GUNTERSVILLE- Marshall County Commissioners are looking to cut employee healthcare benefits due to rising healthcare costs.
Tuesday county employees showed up to city hall in hopes of hearing from Blue Cross Blue Shield Representatives and Commissioners and what they are proposing to cut. However, the meeting that was reportedly to be an open meeting ended up being behind closed doors Commissioner Douglas Fleming, Commissioner Tim Bollinger, a representative from Blue Cross Blue Shield and Marshall County Sheriff Scott Walls were all present at that meeting that lasted over two hours.
The commission is proposing to increase insurance premiums and eliminate their current prescription card. Douglas said that the county is self insured. However, Blue Cross Blue Shield is the administrator for insurance claims. Those claims Douglas said went up $600,000 this year. He says they must look at their options and the budget process to see where that money will continue to come from as healthcare cost are expected to rise.
Sheriff Scott Walls was in that meeting on Tuesday. He says that the sheriffs department makes up nearly half of the county employees. He said he understands that rising cost of healthcare is an issue that is also causing budget issues. "I just can't accept that we need to balance the county budget on the backs of the employees. In my case I have asked the county commission to make the necessary cuts to my department in order for our employees and all county employees to keep their health insurance," said Walls.
Sheriff Walls said he had a retiree come into his office last week concerned about these proposed cuts. The Sheriff said the retiree said if he lost his drug card it would come down between food or drugs. Sheriff Walls says that is not acceptable to allow the county to do this to the employees that have given years of service to the county.
County employees have started a petition in support of keeping their current insurance. The petition has already generated nearly 200 signatures.
No decision was made during the closed door meeting. Fleming said that the options discussed with the Blue Cross Blue Shield representative will be discussed with all the other commissioners at a later date and a vote will be taken on what is best for the county.
Reporter: Haley Baker
Web Producer: Darcelle Hall
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