Chicago area first responders decry higher health insurance costs
MARKHAM, Ill. (CBS) – Some south suburban first responders are frustrated because they said their health insurance is going up by hundreds of dollars, taking a serious financial toll for less coverage.
They're fighting to change it and confronted the Markham City Council about it on Wednesday night. CBS 2's Jermont Terry was there.
At Markham City Hall, firefighters lined the walls, but instead of responding, they were the ones sounding the alarm. They were demanding answers as to why they and so many city workers keep dishing out so much cash for health insurance.
Tony Butera is the fire union president. He said members are paying more each paycheck and getting far fewer options.
"We pay, for a family, we pay a percentage which is 17.5% and we pay around $220 a paycheck," Butera said.
And when the City Council had a chance to fix the problem by switching insurance companies, he claimed they failed to take action, which not only left them paying more, but cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in premiums.
"The right thing is for Markham would have been to switch insurance [companies] to save the city $500,000," Butera said.
That's why firefighters and public works employees protested at Wednesday's meeting.
"I stand on what I stated. I stand on my point. I stand on my vote," said Ald. Brenna Hampton-Houser (1st).
Council members said they were not intimidated by first responders holding signs and added the motion that night was not on insurance companies but the city's longtime insurance broker.
"The motion that came up to the council was to replace our insurance broker," said Ald. William Barron (4th).
Yet Ald. Wanda McDowell, who made the motion, said, "That is not true."
She said the council was advised that employees would pay more and loss of savings for taxpayers, yet they did not act.
"Correct, so why would we put our city in a deficit to stay with a broker that was causing us higher rates," McDowell said.
The council said it was willing to look at the matter again, but for now, the fight to lower the insurance rates continues.
