'I Had No Intention of Taking the Health Benefits'

To the editor,

I had no intention of taking the health benefits provided to council members by the  of East Providence. Unfortunately, shortly after taking office, I was dropped by my insurance carrier because of the fact that benefits were offered to me through another employer [the City of East Providence]. Being a young adult and recent college grad, I sympathize with my peers who may find themselves in a similar situation, or worse, entirely without coverage.

You can read more about health care changes for adults 26 and under, and other details of the Affordable Care Act.

Katie Kleyla
East Providence City Council

Editor's note: In a document presented to the budget commission, the city's human resources department originally reported that the city paid $14,291 toward Katie Kleyla's medical and dental benefits. According to Mary Scanlon, director of human resources, $5,717 is the total cost as Kleyla does not qualify for a family plan. A corrected version of the benefits will be presented to the budget commission at Tuesday's meeting, according to Scanlon.