The (Adrian) Daily Telegram reports that custodians and maintenance workers in the Adrian school district are switching to a high-deductible health plan with a health savings account. The Blissfield, Madison and Onsted districts already provide these types of plans to some employees, as does Northwest Community Schools near Jackson.
This good news for the district and for the 15 employees covered by the new plan: each employee will save more than $1,100 per year and the district will save about $17,500 annually. Additionally, since the premiums from these high-deductible, consumer-drive plans increase at a much slower rate than conventional coverage, these savings will likely increase over time.
The Mackinac Center has estimated that statewide schools could save $451 million annually by switching all employees from the conventional low-deductible insurance coverage to HSAs. Given faster rate increases on those conventional plans, over 10 years the savings would amount to $26 billion.
School employees would also come out ahead. Under these plans, districts deposit funds into a health savings account on behalf of each employee. The money stays with the employee, even if he or she changes jobs, and contributions, earned interest and health expense withdrawals are all tax-free. The money can be used to pay any qualified medical expense, and after the employee turns 65, can be used for anything, just like a traditional IRA.
Tight security locked out dozens of anti-right-to-work protesters from the State Capitol as Governor Snyder was delivering his "State of the State" address. Protesters tried to disrupt the speech by banging and chanting outside the building.
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FROM MICHIGAN HOME HELP PROGRAM PROVIDERS — OFTEN FAMILY MEMBERS
ATTORNEY GENERAL ORDERED THE STATE TO STOP TAKING MONEY ON MAY 25, 2012
opinion May 25, 2012
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) "organized” Michigan's self-employed Home Help Program providers for the purpose of skimming dues from their ailing and disabled clients' Medicaid subsidy checks. The majority of these providers are relatives or friends taking care of loved ones. It’s been estimated that less than 25 percent of the providers are hired in an employment setting.
The first counter tallies SEIU dues skimmed since the union and state officials first launched this scheme in late 2006. The second shows the amount skimmed since June 9, 2011, when the Michigan House passed and sent to the Senate a bill to ban this and all similar “stealth unionization” efforts. The third counter shows the dues skimmed since the Governor signed the bill into law on April 10, 2012. The fourth counter shows the amount skimmed since May 25, 2012, when the Attorney General opinion was announced.
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