Senate President maintains there would be savings for workers and for government
Senate President Steve Sweeney on Friday proposed switching teachers from their current healthcare plans to lower-cost coverage now enjoyed by state government workers.
“It costs less, less out of pocket, so you’re going to save money. The worker saves money, the government saves money, everyone saves money, and you still have Fortune 500 healthcare coverage,” Sweeney told the annual conference of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA) in Monroe Township.
About 30 percent of New Jersey school districts — with almost 62,000 teachers — get their coverage under the School Employees Health Benefits Plan. So do community colleges. Family coverage costs taxpayers and teachers $37,905 a pop, with teachers paying $8,718 in annual premiums. Compare that to the State Health Benefits Plan, which is $27,269 for family coverage, with teachers paying $5,438. Merging the plans could save about 25 percent — an estimated $300 million a year, Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said.
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