Andover Town Manager resigns MIIA health board seat

This week's Andover Townsman reports that Town Manager Buzz Stapczynski resigned from one of his three MIIA positions; specifically the Health Benefits Trust. MIIA is the organization entering its sixth year of providing the town's employee health insurance — this year, at a cost of $1 million more than the Tufts Health Plan proposal.

Did the Town Manager resign his board seat in recognition of this conflict of interest?  Of course not!  Citing what he called a "distraction,"  he is quoted in the article as follows:

"If anything, it (the resignation) reduces some of the noise or music people were creating around the whole issue of our employees’ health insurance — what people thought was a conflict which was not.”

Noise? Music? Well if the Town Manager won't change his tune, then we will continue to beat the same drum!

Perception or reality — What do you think?

The perception of a conflict of interest is created not simply by the Town Manager's position on three MIIA Boards. It is also a function of the Town Manager's present and past actions. To review, the Town Manager:

1. Still retains Board seats on MIIA's Governing Board and the MIIA Reinsurance Company.
2. Did not put the town's health insurance plans out to bid from 2008 to 2013— essentially giving a no-bid $15 million annual contract to MIIA for each of those 5 years.
3. Claimed both that he was "impartial" in this year's health plan renewal decision and that he advocated for a change to Tufts Health Plan.  Well, which was it?
4. Signed the MIIA/Blue Cross renewal BEFORE Town Meeting approved the budget.
5. Never personally requested, as a MIIA Board Member, that the renewal-notice deadline be extended until AFTER Town Meeting.
6. Injected, in our view, an erroneous legal opinion at this year's Town Meeting that tainted the health insurance amendment vote.
7. Refused to answer questions regarding the so-called year two rate guarantee provided by MIIA/Blue Cross, but not by Tufts. (You know, the protection cited as a reason to go with the higher-cost MIIA plan.)

Post your comments below and tell us what you think.

Thank you for your support!

Bob Landry
TownofAndover.com