As president, Barack Obama prepared to the airwaves to defend his health on the revision of last week’s Hernando school officials, a small insurance sticker shock of their own. The district’s insurance carrier, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, is seeking a 21st To increase 5 percent. “We expect increases in health insurance, but you do not really expect 21 percent increases,” said Heather Martin, the district executive director of business services. “It’s very disappointing, in these difficult economic times.” The real increase is likely to get at least a few percentage points below the quota, “said Martin. Last year, for example, Blue Cross began with a 18 percent increase. Through optimization plans and raising deductibles and co-payments, which both sides have taken up to 12 percent. Martin said she hopes this year will rise closer to 15 percent and the district insurance committee – staff and members of trade unions – had made progress towards this figure during talks with Blue Cross on Wednesday. Blue Cross refused to cover a written statement of spokesman Mark Wright to take position. “The details of the negotiations with any client are confidential. But I can tell you that projected for groups like these, claims experience, plan for next year is the determining factor in premium rate calculations.” In other words, the company uses, the district claims history and estimates for claims, which will next year be to justify the increase. The district history is not exactly beautiful, confirmed Martin. Claims were “relatively high” in recent years, she said. Last year, Blue Cross paid more than 14 million U.S. dollars to complete. “We are not a very healthy group,” said Martin. “We are not better.” Martin note, however, that the district “punished for the lack of urgent care facilities in the county. This forces people to go to hospital emergency rooms, an expensive way to get urgent care, that drives the shells of the district, she said. The School Board has agreed in recent years, increases in the circle to take most or all of the insurance premium, and should try to do the same again this year, said board member Sandra Nicholson. “If there is no possibility of us can eat the increase, I think we probably,” said Nicholson. This is a bit much to ask could be, considering this year’s proposed budget is only $ 1 million to reserves, not intended for any particular purpose. But it would be employees who have seen the out-of-pocket, get help, “said Colin Davies, the president of the United Hernando School employees. Davies said that some employees have opted to go without insurance because they can no longer afford it, and he predicted that number could rise. “They decide whether to eat or insurance,” says Davies. The unions accepted smaller wage increases last year in exchange for the district, the more insurance premium costs. Insurance is likely to dominate the negotiations this year, said Joe Vitalo, president of the Hernando Classroom Teachers Association. Vitalo expressed the kind of sentiment expressed by many Americans, and says that Obama motivated him, health care get done sooner rather than later. “It is probably the most legalized form of blackmail, it is,” said Vitalo.

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