Kane County wants health insurance concession before raises

Kane County government employees hoping for raises this year might find themselves negotiating higher health insurance costs first.

A group of 15 deputy clerks in the Kane County Clerk’s office spent the past seven months working without a contract. The employees are one of several unionized groups in the county represented by American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31. The union negotiated a 1.5 percent pay raise retroactive to Dec. 1, 2010, and hoped to win the first stage of final approval before the county board’s Public Service Committee Thursday.

But board member Jesse Vazquez used the announcement of the results of the negotiation as a platform to reopen his push for all county employees to shoulder a larger portion of their health insurance costs.

Vazquez, who works in the insurance industry, said the county could save about $1.3 million each year if employees agree to raise the cap on the maximum out-of-pocket costs for their health care. Vazquez said the current cap is $700 per year. His survey of neighboring counties showed employees have a cap of at least $1,500.

“When are we going to get to the table and save some money for the county, and save some jobs?” Vazquez asked. “This committee and the county board members all have to start focusing on this and getting it to the bargaining units. I don’t see anybody pushing it.”

That may be because not every county board member is sold on the idea of raising the maximum out-of-pocket costs for county employees. Vazquez said just about every county employee filing an insurance claim last year hit the $700 cap. To him, that means no employee is having trouble paying that amount and could likely afford a $1,500 cap.

But board members Juan Reyna and Bonnie Kunkel both said $1,500 could be a dramatic increase for some employees.

“A $1,500 cost is different for county employee who make $30,000 a year versus a county employee who makes $80,000 a year,” Reyna said.

Vazquez said if that becomes an issue, the county can create a pool of funds from the $1.3 million in annual savings to possibly help employees who can show they can’t afford the $1,500 if and when they have claims.

The committee decided to pass discussion of the 1.5 percent raise on to the county board’s finance and labor relations committees. The county has multiple union contracts currently in various stages of negotiations.