A major revolt among city employees including police and fire personnel has been slowly building since the Shreveport Health Fund Trust Board voted last month to raise the premiums and deductibles on the city health insurance plans.
Due of lack of appropriate monitoring the City had been paying a higher portion of the premiums than the plan required which resulted in a trust fund deficit of approximately $14 million. This failure started before Mayor Perkins took office and may have begun as far back as the Glover administration.
At a meeting on Wed. (Oct.27) an assistant city attorney advised the board that prior votes on premiums and employee contributions were probably illegal. Needless to say this comment enraged employees attending to complaint about the new rates, deductibles, etc.
Another concern was that Willis Knighton Health System may not be included in certain coverages under the city plan.
The meeting was adjourned to allow for a cooling off interval,
The next meeting is Nov. 11 at 9 a.m.
Hopefully before that meeting an opinion on the legality of votes will be released by the Shreveport city attorney's office. Additionally clarification of the WK coverage should be provided.