Fargo explores contraceptive options in employee healthcare plan – InForum

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FARGO — Birth control coverage may soon be available for City of Fargo employees thanks to proposed changes to Employee Health Plan options.

City commissioners received an updated review of the city’s health care plan options on Tuesday, September 6, after the idea of ​​covering contraceptives was put forward by commissioner John Strand in July.

At Tuesday’s meeting, many residents spoke in favor of adding contraceptive coverage options to the city’s health plan.

Mobilizing for this change, the AFL-CIO of North Dakota, a federation made up of local unions, appealed to workers in favor of this plan to take seats at the meeting “in solidarity with the workers of the city then that they require contraceptive coverage in their health insurance plan,” according to a statement.

“Fargo is the only city in the tricity metro that doesn’t have contraceptive coverage,” said Amber Emery, a Fargo Public Library worker for 13 years, reading a letter from herself and some of her co-workers. “What I’m asking today is to help make my daughter’s life and mine a little bit better by providing her with this.”

West Fargo and Moorhead currently have contraception coverage included in their health insurance plans, according to a memorandum released by Strand and Commissioner Arlette Preston.

“It would just show how much the city as an employer values ​​all of the employees here,” said Whitney Oxendahl, a former library board member, who noted the improved insurance could help retain the employees.

Jill Minette, director of human resources for Fargo, presented options to the Commission for the health care plan for next year.

Adding contraceptive coverage would require the city to change its grandfather plan, which was not required to change after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010.

A new plan, which would incur additional costs for the city and employees, would provide employees with additional health care options under the modern standard of health care outlined in the ACA.

“Our plan is grandfathered because the key provisions of the plan have remained the same,” Menette said. “We are exploring the possibility of offering a non-grandfathered plan in addition to the grandfathered plan.”

If a new health care plan is added, employees would have the flexibility to enroll in either plan based on their coverage needs and the premium level that best suits them, as well as to their family.

“I like the idea of ​​options for our employees,” Minette said.

Additional cost to the taxpayer and additional cost premiums are also taken into account.

Preliminary information on the 2023 Blue Cross-Blue Shield (BCBS) renewal includes a premium increase of 4.8% for the grandfathered plan.

A non-grandfathered plan would add an additional 1.5% premium increase.

The benefit of paying that 1.5% premium increase this year, according to Mayor Tim Mahoney, is that employees would get 100% coverage for preventative care.

Mahoney said the non-grandfathered plan would be a popular option for employees despite the increased premiums due to the overall savings from preventive care coverage, noting that the plan would cover colonoscopies.

Fargo could launch a request for proposals (RFP) for a new health plan next year, according to Mahoney.

“I guess the industry, when they feel one of the biggest players in the market…needs a change…they will sharpen their pencils and come to us,” Strand said.

The meeting with BCBS to detail the potential contraceptive options involved in a new plan will take place next week, Menette said.

Fargo will present a proposed plan for the city’s health care plan options to the Commission later this month, with employee briefings in October.

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