City Council
259 N. Wilma Avenue
Ripon, CA 95366
MEMO
To: Honorable City Council
From: Lisa Roos, City Clerk & Finance Director
Date: 02/13/2024
Subject: Health and Welfare Plans - offer to surviving dependents RECOMMENDED ACTION:
This resolution allows surviving dependents of an employee, retiree, or current/past Council Member to continue medical, dental, and/or vision coverage under the City plans at the cost of the surviving dependent and authorize staff to sign the amendment for Blue Shield through the Special District Risk Management Authority.
BACKGROUND:
Employees that retire from the City of Ripon have the option to continue their medical, dental, and/or vision insurance by using their accrued sick leave bank or reimbursing the City for these costs. Past Council Members are also eligible to continue these same health and welfare plans by reimbursing the City for these costs.
Currently, when an employee, retiree, or current/past Council Member passes away, any surviving dependents are allowed to continue insurance coverage through COBRA for a maximum of 36 months. After that time, they need to find an alternative insurance option, which could be costly.
DISCUSSION:
Staff has been in communication with Bohannon Insurance Agency, the City’s insurance broker, and found that the surviving dependents of the employee, retiree, or current/past Council Member could continue coverage through all the City’s insurance providers. Kaiser Permanente and the providers of dental and vision insurance currently allow continued coverage for surviving dependents with the current contracts. To provide this coverage for any surviving dependent on Blue Shield, an amendment needs to be signed with the Special District Risk Management Authority.
Staff is recommending the City Council approve the resolution to allow surviving dependents of an employee, retiree, or current/past Council Member to continue medical, dental, and vision coverage under the City plans at the cost of the surviving dependent and authorize staff to sign the amendment for Blue Shield through the Special District Risk Management Authority.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact to City, as the employee/retiree/Council Member’s surviving dependent will reimburse the City.
RESOLUTION NO. 24-7
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
RIPON ALLOWING SURVIVING DEPENDENTS TO
CONTINUE HEALTH AND WELFARE INSURANCE
COVERAGE
WHEREAS, employees that retire from the City of Ripon have the option to continue their medical, dental, and/or vision insurance by using their accrued sick leave bank or reimbursing the City for these costs; and
WHEREAS, past Council Members are also eligible to continue these same health and welfare plans by reimbursing the City for these costs; and WHEREAS, currently, when an employee, retiree, or current/past Council Member passes away, any dependents are allowed to continue insurance coverage through COBRA for a maximum of 36 months; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Ripon is desirous of allowing the surviving dependents to continue medical, dental, and/or vision insurance coverage; and WHEREAS, the City’s insurance broker has confirmed that the surviving dependents of the employee, retiree, or current/past Council Member could continue coverage through both of the City’s medical insurance carriers (Kaiser Permanente and Blue Shield of California); and WHEREAS, in order to make this change for Blue Shield of California, an amendment needs to be signed with the Special District Risk Management Authority; and WHEREAS, Kaiser Permanente and the providers of dental and vision insurance currently allow the continued coverage for surviving dependents with the current contracts.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Ripon allows surviving dependents of an employee, retiree, or current/past Council Member to continue medical, dental, and vision coverage under the City plans at the cost of the dependent.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Ripon authorize staff to sign the amendment for Blue Shield through the Special District Risk Management Authority.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Ripon this 13th day of February, 2024, by the following vote:
RESULT: ADOPTED AS AMENDED BY CONSENT VOTE [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Michael Restuccia, Council Member
SECONDER:Dean Uecker, Council Member
AYES: Leo Zuber, Gary Barton, Dean Uecker, Michael Restuccia ABSENT: Daniel de Graaf
THE CITY OF RIPON,
A Municipal Corporation
By ________________________________
LEO ZUBER, Mayor
ATTEST:
By: ___________________________
LISA ROOS, City Clerk