City OKs health-care coverage

— City employees’ health insurance won renewal by the North Little Rock City Council in an 8-0 vote Monday that included approval of a 3.93 percent increase in premiums.

North Little Rock’s health insurance is from Qual Choice of Arkansas through Stephens, Inc. Overall coverage includes health, vision, dental and life insurance.

North Little Rock pays 100 percent of health coverage for employees and 75 percent of the cost for their dependents.

The increase in premiums will cost the city $224,521 in 2011, up from about $216,000 this year.

Several changes in the plan’s coverage will result from the federal health-care legislation under President Barack Obama, Stephens representative Bobby Whitfield told the council.

QualChoice is scheduling information sessions for late October and early November for employees to opt out of coverage areas that will change because of the federal health-care requirements that took effect last week.

Arkansas, Pages 10 on 09/28/2010

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