABOUT SOMEBODY DEALING WITH CANCER WHO IS GOING TO A SPECIAL PROGRAM THINKING ABOUT, UM, NON-TRADITIONAL WAYS OR SOME EXPLORATORY PILL THAT ONLY ONE DOCTOR WILL COVER.
I'VE BEEN THROUGH CANCER WITH MY FAMILY A NUMBER OF TIMES, WHICH IS WHY THIS CAME UP.
AND IF THAT SPECIALIST IS NOT ON THERE, THEN SOMEBODY'S LIFESAVING TECHNIQUES HAVE NOW GONE BY THE WAYSIDE.
AND THAT'S MY CONCERN ABOUT OPTING OUT VERSUS OPTING IN.
SOMEBODY'S OLDER, SOMEBODY HAS HEALTHCARE ISSUES, UM, BEYOND WHICH INCLUDES MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WHERE THEY'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO MAKE THESE TYPES OF CHANGES.
IT JUST BOTHERS ME AND HERE'S WHY.
LADY IN MY COMMUNITY CENTER RIGHT NOW JUST GRADUATED, I MEAN JUST RETIRED FROM EBR.
SHE'S PART OF THE UN HOME POPULATION NOW BECAUSE SHE BECAME MENTALLY UNSTABLE TWO YEARS AFTER, UM, RETIRING FROM EPR JUST JOINED.
COA COMES THERE DAILY AND SHE IS NOT A COHERENT ENOUGH TO MAKE DECISIONS TO WHERE WE HAVE TO CALL CO A'S SOCIAL WORKER OVER THERE TO HELP HER.
AND IT ALL DEPENDS ON IF SHE TAKES HER MEDS OR NOT TO DETERMINE WHAT SHE NEEDS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WAS IN THIS SITUATION, IF THE MENTAL HEALTH WILL STILL BE COVERED THE SAME WAY IT IS NOW.
I GOT, AND IT MAY BE, BUT MY POINT IS WHATEVER SPECIALIST SHE NEEDS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN COVERED.
THAT PART HASN'T BEEN ANSWERED.
THE VOTE WILL PROBABLY BE 11 TO ONE AND I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
BECAUSE, UM, I THINK ABOUT LIKE THIS, YOU MAY BE OKAY WITH ONE LITTLE OLD LADY NOT GETTING THE SERVICES THAT SHE NEEDS THAT'S ONCOLOGY, RENAL OR WHATEVER, AND MAYBE SHE CAN GO AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SAVE THE REST OF THE NINE, NINE LIVES, BUT SHE CAN PASS MM-HMM
SO ALL THAT BEING SAID IS THAT, UM, I WON'T BE VOTING FOR IT, BUT I'M OKAY WITH BEING A ONE.
HEY NATO, BEFORE YOU LEAVE IF PASSED, WHAT IS THE EDUCATION PERIOD I GUESS, TO LET ALL OF OUR WORKERS KNOW ABOUT THIS SWITCH IF THIS PASSED TONIGHT? SO WE START OUR PRINTING AND MAIL OUT PROCESS AFTER COUNSELOR APPROVAL.
SO NEXT WEEK OUR RETIREES WILL START GETTING COMMUNICATIONS IN THE MAIL FROM HR THAT DETAILS THE PLAN INFORMATION.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A SEVEN INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS SCHEDULED OVER THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.
SO YOU BRING UP THE POINT OF THE EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS AND EVERYTHING ELSE WITH THE PEOPLE.
LET'S TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE OPT-IN OR OPT OUT MM-HMM
WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS IT IT RETIREES WHEN IT COMES TO THE END OF THE YEAR RE-ENROLLMENT AND STUFF, THEY JUST DON'T DO ANYTHING.
THE CURRENT PROCESS IS IF A RETIREE OR AN EMPLOYEE DOES NOT WANT TO MAKE A PLAN CHANGE, THEY DO NOT COME TO OPEN ENROLLMENT.
THIS, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'RE DOING THE OPT OUT VERSUS JUST OPTING IN.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO PLACE TO ENHANCE THE EDUCATION PART JUST ON THAT OR COMMUNICATION WITH PEOPLE, RETIREES THAT HAVE NOT CONTACTED HR OR THEIR RETIREMENT SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY'VE JUST OVER THE YEARS JUST LET IT ROLL.
IS THERE ANYTHING BEING PUT IN PLACE TO ALLOW FOR THAT OR TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH THOSE PEOPLE THAT MAY NOT CONTACT US? THIS GO AROUND SINCE IT IS PART OF THE PROCESS? RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.
WE'RE VERY COGNIZANT THAT THIS PROCESS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR, FOR 2025 OPEN ENROLLMENT IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT OUR RETIREES ARE ACCUSTOMED TO.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH HUB AND BLUE CROSS AND ACTUALLY HAVE A LIST OF ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT RETIREES SO THAT WE NOT ONLY THE MAIL COMMUNICATIONS IN PERSON SESSIONS, BUT PHONE CALLS, EMAILS, ANY COMMUNICA, ANY TYPE OF, UH, COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO FOR THOSE RETIREES, WE'LL BE REACHING OUT OKAY.
AND THAT'S, THAT HAS TO DO WITH ANYONE THAT HAS, UH, IF, IF THEY HAVE A LISTED POWER OF ATTORNEY, IF THEY HAVE ANYTHING THAT,
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UM, THEY'RE DEALING WITH THAT THEY MAY NOT BE THE, THE RETIREE THEMSELVES MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DIRECTLY ANSWER THE QUESTION, BUT IF THEY HAVE POWER OF ATTORNEY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WE WILL TRY AND REACH OUT TO THEM.NOW WITH THAT BEING SAID, DO WE KNOW OR HAVE A WAY TO KNOW OF RETIREES THAT HAVE NOT CONTACTED HR, THE SYSTEM OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE OF THE AUTOMATIC, UM, YOU KNOW, ROLL INTO THE SYSTEM? DO WE HAVE A WAY TO KNOW OF THOSE RETIREES THAT HAVE NOT CONTACTED IN YEARS TO SPECIFICALLY KNOW THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO TARGET THEM TO LET 'EM KNOW IT'S A DIFFERENT PROCESS THIS TIME? WE DON'T HAVE THAT SPECIFIC BREAKDOWN OF RETIREES.
WE JUST HAVE A LISTING OF ALL THAT WE WERE TRACK WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO THEM.
HAVE WE HAD A RESPONSE? AND THE ONES WE HAVE NOT HAD A RESPONSE, WE'RE GONNA DOUBLE DOWN ON THOSE EFFORTS TO REACH THEM.
I WOULD JUST ASK THAT SOMETHING BE LOOKED INTO THAT, THAT IF, IF WE KNOW, OR IT CAN SAY THAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THESE RETIREES IN SO LONG BECAUSE THEY JUST LET THE PLAN ROLL.
MAYBE WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO THEM DIRECTLY AND SO ON.
I I JUST HAVE A SIMPLE QUESTION.
I THINK, UM, ARE WE TAKING AWAY ANY PLANS OR ARE WE JUST ADDING OPTIONS SO WE'RE NOT ADDING OR TAKING AWAY ANY PLANS? THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN HAS BEEN OFFERED BY THE CITY PARISH FOR AT LEAST SIX YEARS.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN COLEMAN, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN RTA.
ANY OPPOSITION SHOWN ONE OPPOSED? WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THE MACHINES.
DO Y'ALL, ARE Y'ALL NOT ON? OKAY.
NO, WE, WE WE GOTTA DO A VOICE VOTE THEN.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, STAFF, UH, MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE I WANNA FIRST RECOGNIZE ON THE FRONT ROW HERE TO OUR LEFT, WE HAVE A SERIES OF RETIREES THAT, UH, WANTED TO JOIN US AND I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THEM FIRST, UH, FOR BEING HERE AND BEING ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS.
AND, AND ONE BEHIND ME AS WELL,
SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE.
SECONDLY, AS IT RELATES TO COUNCIL MEETINGS, SPECIAL MEETINGS, RESCHEDULED MEETINGS, COUNCIL MEMBERS, ALL OF US ARE HOLDOVERS FROM THE PREVIOUS TERM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO OF US FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
UH, TWO TIMES A YEAR, JANUARY AND SEPTEMBER, FIVE, SOMETIMES SIX OF US EITHER ATTEND THE SAME CONFERENCE OUT OF TOWN AT THE SAME TIME.
PRIMARILY, UH, IS WASHINGTON DC THAT HAPPENED THIS TIME.
UH, A REQUEST WAS MADE BY MYSELF AND COUNCILWOMAN CAROLYN COLEMAN TO RESCHEDULE WEDNESDAY'S MEETING BECAUSE WE WERE GONNA BE OUT OF TOWN AGAIN, UH, FIVE OF US, UH, UH, POTENTIALLY.
AND THEN IT ENDED UP BEING FOUR OF US.
BUT HOWEVER, FIVE OF US ENDED UP BEING OUT OF TOWN.
SO I JUST WANNA IMPRESS UPON US AS A BODY, OUR ADMINISTRATOR AND OUR LEADERSHIP.
WE KNOW THAT THESE TWO TIMES A YEAR THAT WE, FIVE, SIX OF US ARE GONNA BE OUT OF TOWN AND WE SHOULD MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO RESCHEDULE THOSE MEETINGS SO WE DON'T END UP DEALING WITH THE CHALLENGES WE DEALT WITH IN WEDNESDAY'S.
MEETING, UH, COUNTING ON SEVEN PEOPLE TO BE HERE, TO HOLD A MEETING, ONE, AND THEN COUNTING ON SEVEN PEOPLE TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE TO MOVE ITEMS FORWARD.
I THINK WE DID OURSELF A DISSERVICE BY NOT RESCHEDULING THE MEETING.
SO I WANT US TO MAKE SURE WE LEARNED LESSON FROM THIS.
AND DON'T REPEAT THAT MISTAKE.
I KNOW THERE IS AT LEAST ONE TIME WHERE WE HAD A GENTLEMAN AND A GENTLE LADY'S AGREEMENT TO HOLD THE MEETING AND DEFER ITEMS, UH, THAT WERE CONTROVERSIAL.
I THINK THAT HAPPENED ONE TIME, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, SOMETIMES ITEMS GET CONTROVERSIAL WHERE YOU WON'T BE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH SEVEN PEOPLE AND GET ITEMS EITHER
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DEFERRED OR MOVED FORWARD AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.SO AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION AND MAKE SURE WHEN THIS HAPPENS, AGAIN, WHEN ADVANCE NOTICE IS GIVEN, THAT HEY, 4, 5, 6 OF US ARE GONNA BE TRAVELING OUT OF TOWN, THAT WE DON'T WASTE THE TAX BILL'S DOLLAR TO TAKE TAXPAYER'S MONEY OR PEOPLE'S TIME BY HOLDING MEETINGS AND HOLDING ITEMS UP.
MOTION TO ADJOURN MEANS ADJOURNED.