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Employees warn plan-design changes could deter care-seeking and hinder recruitment
Summary
Teachers, public works and other town employees told the Select Board that higher deductibles or shifted costs could discourage care-seeking among high users and complicate recruitment and retention; staff said modeling will quantify low/medium/high user impacts.
Several Westford employees at the listening session urged caution about plan redesigns that would increase out-of-pocket costs. "It will punish the people who actually use it," Tyler Butts of the highway department said, arguing that higher deductibles and co-pays would hit the people who need care most.
Melanie Jazokos, a teacher at Westford Academy, said she worries that raising out-of-pocket costs will discourage people from seeking mental-health and other treatment. "I think that's my biggest concern is that people won't seek the help that they need," she said. Town staff and board members acknowledged those equity concerns and said the Health Insurance Trust and HUB will model how low-, medium- and high-user groups would be affected. Select Board member Sean Kelly suggested plan-design changes could reduce overall premiums for many users while protecting employees with mitigation measures.
