The vote on the city's health care plan will be on Tues. Sept. 13.
Shreveport's Heath Insurance Trust Fund Board (HCTFB) voted on Wed. Sept. 7 to recommend to the council a three tier plan.
This plan names Ochsner as the first tier, Willis Knighton as second tier, and out of network providers as third tier.
This means that WK's plan will have higher premiums and higher deductables than Ochsner.
WK is currently the provider of choice of 60% of the city employees and retirees.
The vote by the council will be the most controversial one in the current term.
UNLESS A RESOLUTION TO DEFEAT THE THREE TIER PLAN IS ADOPTED ON TUESDAY THE PLAN WILL BE EFFECTIVE FOR 2023.
Thus four votes are needed to preserve the current plan for 2023.
Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor (District A) has not indicated her position. She spearheaded the vote for a 13% payraise for all city employees. Whether or not she is just as concerned about city retirees who may be required to pay more money to stay with their WK healthcare providers is an unknown.
Councilwoman Levette Fuller (District B) says she will vote to continue the current plan for 2023. She will not vote for the recommended three tier plan. Fuller is a mayoral candidate.
Councilman John Nickelson (District C) made comments on the last council meeting (Aug.23) that implied he would vote for the three tier plan. Nickelson is not seeking re-election for a second term.
Nichelson's vote may have some impact on fellow ultraconservative Republican Jim Taliaferro who is seeking to replace him.
Councilman Grayson Boucher (District D) has posted on FB that he will vote to continue the current plan. Boucher is not opposed for re-election. Boucher has sponsored a resolution to defeat the three tier plan.
Councilman Alan Jackson is the interim appointed council representative from District E. He is in a hotly contested race to be elected for a full term. Jackson's position is unknown. In his past votes he has been tied to the April strings of Taylor.
Councilman James Green (District F) is unopposed for re-election. His position is unknown. Green like Taylor have been water carriers for Mayor Adrian Perkins. Since Perkins voted as a member of the HCTFB for the three tier plan, they will most likely follow his lead.
Councilman Jerry Bowman, Jr. (District G) is termed out. By text he indicated that he recused himself from the health care vote, although there is confusion on his vote. Bowman is an employee of Ochsner.
His wife is in a contested race to replace him on the council. His vote will no doubt impact her race.
The vote by Perkins will further damage his re-election bid despite his statements of fiscal responsibility.
Collectively WK employees, city employees, retirees, their families and friends are expected to have substantial clout in the Nov. primary and the Dec. general election.
The fireman's union and both police associations oppose the three tier plan.
Litigation has been promised by Dr. Michael Carter, president of the Shreveport Police officer's Association, if the three tier plan is approved by the council.
It can be expected that WK will also file litigation if the current plan is not continued for 2023.
The argument made by the administration of the additional cost of underwriting the health insurance plans as the incentive to adopt the three tier plan is difficult to reconcile with their boasting of a large city budget surplus fueled almost entirely by American Rescue Plan moneys.
The vote on Tues. will have a major impact on city employees, city retirees, and their families.
It will also have a tremendous impact on the mayoral election and several council races.
