The City of St. Joseph is changing its benefits package to decrease the cost of a family health plan for employees by about $800 a month.
Jimmy Williams, a local firefighter and the president of the IAFF Local 77 firefighters union, is enrolled in the city’s individual health plan, despite being married.
“I’m the only one that’s on my insurance,” he said. “Luckily, my wife, she carries herself and she carried our kids because I couldn’t afford it with the city.”
Earlier this week, the city council approved new benefits that will make health insurance more affordable for families. Starting next year, the PPO family plan will decrease from $1,432 to $644 a month, which is more in line with Kansas City’s benefits.
“Our benefits for families was really not where it should be,” said Amy Cohorst, the human resources manager. “When people had a family and they came to work here, it was tough for them to put their families on our medical plan.”
However, to pay for these changes, individual employees, whose coverage is completely paid for by the city, will now have to contribute about $36 a month. There still will be a no-pay option for the high deductible plan.
