Task Force Aims to Reduce Acton's Health Care Costs

On November 21, 2011, Acton Education Association President Marc Lewis witnessed first-hand how can have an influence on local government. 

Facing opposition from hundreds of town workers and other interested residents, Acton’s Board of Selectmen abandoned their plan to adopt Chapter 69 of the Municipal Health Insurance Reform Act. 

The provision enables town leaders to take control of employees’ health insurance benefits in order to realize savings and prevent an “emergency” fiscal situation from worsening.

The Board of Selectmen voted to table the discussion until February 6, 2012.

Lewis said the turn of events was “the right thing to do” and that Board  members deserve credit for “slowing down what was a fast-moving, potentially out-of-control train.”

“I was very pleased with their actions,” said Lewis. “They really listened to people.”

at one of the preceding meetings, explained that Chapter 69 was enacted by legislators to aid towns that were facing layoffs and cutting essential services like public libraries.

"Those are the ‘horror stories’ we were trying to prevent,” he said.

Regarding the reaction to the Board of Selectmen’s initial plan, Eldridge said, “What really impressed me was the turnout from Acton residents and employees. It was something I’d never seen before. As I said that night to the board, if I have hundreds of constituents that are calling or showing up to a meeting expressing a point of view, it’s something that I take very seriously.”

According to Board of Selectmen chairman Mike Gowing, “we postponed the vote to allow the various unions in the town and schools system to participate in an informal education and plan design. The goal is to review all aspects of plan design and try to come up with a composite plan across the unions between now and the February 6^th meeting.”

Gowing said that there will be a vote that night and that unless “substantial headway” is made by then, the Selectmen will again consider adopting Chapter 69. A short extension could be granted at that time, said Gowing, "if we have made substantial progress but are not quite there.”

A group has been assembled and charged with the task of exploring changes in the health care plan design that will save the town $600,000 within a year’s time. This figure, said Gowing, “is in the middle of the range of the two studies conducted.”

Gowing was referring to , which were commissioned in order to assess potential cost savings should changes be made to town employees’ current health care plans.

The goal will require cutting expenses while continuing to provide good quality health insurance to the town’s teachers, firefighters, policemen, municipal workers and retirees.

Chaired by Town Manager Steve Ledoux, the group includes Selectman Janet Adachi, School Committee member Kim McOsker, Director of Human Resources Marianne Fleckner, Director of Personnel for the school system, Marie Altieri, and representatives of the local unions and retired workers.

The committee held its first session on December 9, 2011.

Afterward, Lewis said he was “very optimistic.” Acknowledging that finding health insurance options that will meet the needs of the town’s diverse factions will be a challenge, he said, “Everyone is going to have to think of the collective good here. This is an opportunity the board didn’t need to give us, but we’re grateful that they did.”

The health insurance task force will continue to meet each Wednesday from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at Town Hall.