Tag Archives: Municipal Health Care Reform

Shedding OPEB Through ObamaCare

Posted on May 15, 2013 by billmanzi

There is plenty to write about within the broad subject of municipal finance, pension obligations, and “Other Post Employment Benefits”(OPEB), which are primarily health care costs for retirees. While pension costs have at least (nominally in many cases)been addressed by … Continue reading →

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Municipal Health Care Review

Posted on February 11, 2012 by billmanzi

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, headed by Michael Widmer, has released an analysis of the impacts of the newly enacted municipal health care bill. I had a chance to talk about it this week on WCAP, and it is in the … Continue reading →

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Weekly Podcast- Staggering Municipal Retiree Health Care Costs

Posted on January 14, 2012 by billmanzi

I had a great conversation with Teddy Panos this week on WCAP, 980 on the am dial, talking about the new report from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation detailing the staggering unfunded retiree health care obligations of ten gateway cities, including … Continue reading →

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Muni Health Care Reform in Doubt

Posted on June 19, 2011 by billmanzi

The Massachusetts Senate, via a late budget amendment, has added a provision dealing with retiree health care that would negate a large portion of prospective savings that their original bill provided. The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, (thank you Michael Widmer) has … Continue reading →

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State Senate Moves on Muni Health Care Reform

Posted on May 19, 2011 by billmanzi

The Senate Ways and Means Committee yesterday released its version of municipal health care reform, and while it differed from the House version it certainly delivers on the promise of municipal health care reform. More to say later, the MMA … Continue reading →

Posted in Methuen, Municipal Finance, State News | Tagged | 4 Comments

New Mass Taxpayers Foundation Report

Posted on May 12, 2011 by billmanzi

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation issued a new report today detailing a ten year health care cost comparision of actual spending on municipal health care vs costs that would have been incurred if municipalities had health care plan design authority. The … Continue reading →

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The No Solutions Agenda

Posted on May 6, 2011 by billmanzi

The House budget section dealing with municipal health care has drawn some serious flak from different quarters, with plenty of media and blog coverage The hand wringing centers around comparisons to Governor Walker’s legislation in Wisconsin, with cries of labor … Continue reading →

Posted in Methuen, Municipal Finance, State News | Tagged | 1 Comment

The House Gives Cities a Big Win

Posted on April 27, 2011 by billmanzi

The Massachusetts House of Representatives last night voted to pass municipal health care reform that actually saves municipalities money, incurring the ire of organized labor and setting the stage for the final showdown in the Senate. Organized labor continued their … Continue reading →

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House Steps Towards Real Muni Health Reform

Posted on April 16, 2011 by billmanzi

The House Ways and Means Committee, chaired by Haverhill’s Brian Dempsey, released their version of the FY12 Budget this week, and it contained some real good news for municipalities throughout Massachusetts. The Dempsey budget did not change the local aid … Continue reading →

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Boston Foundation Report on Muni Health Care

Posted on April 6, 2011 by billmanzi

The Boston Foundation and the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation came out with a report on Municipal Health care in Massachusetts, and the report is not surprising. The Foundation and the MTF looked at the health care plans of 14 communities (Beverly, … Continue reading →

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