December 29, 2009, Subject: Middletown Medical Shortfall

    In a recent editorial it was stated that Middletown can’t run away from the issues surrounding employee health insurance costs. The town needs to take the advice of Sean Byrnes and Patrick Short and provide some solutions in preventing this from happening again in 2010, as it did last year also.
    The editorial goes on to say that the town will start the new year with $550M in unpaid medical claims. This is true, but the editor neglected to add in the $800K that was deferred during the Dec. 7 meeting bringing the total to $1.3M. At that meeting Mr. Byrnes requested that some solutions be provided to prevent this from happening in 2010. At the Dec. 21 meeting Mr. Byrnes commented that he did not receive any hard solutions, which was the reason for not voting for this part of the resolution. As any good editor, they should get all of the facts on an issue before forming an opinion and publishing it.
    As the Assistant Administrator stated that the problem relates more to the volume of claims should have raised a flag with the reporter and editor. It has been reported that when a claim is filed the department head will instruct the employee to report to a township doctor to get a second and sometimes a third opinion before a claim is paid. This would logically drive up the amount of claims submitted for reimbursement.
    The Township Committee was aware, as they all have stated that costs were escalating since June and nothing was being done. They were, obviously, hoping that claims would subside by the end of the year and balance out. This was a bet that the town lost this year.
    Ballooning medical costs are a huge problem, not just for Middletown, but also for the whole country. This is the reason why reform is taking place nationally. In the meantime, Middletown needs to inform the public and implement the plan that is so widely promoted as in place. It is obvious that the Middletown officials do not know how to plan, for if anything goes wrong they just defer it until next year. This is not keeping the “Taxpayer First”.

Dora Crisafulli
Middletown