As expected, the House FY09 budget was released yesterday afternoon with a proposed increase in employee health insurance contribution rates.  The House plan mirrors the plan proposed by Governor Patrick, which is as follows: 
·       Workers earning $35,000 to $50,000 would have their premium share increased from 15% to 20%.
·       Workers earning $50,000 or above would have their premium share increased from 15% to 25%.
The proposed increases would result in out-of-pocket increases of 33%-67%, depending on a worker’s annual income. 
Council 93’s Department of Legislation, Political Action and Communications is working closely with a coalition of other public employee unions to defeat this measure.  However, in order to maximize our chances of success, WE NEED YOUR HELP.
State Representative Marty Walsh is sponsoring an amendment to the budget that would eliminate the proposed increase in your contribution rates and maintain current health insurance premium contributions. 
We need every AFSCME member to call and/or e-mail their state representative and ask them to support Rep. Marty Walsh’s amendment. You can find
all the appropriate contact information for these representatives by clicking on the following link: http://www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm
Please note that you should not be contacting your state senators at this time.  Focus your calls and e-mails on state representatives.
Attached are some talking points that can be used in your calls and e-mails. 
Your phone calls and e-mails will make a big difference in this important fight.  Please act immediately.
In Solidarity,
 
        Peter P. Wright                                                                                          Jim Durkin
Director of Legislation, Political                                                                Legislative Representative
 
 
The following are some key points that should be incorporated into your comments ande-mails/letters to State Representatives:
• State employee health insurance costs have increased steadily over the past several years.  While the percentage of our premium contributions has remained relatively steady at 15% to 20%, our costs have increased just have state costs have increased.  Therefore, just because our premium split does not increase doesn’t mean that we have not been impacted by rising health care costs. 
• In addition, our co-payments for office visits and prescription drugs have risen dramatically and in many instances, are higher than those receiving coverage through private sector jobs. 
• While the percentage increases proposed by the governor range from 5% to 10%, these increases translate into out-of-pocket increases of 33% - 67% depending on the level of the percentage increase.  
• Increasing health care costs for a person based on their annual income is a fundamentally unfair approach. For instance, a single parent who receives an increase is more drastically affected than a worker receiving the same increase and earning the same salary in a two-income family. Other factors, such as varying costs of housing in different parts of the state, also make this approach unfair.        
The following are some additional suggestions:
• When you speak to a legislator, ask them to state their position on this issue.  If they are undecided, ask them to let you know when they have made a decision. Or, let them know you will be contacting them again in the near future to see if they have made a decision.
• Ask your family members, friends and neighbors to support you by contacting their legislators as well. 
• Speak from the heart.  Don’t just read the key points listed above.  Instead, read them in advance and incorporate your own thoughts and words.  In short, let them know how this increase would affect you personally.
• If you win their support, be sure to thank them and let them know you will remember it in the future. 
• Don’t be afraid to make more than one type of contact.  For example, a phone call followed up by e-mail(s) or vice versa is very effective.