Board to consider insurance changes

Three members of the Raisin Township Board of Trustees met Friday morning to discuss the 2016 township budget during a workshop session. Present were trustees Larry Crittenden, Kami Johnson and Debra Brousseau. Trustees Dale Mitchell, Betty Holdridge and Tom Hawkins, and Raisin Township Supervisor Jay Cavanaugh were absent. No decisions were made.

Raisin Township Supt. Jim Palmer presented the board with a possible new medical insurance plan that could save the township $6,000 over the course of the year. Earlier in the week, Palmer had met with the township’s insurance agent, Geoff Lansky of The Ted Hartleb Agency from Kalamazoo. The township receives its employee insurance through EMC out of Lansing, and there is a planned 12.12 percent increase in cost. There is also an estimated 6 percent increase in liability insurance.

While the township would receive a cost benefit, the new plan would raise office visit copays from $25 to $30 for employees, and there would be an increase in the cost of prescription copays, but the cost would be different for individual employees. The complete out-of-pocket expense to employees was not available at the time of the meeting though Palmer said he would get that information for the board.

Currently, nine employees have insurance through the township covering 19 people total, according to Palmer. Palmer added Lansky suggested the township pay the entirety of the insurance premium for employees, which would be an estimated $23,000 cost to the township. Currently, the township pays $93,211 to offer medical insurance for employees.

Larry Crittenden said he was open to changing the insurance plan so long as the township could save money while still offering quality coverage.

The board also discussed the budget approval timeline, so the township could get its state revenue sharing documents to the state before December 1. No decisions were made, as the suggestions would be given to Holdridge and Cavanaugh, who prepare the agendas for trustee meetings.