Currently, many labor organizations representing public employees are negotiating collective bargaining agreements with the State of New Jersey. One of the most significant issues surrounding these negotiations involves the healthcare/benefit program provided by the State of New Jersey to its employees. Specifically, the State’s proposal regarding the dollar amount of employee contributions to the healthcare plan provided by the State, also known as premium sharing, has become vigorously contested by many labor organizations. As such, the State Health Benefits Program has again risen to the forefront of labor law consciousness.
The operation of the State Health Benefits Program (hereinafter referred to as “the Program”) is governed by the New Jersey State Health Benefits Program Act (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”), N.J.S.A. 52:14-17.25 to -17.45. The goal of the Act is to provide comprehensive health benefits for eligible public employees and their families at “tolerable” cost. In essence, it establishes a plan for state funding and private administration of a health benefits program which will protect public employees from catastrophic health expenses. In addition, it encourages public employees to rely on the Program instead of seeking protection in the commercial insurance market. Heaton v. State Health Benefits Commission, 264 N.J. Super. 141, 151 (App. Div. 1993).
The Act also spawned the State Health Benefits Commission (hereinafter referred to as “SHBC”). The SHBC is entrusted to establish the Program by negotiating and purchasing medical, surgical, hospital, and major medical benefits for participating public employees and their families, “in the best interests of the State and its employees” as well as retaining exclusive jurisdiction to determine disputed matters under the plan. N.J.S.A. 52:14-17.27 to -17.28. The SHBC is entitled to establish rules and regulations as deemed reasonable and necessary for the administration of the Act. See N.J.A.C. 17:9-1.1 to -7.4. The Act also states that the SHBC may set forth limitations and exclusions in coverage as it finds necessary to administer the SHBP.
In undertaking a very consequential role in the financial security of public employees and their families, the State has the duty and responsibility to bargain fairly with them. Hidden or unfair reservations in insurance policies are ignored because they do not reflect the reasonable expectations of the parties. Voorhees v. Preferred Mut. Ins. Co., 128 N.J. 165, 175 (1992); Sparks v. St. Paul Ins. Co., 100 N.J. 325, 336 (1985). Because of the significance of health insurance to public employees and their families, and the Legislature’s undertaking to furnish insurance and determine its scope, one of the goals of the Legislature must have been to assure the fair and even-handed application of the Program provisions. Inevitably, the issue of premium sharing and its potential ramifications will certainly be followed by many public employees and labor organizations throughout the negotiation process to determine whether it is violative of the Program’s policies.
Presently the state has proposed that all state civilian employees and law enforcement personnel contribute 1.5% of their salary towards health insurance. Certain state public employee labor unions and law enforcement labor unions have agreed to premium share at the 1.5% rate. However certain attorneys practicing labor law believe that there are constitutional issues with percentage premium sharing. We will follow this issue as it winds its way through interest arbitration and possibly the courts of New Jersey.
