Health Care Policy 1
Section Name: Human Resources Effective Date: June 2, 2008
Section Number: 400 Date of Revision: 7/7/08, 12/19/11, 2/21/12
Policy Number: 001
Page: 1 of 6
Subject: Health Care Benefits
1. Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to provide health care benefits for all
regular full-time non-union employees, regular full-time Appointed Officials, and
regular full-time Elected Officials of the City of Monroe.
2. Statement of Policy:
2.1. Regular full-time non-union employees, regular full-time Appointed
Officials, and regular full-time Elected Officials shall be entitled to the following health
care benefits commencing on their 91st day of continuous employment
A. Employees Hired Prior to December 19, 2011. Subject to the
provisions of Section 2.1 B below, effective January 1, 2012, each regular full-
time employee hired prior to December 19, 2011, who desires health care benefits
through the Employer shall have his choice of coverage under one of the
following plans:
(1) A Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan Community Blue
(90/10) PP0 Plan, (See Attachment 1), and Rx generic mandate
$10 co-pay, brand name $60 co-pay; and mandatory purchase
of all maintenance drugs through mail order with Rx generic
mandate $20 co-pay and brand name $120 co-pay. Employees
may select coverage for employee, employee and spouse,
employee and child(ren), or family. 1
(2) A Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan Community Blue
(80/20) PP0 Plan, (See Attachment 2) and Rx generic mandate
$10 co-pay, brand name $60 co-pay; and mandatory purchase
of all maintenance drugs through mail order with Rx generic
mandate $20 co-pay, and brand name $120 co-pay. Employees
may select coverage for employee, employee and spouse,
employee and child(ren), or family.1
(3) A Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan Flexible Blue PP0 High
Deductible Health Care Plan with a Health Savings Account
and Rx generic mandate $10 co-pay and brand name $60 co-
pay after the annual deductible has been met; and mandatory
purchase of all maintenance drugs through mail order Rx
generic mandate $20 co-pay and brand name $120 co-pay after
1 Eligible participants include the employee, the employee’s legal spouse, and the employee’s unmarried
children to age 26 if they meet the requirements as defined and provided for in the respective plan
documents.
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the annual deductible has been met. This Plan shall include a
$2,000 individual and a $4,000 family in-network deductible
and a $4,000 individual, $8,000 family out-of-network
deductible. (See Attachment 3)
Except as above provided, after payment of the applicable in-
network deductible in each calendar year, the Plan shall cover
100% of all eligible in-network expenses for the balance of that
calendar year. Except as above provided, after payment of the
applicable out-of-network deductible in each calendar year, the
Plan shall cover 80% of all eligible out-of-network expenses
for the balance of that calendar year.
Unless modified pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.1 B
below, for employees covered under this Plan during the period
January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2014, the Employer shall pay
the illustrated premium cost of the health plan and make a
contribution to the employee’s HSA in an annual amount of
$350 for those who select employee only coverage, $800 for
employee/spouse or employee/child(ren) coverage, and $1,000
for family coverage.2
Employees may make contributions to their Health Savings
Accounts on a bi-weekly basis, through automatic payroll
withholding, in accordance with the provisions of the Internal
Revenue Code and the related regulations, and the Employer's
administrative procedures.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, employees commencing their
employment with the Employer after January 1 of any calendar
year shall receive prorated contributions to their Health
Savings Account in their first calendar year of employment.
Such proration shall be based upon the number of days
between the employee's date of hire and December 31 of the
first calendar year of employment divided by 365.
B. Employer Health Care Contributions. The Employer’s contribution to
the coverage’s described in Sections 2.1 A(1), (2) and (3) above shall not exceed
the total cost it is permitted to incur under Section 3 of the Publicly Funded
Health Insurance Contribution Act, Act. No. 152 of the Michigan Public Acts of
2011 (the “Act”). The Employer will annually compare the total cost it is allowed
to incur according to the Act to its actual cost if each employee were to select the
plan in Section 2.1 A (3) above. If the actual cost exceeds the allowed cost, the
Employer’s total cost will be adjusted to comply with the Act by first reducing the
employer’s contribution to the HSA referred to in Section 2.1 A (3) until they are
eliminated and then, if necessary, adding an employee payment for the cost of the
2 Eligible participants include the employee, the employee's legal spouse, and the employee's unmarried children to
age 26 if they meet the requirements as defined and provided for in the respective plan documents.
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plan in Section 2.1 A (3) until the calculation is brought into compliance with
Section 3 of the Act. The employee’s payment for the plans in Sections 2.1 A (1)
and (2) will be adjusted to make the Employer’s net cost match the cost for the
plan in Section 2.1 A (3) above.
C. Employees Hired On Or After December 19, 2011. Each regular full-
time employee hired on or after December 19, 2011, who desires health care
benefits through the Employer shall be provided the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of
Michigan Community Blue PP0 (80/20) Plan described in Section 2.1 A (2) above
or the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan Community Blue Flexible Blue PP0
High Deductible Health Care Plan with a Health Savings Account as described in
Section 2.1 A (3) above. The terms and conditions applicable to these plans shall
be as described in Section 2.1 (A) (2) and (3) above, with the following
exceptions:
1) those employees choosing the PP0 (80/20) Plan described in
Section 2.1 A (2) shall be required to pay 20% of the illustrated
premium cost of such Plan or the cost calculated in Section 2.1
B, whichever results in the greater employee payment; and
2) those employees choosing the Flexible Blue PP0 High
Deductible Health Care Plan with a Health Savings Account
described in Section 2.1 A (3) shall be required to pay the full
amount of the annual deductible and any amount by which the
annual premium exceeds the Employer’s total cost as
calculated in Section 2.1 B. (The Employer shall not contribute
to the employee’s HSA.)
The illustrated premium costs of the foregoing plans are subject to
adjustment each calendar year (typically in January of each year). Prior
to implementing each such adjustment, the Employer will inform
employees of the adjustment and provide an open enrollment period
during which time employees will be permitted to change their coverage
selections. Eligibility for the medical benefits herein above provided shall
be conditioned on the employee authorizing the Employer to deduct the
covered employee’s portion of the cost of such benefits from
compensation due the covered employee.
2.2 Spousal Coverage Limitations. Notwithstanding any other provision of
this policy to the contrary, if a regular full-time, non-union employee’s
spouse works for an employer, other than the City of Monroe, who
provides medical coverage, such spouse shall be required to elect
employee only medical coverage through his/her employer, so long as the
spouse’s monthly contribution to the premium does not exceed one-third
(1/3) of the total premium cost of employee only coverage. In such
circumstance, the City’s Plan shall provide secondary coverage. If the
spouse’s contribution exceeds one-third (1/3) of the total cost of
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employee only coverage, the spouse will not be required to participate in
his/her employer’s plan, in which event the City will provide primary
coverage.
2.3 Health Care Waiver Incentives.
A. Total Waiver of Health Care Coverage
(1) Regular full-time, non-union employees who have health
care benefits provided through a source other than the City
of Monroe may waive their rights to health care benefits
provided by the City under this policy. An employee who
expressly waives, in writing, all rights to any health care
benefits provided through the City of Monroe, including
health care benefits provided through a spouse employed
by the City, will receive a cash payment (not to be added to
base salary) of $1,250 per year, payable in December of
each calendar year. Any employee who has waived
coverage for a period less than a full calendar year shall
receive a prorated amount of such $1,250 payment.
(2) An employee who has waived coverage as hereinabove
provided may have such coverage reinstated, provided
he/she demonstrates that he/she can no longer receive such
benefits from another source.
B. Waiver of Coverage for Employee’s Spouse or Spouse and
Dependent Children Only
(1) Any regular full-time, non-union employee whose spouse
and eligible dependent children can secure health care
coverage from a source other than the City of Monroe may
waive all coverage for said spouse and and/or dependent
children.
(2) An employee who waives all health care coverage for only
his/her spouse will receive a cash payment of $750 per
year, payable in December of each calendar year. Any
employee who has waived coverage under this provision
less than a full calendar year shall receive a prorated
amount of such $750 payment.
(3) An employee who has waived all coverage for his/her
spouse and all dependent children will receive a cash
payment of $1,000 per year, payable in December of each
calendar year. Any employee who has waived coverage
under this provision less than a full calendar year shall
receive a prorated amount of such $1,000 payment.
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(4) An employee who has waived health care benefits coverage
under the City’s plan for his spouse, or spouse and
dependent children, may apply to have such benefits
reinstated, provided he/she demonstrates that his or her
spouse, or spouse and dependent children, can no longer
receive such benefits from another source.
2.4 Coverage under the above plans is subject to the terms, conditions,
exclusions, limitations, deductibles, illustrated premium co-payments and
other provisions of such plans, and all applicable provisions of the
Internal Revenue Code and related regulations.
2.5 To be eligible for health care benefits, an employee must document all
coverage provided under his/her spouse’s medical plan and cooperate in
the coordination of coverage to limit the City’s expense.
2.6 The City reserves the right to change its third party administrator and/or
the carrier(s), plan(s), and/or the manner in which it provides the above
benefits.
3. Definitions: None.
4. Application: This policy shall apply to all regular full-time non-union employees,
regular full-time Appointed Officials and regular full-time Elected Officials in all
departments of the City of Monroe and shall supersede and cancel all prior
policies and actions of the City Council related to health care benefits for active
employees, their spouses and eligible dependents.
5. Responsibility: The Human Resources Director or designee shall have the
responsibility of implementing and overseeing the administration of this policy.
6. Administrative Procedure: None
7. Legislative History of Authority for Creation or Revision:
Adopted pursuant to action of the Monroe City Council, dated June 2, 2008.
Revised pursuant to action of the Monroe City Council dated July 7, 2008.
Revised pursuant to action of the Monroe City Council dated December 19, 2011.
Revised pursuant to action of the Monroe City Council dated February 21, 2012.