Municipal employee unions applaud mayor's support for participating in the State of Connecticut's prescription drug benefit plan
Hartford, CT – In a move that would save $2 million annually, the City of Hartford is taking steps to purchase prescription drugs for its municipal workforce through Connecticut's state employee plan. This effort will make Hartford the first city in Connecticut to benefit from legislation that reduces the cost of life-saving medications for police officers, housing authority professionals, health inspectors, and sanitation workers.
Members of Hartford's municipal unions and Mayor Pedro Segarra have worked together to bring Hartford into the state's prescription drug "pool" by March 1. The increased bargaining power, lower administrative costs and substantial discounts negotiated by the Office of the State Comptroller will help bring relief to the cash-strapped city.
"This is the type of collaboration we had hoped for when the General Assembly passed the legislation and the governor signed into law last year," said CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 Executive Director Robert D. Rinker. "We are pleased that Mayor Segarra pursued this avenue to achieve savings for the taxpayers of Hartford and for the state. And he did it without reducing prescription drug benefits for municipal employees," said Rinker, whose union represents the city's professional, engineering, and technical employees, as well as active and retired state workers.
General Assembly House Speaker Christopher Donovan championed Public Act 10-131, "An Act Concerning Municipalities and Prescription Drug Plans," throughout the 2010 legislative session. In addition to saving millions annually for the city, Harford’s participation will lower prescription costs for the state by $6 million per year.
"I don't understand why every mayor and first selectman does not come forward to see whether this landmark legislation will save their municipalities' taxpayers dollars," said AFSCME Council 4 Executive Director Sal Luciano. "Imagine the service cuts to education, seniors, recreation programs and other vital public services that can be avoided if municipal leaders use the purchasing power of the state," said Luciano, whose union represents over 800 Hartford city workers as well as active and retired state employees.
Mayor Segarra Monday testified at the State Capitol in favor of proposed legislation that would allow expanded "pooling" of health insurance for municipalities, small businesses, and non-profits. Citing Hartford's participation in the prescription drug plan, he called it "truly an example of collaboration, cooperation, and cost savings."
"It's win-win for everyone," said Clarke King, a Recreation and Youth Services coordinator in the city's Department of Health and Human Services and the President of Local 1716 of Council 4. "Let’s hope we can get this done with healthcare 'pooling,' too," said Clarke.
"The city is facing a huge budget deficit," said Edna Alers, a Planning Division zoning assistant in the city's Department of Development Services. "We stepped up so that the services local families and businesses count on aren't cut, especially when people are already hurting," said Alers, a member of CSEA/SEIU Local 2001.
The Comptroller's Office, negotiating on behalf of the nearly 200,000 lives in the state plan, has greater leverage than individual municipalities in negotiating prescription drug costs. Through the Health Care Cost Containment Committee, management and labor have successfully limited increases by monitoring trends and aggressively managing costs without chipping away at benefits. Comptroller Kevin Lembo has committed to assist municipalities in finding savings by joining the state's purchasing "pool."
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