Collins Center and The Boston Foundation Issue Study Identifying Municipal Health Care Savings
The Collins Center and The Boston Foundation have issued a report, The Utility of Trouble: Leveling the Playing Field: Giving Municipal Officials the Tools to Moderate Health Insurance Costs, detailing more than $40 million of annual savings the City of Boston could achieve in the area of municipal employee health insurance costs. The report also examined the health care plans of Cambridge, Melrose and Marshfield and reached similar conclusions about the savings those communities could realize by reforming the way they provide health care coverage to their employees. Cambridge would save approximately $4 million annually; Marshfield approximately $500,000; and Melrose, which joined the state Group Insurance Commission (GIC) in June 2009, is expected to save up to $1.8 million this year. The study was researched and written by Robert Carey, a Collins Center associate and the former Director of Planning and Development for the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority.
In the case of Boston, the report notes that its potential annual savings in the costs of municipal health care premiums could cover the City's entire projected shortfall for the current fiscal year; or hire 420 new police officers; or double the City's annual capital improvement budget for its schools.
The study makes several specific recommendations that, if implemented by Commonwealth municipalities, would enable them to save tens of millions of dollars and preserve essential municipal services.
The report's main recommendations are:
· Remove the requirement, now in Massachusetts state law, that municipal officials must collectively bargain plan design changes;
· Bring health benefits provided to municipal employees into line with benefits offered state employees and retirees;
· Require all municipal employees who are eligible for Medicare to enroll in Medicare Part B;
· Adopt a premium contribution strategy that rewards members who select more cost-effective health plans; and
· Limit members' financial exposure by including out-of-pocket maximums in the plan or funding Health Reimbursement Account.
This study is the second to be issued by the Collins Center outlining the advantages available to Massachusetts cities and towns by changing the way they provide health care coverage to their employees. The first report, Controlling the Cost of Municipal Health Care: Lessons from Springfield, was issued in May, 2009 in partnership with the Rappaport Institute at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. It documented the savings realized by the City of Springfield after it joined the state Group Insurance Commission. Full copies of both reports, as well as several related newspaper articles and columns are available on the Collins Center website.
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Collins Center Trains New Boston Police Department Supervisors
As part of its innovative "Leadership, Command, and Management" program for newly-promoted supervisors, the Boston Police Department (BPD) engaged the Collins Center to design a three-day public management overview program segment.Twenty-five sergeants, fourteen lieutenants and six captains attended the sessions at UMass Boston, held on the last three days of the multi-week supervisory training program. This is the first time the BPD has conducted training with UMass Boston as well as the first time it has offered this style of structured classroom preparation to newly-promoted supervisory staff. Sandy Blanchette, Education Program Developer for the Collins Center, coordinated the presentations in consultation with BPD Superintendent Paul Joyce, Chief of the Bureau of Professional Development, Lieutenant Michael Chapman, Executive Officer of the Boston Police Academy and Sergeant Gary Eblan, Academy Registrar. "It is essential for the present and future leaders of our department to receive training that includes components in public management such as those developed by the Collins Center, " stated Superintendent Joyce. Read More>>> |
Collins Center Helps 65 Municipalities Obtain Federal Stimulus Funds
Over $8 Million Delivered to Cities and Towns across Massachusetts |
The Collins Center recently helped 65 Massachusetts cities and towns successfully apply for over $8 million in competitively-awarded federal stimulus funds distributed through the Department of Energy Resources Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. The Collins Center, in partnership with the Commonwealth's thirteen Regional Planning Agencies (RPAs) assisted with almost 70% of the grant applications approved by the state Department of Energy Resources.
The EECBG grants, which are capped at $150,000 each, will allow communities to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency projects that will enable them to reduce long-term costs and increase energy independence. Municipal projects that were approved range from solar-photovoltaic and solar-thermal installations to new windows and weatherization upgrades in town buildings.
Recognizing that many small cities and towns did not have the in-house capacity to apply for grant funding, the Massachusetts Recovery and Reinvestment Office in the Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration and Finance asked the Collins Center to develop a program that would help all interested communities in Massachusetts compete for funding. "I can't think of a better way to commemorate the one year anniversary of the Recovery Act than with the great news that this program was able to assist 65 municipalities in obtaining recovery funds," said Jeffrey Simon, Director of the Massachusetts Recovery and Reinvestment Office. "We're looking forward to many more opportunities where we will be able to offer assistance to cities and towns that would not otherwise have the means or resources for grant writing."
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April 5 Start Date for Center's New Online Performance Management Course.
Course Name: Performance Management in Government and Non-Profits (PRFTRN 093).
Targeted to: Municipal, state, and federal government employees, as well as non-profit managers.
Specifics: Adapted from a McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies course taught by former Collins Center Director Shelley Metzenbaum, PhD. Dr. Metzenbaum is now the Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget for performance and personnel management in the Obama Administration. A six module course offering 2 Continuing Education Credits (CEUs). Click for Syllabus.
When: First class begins April 5, 2010. Registration Deadline March 29, 2010.
Cost: $600 for municipal, state and federal employees; $700 for others.
Deliverables: The tools necessary to help organizations realize the value of setting goals, measuring performance and using the resulting data as a management tool to improve outcomes.
Teaching Methodology: The latest in online technology, offered in an intuitive, user-friendly presentation. Ideal for both online rookies as well as veteran online learners.
Course Background: In the current environment of heightened accountability, government organizations and non-profits are increasingly adopting management approaches focused on using goals and performance indicators to increase effectiveness and communicate accomplishments. The knowledge and tools gained from this course will be extremely valuable in helping to set an organization on a path of management for results.
For more information: Contact Sandy Blanchette, Education Program Developer at the Collins Center (sandy.blanchette@umb.edu) or 617-287-5534).
Click for Course Preview Video  |
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The Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management
100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125
Phone: (617) 287- 4824
FAX: (617) 287- 5566
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About Ed Collins
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Throughout his outstanding public career, Edward J. Collins, Jr. epitomized the spirit and goals of the Center that now bears his name. We at the Collins Center are proud to continue the work of Ed's life - helping governments work effectively and productively for the benefit of their citizens.More about Ed |
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