Health insurance no place to pinch cents

On Monday, I watched the Palatine Village Council express delight over the $850,000 savings due to changing employees' health insurance.

The savings come at the expense of the employees and their families. As the wife of a village employee, I am grateful to have medical insurance in today's economy, but when the village board made a great parade out of the savings, it is only fair reporting that the reason is exposed.

I watched a sibling's life saved because of good health insurance due to a drug addition. He went into a 30-day program, and has been drug free for 18 years. Without the insurance, I am sure he would not be here as the great person he is today.

The village insurance covers in-house hospitalization for mental health only up to10 days annually and 20 lifetime. It covers only 50 counseling visits per lifetime. The police officers and firemen see things during a 20-plus-year career the general public could only imagine. The stress from their job and odd working hours, can spread to their home and cause difficulties with a spouse and children. Add in today's economic stress and escalating rate of teen suicide - and the mental health benefits should be the priority instead of saving money.

Last year there were four police officers in Illinois who died by suicide within five months of each other. How many more do we have to lose to "save money"?

The village of Palatine had an employee attempt to enter into a standard 21-day alcohol abuse program. That employee was forced to leave the program because the insurance refused to pay the extra days. The employee can become a liability and may eventually cost the village more money due to sick time, or illness from the effect of alcohol.

It is only one of many incidents I am aware of. I am again asking the insurance committee to revisit the mental health benefits in light of the savings windfall. The savings is never worth a life that is priceless.

Sharon Johnson

Palatine