District signs off on new health care plan for unions

The Waterford Schools Board of Education has approved an agreement with its employee unions regarding a change in health care coverage.

The unions include the Waterford Michigan Education Association (WMEA) and three Michigan Educational Support Professional Association (MESPA) units — one for secretaries, another for instructional aides and library technicians, and the third for custodians and cafeteria, maintenance, and transportation workers.

Under the one-year agreement, all eligible employees will move from the district’s existing health care plan to a high-deductible MESSA Account-Based Choices (ABC) plan beginning on Jan. 1, 2013 and ending on Dec. 31, 2013.

The district states that the ABC plan is similar to the district’s previous plan, but with more emphasis on preventative care. The ABC plan also has a deductible of $1,250 for single coverage and $2,500 for two people or a family.

This comes after the district assembled a health care committee earlier this fall consisting of district administration and staff to discuss options and ended up receiving 53 different plan options.

Back in April, district employees switched their health insurance plan to the MESSA Choices II plan that included a $500/$1,000 deductible as part of an extension of their existing contracts that last through June 30, 2013.