What's Coming?

Read previews of the Pipeline here

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Health Insurance Bonanza


Do you need health insurance? If so, we suggest you ask to have your name added to the list of folks who are on the town’s CDPHP policy. Not an employee of the town, don’t even live here? Not a problem!

Just ask Tom Murley. Not only doesn’t he live here in North Greenbush, he’s not even employed here. He’s what is referred to as a vendor providing services to the town, in this case on a contractual basis. We did some checking and found that Mr. Murley has been receiving taxpayer funded health insurance since he left town service after a mere five and a half years in July 2004.

Now working for an employer for five and a half years does not get most people lifetime health insurance benefits. But this is North Greenbush where no one knows what the hell their doing. Certainly not the Town Supervisor who probably hasn’t a clue who’s on the town health insurance policy. Under the town’s last adopted policies and procedures in 1991, no part time employee is entitled to health insurance, and certainly no vendor or someone with a mere 5 ½ years of service. Individual coverage requires no employee contribution and costs the town $427.77 a month. Family coverage is currently $1094.55 a month and requires an employee contribution of $333.29 per month or $3,999.48 a year.

Anyway, the Town Supervisor has been too busy to look into this giveaway. His time was spent awarding his friends in town hall buy outs for not taking health insurance from the town even though they never took health insurance from the town in the first place. That’s how you win friends in town hall and make enemies in the voting booth.

So here are the facts: Tom Murley was employed for a brief time by the town from January 1999 through July 2004. He’s been getting health insurance paid by you the taxpayers ever since.

The document above lists Mr. Murley’s name as a covered individual under the town policy. That means we are paying to give him health insurance. We believe he receives individual coverage as opposed to family because we know of no reimbursements to the town by Mr. Murley for the coverage. And we know of no reason he is legally receiving the coverage. Not even the wildest stretch of interpretation of the 1991 policy guidelines of the town could he be covered for the years since he left town service and status as a full time employee. (Do you think the peanut gallery of town hall will be upset when they figure out this fleecing of their pockets? We don’t.)

So Mr. Evers and town board members. It’s up to you to do some explainin’. Feel free to send an email here and we’ll be happy to post it. In the mean time residents and non residents alike should feel free to ask to be covered under the town's health insurance policy. You don't have to live here, you need not work here for the town, since 5 1/2 years of town employment does not qualify you for insurance, we don't know what does so why not ask to be placed on the policy? It worked for Mr. Murley. Have a happy Thanksgiving folks.
.
Ghost of Mandell-Clemente Still Haunts Town
This story in the Times Union shows it ain't over yet and this one in the Record as well..

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

in the real world mr. murley would be back charged and would have to pay for the benefit he recived from the town. it would make no difference if it were a mistake by the town and he should have been taken off the town policy. he (murley) got the benefit and he's the one who has to pay. things like this happen often in state goverment and it is aways the employee that recived the benefit that ends up paying.