84 Legislative Session - report Healthcare

Call today to protect our health care benefits – Oppose HB966 / Health Savings Accounts

April 30, 2015
Chris Knapp

KeepHC_affordable_temp[APRIL 30, 2015]
House Bill 966, by Rep. Myra Crownover (R-Denton), is scheduled to come up for a vote in the Texas House of Representatives on Monday, MAY 4th.

This bill would introduce High Deductible plans to the ERS system and would drive up the healthcare costs for all employees and retirees, as younger workers opt out of coverage.

Let your State Representative know that state employees need affordable healthcare benefits, not high deductible schemes that increase costs!

CALL TODAY – sample phone script

My name is _________. I am a state employee (retiree) and a member of the Texas State Employees Union. I’m asking Representative__________ to vote NO on HB 966. Health Savings Accounts will put more financial burden on state employees, especially those who need health care the most. Thank you.

To locate your elected officials, go to:  www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us

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no-hSA_sMore Details: Health Savings Accounts are a bad deal for state employees!

  • These alternative health plans deter employees from utilizing regular health services through very high deductibles, attached with a limited fund account for health care needs.
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  • HSAs place more financial burden on those who have a higher need for health care such as the elderly, women and the chronically ill. Providing these plans as an option will also mislead younger and healthier employees into choosing a health plan that would be more expensive to them later in life.
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  • Health Savings Accounts also put more financial burden on moderate to low-income employees by having them put more “skin in the game” in the form of increased out of pocket costs and high deductibles.
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  • Account balances (contributions from the employee AND the state) remain with the employee, even if they leave the state.  With the current high turnover rates in many agencies, there would be the potential of millions of dollars leaving with those former employees.  This is compounded by the fact that employees most likely to be taking an HSA option (those under the age of 30) also have the highest turnover rates.