Rules Committee hears competing plans to fund taxi-driver health care; hearings to continue

At a Rules Committee hearing, the Taxi Commission working group presented a proposed health-care plan for taxi drivers that would combine contributions from drivers, medallion holders, taxi companies and the city and rely in part on modest meter and gate increases to help finance coverage.

Heidi Machin, staff to the Taxi Commission, outlined the group’s recommendations and its process of public meetings and stakeholder input. She said the group recommended eligibility thresholds “to establish initial eligibility by driving 1,000 during a year, and maintain coverage by driving 800 hours per year,” and preferred mandatory participation to avoid adverse selection. On funding, Machin described the recommended split: drivers would pay an initial 10% contribution and participating drivers an additional 20% (30% total), medallion holders and taxi companies 25% each, and the city would contribute 20%. The working group also proposed rider-facing offsets including a flag-drop and per-mile/midpoint adjustments; the Commission later tweaked…