Firefighters Union Sounds Alarm Over Public Option Bill.
The Uniformed Professional Firefighters Association is having none of it. The 4,000 member union wrote to legislative leaders this week expressing its opposition to the proposal to authorize state government to create an unregulated health insurance venture.
Here’s the union’s letter:
The Uniformed Professional Firefighters Association represents 4,000 career Firefighters across Connecticut. As a result of the UPFFA’s most recent Executive Board meeting, we are writing this in opposition to Senate Bill 842 “AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH INSURANCE AND HEALTH CARE IN CONNECTICUT” and strongly urge you to reject and oppose this measure.
Currently, the UPFFA offers a medical benefit plan to our members through the Northwest Firefighters Trust (NWFFT), administered by and for the Firefighters around the county. The NWFFT was launched in 2013, bringing fire fighters and their families comprehensive, affordable and sustainable health plans. NWFFT creates a “like risk” pool of Firefighters throughout the United States that provides access to both active and retiree health insurance.
The Northwest Firefighters Trust health benefit funds provide a coordinated approach to group purchasing and contracting with medical, pharmacy and other health networks. As advocates for our union members and their families, we cannot standby and allow this negative preemptive policy to impact our dedicated efforts over the years. More importantly, as non-profit healthcare benefit funds, we bring a unique perspective to this debate on Senate Bill 842.
The UPFFA respectfully and strongly opposes SB 842 and its’ “one size fits all” State run plan and because of the long-term negative impact it will have on our members and the Connecticut marketplace. We have all worked extremely hard over the years to provide our members and their families along with Firefighter retirees the finest healthcare benefits and services. We are very proud that we built and maintained some of the best Union Sponsored health fund in the United States, that provide members with medical, prescription, dental, vision and other important family benefit programs that our members lives are improved from and are greatly appreciated by our members.
If the legislature chooses to move forward with the bill, at a minimum the UPFFA respectfully requests that substitute language be adopted that will exempt any member or Local Union in good standing with their respective State Association or National Union that has a Union Sponsored Benefit Trust plan from the provisions of SB 842, including, but not limited to, any penalty or tax imposed by the legislation or as a result of not participating in the State Partnership Plan.