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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, September 19, 2014

NorCo Exec John Brown Health Plan Changes

NorCo Exec John Brown
Brown denied he has any desire to balance the budget on the backs of County employees.  He noted that if he wanted to do that, he could just stop providing health insurance directly. He'd take a $4 million penalty, and require employees to pay the going rate on employee healthcare exchanges. That would save $18 million per year.

His plan, which he described as a desire to impose "cost control" and "consumerism," would make the following changes:
  • The annual deductible will double.
  • The out-of-network deductible would increase by 1000%
  • He will add a 10% co-insurance cost
  • co-pay for ER care will double from $100 to $200
  • He will institute a $30 co-pay for urgent care
  • He will increase the employee payment for prescription drugs. 
Though he's attempting to avoid a $9.3 million excise tax on what may or may not be a Cadillac Plan, he explained his real goal is to lower health care costs, which have risen from $17.5 million in 2009 to $24.6 million this year.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welcome to the real world people. Thank you Obamacare.

Anonymous said...

Republican healthcare alternate. No coverage and die quickly.

Anonymous said...

@ 6:01-yeah, because healthcare costs WEREN'T spinning wildly out of control, at a rate higher than every other developed country, before Obama...

Anonymous said...

He promised to fundamentally change America and that is exactly what is happening. Don't complain if you voted for Obama.

Anonymous said...

Almost all the County employees are represented by Unions. Don't they know how to go on strike. Brown has to be taught a lesson.
As for County Council stating they have no power to stop the Executive when it comes to Health Care, they are wrong. They can Legislate Health care. It is a Budget item that they have control over.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunatly not all county staff have a union. Some are not union eligible. Consumerism - decide if you can delay that cancer treatment tilll you can come up with the 13600 coinsurance you need to pay.

Anonymous said...

I'm unemployed and will be applying for any job where a fool goes on strike.

Anonymous said...

Jerry Green represents the Union that represents NorCo workers? Not dressed like that! He couldn't find a reasonable shirt? And Justus? C'mon. Get a razor!

Anonymous said...

Some county employees are essential and going on strike would be selfish and irresponsible. How would you like to dial 911 with a family member being in cardiac arrest and have no one to answer your call.

Anonymous said...

Good plan. Hope Brown sticks to it.

Anonymous said...

FYI corrections officers can't strike. Our else we would have.

Anonymous said...

Re: 8:47 comment -
So keep working and get shit on.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"FYI corrections officers can't strike. Our else we would have. "

That's true. But you can seek binding arbitration.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Jerry Green represents the Union that represents NorCo workers? Not dressed like that! He couldn't find a reasonable shirt? And Justus? C'mon. Get a razor!"

Are you for real? Since when is there a dress code for union bosses? What's important is not how they dress, but whether they are there for the people they represent.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"I'm unemployed and will be applying for any job where a fool goes on strike."

A scab offering to work for the county. Aren't we lucky!

Anonymous said...

I might be a scab but I need a job and have faced the reality of the job marketplace. At least I'm not collecting unemployment or applying for food stamps. O'Hare you are an imbecile.

Bernie O'Hare said...

If you are unemployed and not collecting, that means you were fired for cause or are unemployable for other reasons, like emotional issues. You are the kind of person who could only be employed as a scab.

Anonymous said...

You are assuming that everyone who is laid off will automatically apply for unemployment. Not everyone is a taker. I'll fend for myself without any government assistance.

Anonymous said...

@12:27
Then you are an idiot. If you were employed you paid into a system that was created as a temporary stopgap measure to assist you while you seek new employment.

Though the system is abused by those who use every week allowed them to sit on their asses, most people want and seek work.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Bernie for providing some sense to some of these posters. I agree with your counter points.

Anonymous said...

Agreed that President Obama has been a disappointment. However it is up to the voters to wake up and elect people that are not tied to the blue vs red fight.

Anonymous said...

they are not even trying to negotiate with us and go straight to arbitration. Should be interesting.

Anonymous said...

I am a civil servant, I took a test to demonstrate I was qualified to do the job. Many of my duties are mandated by State laws. I will have 22 new laws to understand come December, thanks to Jerry Sandusky. I take my job very seriously as do my co-workers. This is difficult work and I deal with difficult people on a daily basis. I resent some of those who comment like what county employees do is akin to being a cashier.

Anonymous said...

My employer's decisions are based on need to increase earnings per share. After going a decade where healthcare increased there time the rate of inflation, the private sector is passing on all increases to employees. Obamacare.was a more beneficial alternative to some coworkers.

Ronald Reagan said Medicare would lead to a social dictatorship. I suspect conservatives seniors would feel differently.

Anonymous said...


Some county employees are essential and going on strike would be selfish and irresponsible. How would you like to dial 911 with a family member being in cardiac arrest and have no one to answer your call.


Perhaps you should fuck with people's pay and benefits to save $60 a year?

Anonymous said...

I might be a scab but I need a job and have faced the reality of the job marketplace. At least I'm not collecting unemployment or applying for food stamps. O'Hare you are an imbecile.

Scab, the unemployment rate is 5.6% - what reality are you looking at? Stop making excuses and get off your ass and get a job.

Anonymous said...

You are assuming that everyone who is laid off will automatically apply for unemployment. Not everyone is a taker. I'll fend for myself without any government assistance.

You are full of shit, Gomer.

Anonymous said...

As I recall, wasn't Reibman's fiddling around with the heath care plan that inspired John Stoffa to get off the sofa and run for office?