Marshfield: Health care law could financially benefit town and employees

Pembroke, Rockland, Plymouth, and Marshfield are only a few towns who have already adopted the health care reform act in order to save money for the community and employees. Thursday afternoon the Marshfield Insurance Advisory Committee discussed that the next step is to find out cost savings once Mayflower Municipal HealthCare Group releases its rates on January 6^th.

So far, there has been a mixed response from South Shore town employees. However, Marshfield Town Administrator Rocco Longo explained that community reactions about changing the health care program are part of the process, “Any time you make a change in town government, at any level, there’s always some anxiety. But it’s hard to say whether or not people are supportive because we haven’t had anything to discuss and to support or oppose but that’s what we’re going to explore.”

According to Administrator Longo, town employees will not have to change doctors because there is no desire to leave Mayflower Health Group, but they will have different co-pays and deductibles, “Our budgets are under such dire conditions that we have to look at options to save money, and this is one of the ways to save money. I think it’s significant that the legislature, governor, and both the house and senate adopted this opportunity for towns so we have to take advantage of it.”

Required by law, Marshfield must form a Public Employees Committee to develop insurance options and consider employee and union needs. Administrator Longo stated that the town is not working under any time constraints.