City commission to discuss health care coverage for employees

LAKE WORTH — The City Commission at tonight’s meeting is scheduled to vote on a program to offer health, vision, dental, life insurance and disability coverage for city employees for fiscal year 2016.

Under the proposal, United Healthcare will provide medical health insurance, MetLife dental and vision insurance, Prudential will offer short and long-term disability. Cobra Management Services will provide COBRA coverage.

With a decrease in cost for the medical plan, the city’s human resources department is recommending the city absorb the cost of employee-only coverage for dental and vision for the upcoming fiscal year.

The city began soliciting bids in the spring of 2014. The city said it had budgeted $4.2 million for fiscal year 2016, which represented a 20 percent increase in cost. Human Resources has since reduced the budget request for fiscal years 2015-2016 to $3.3 million.

The city said there will be no change in employee contribution.

The meeting is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

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