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City considering health care incentives

Published 12:01am Monday, January 28, 2013

NATCHEZ — The City of Natchez is considering incentives to get employees interested in taking advantage of a health benefit for which the employees are already paying.

Community Development Director James Johnston presented options for the city to give incentives to its employees to participate in Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Healthy You program.

The city currently offers the program, Johnston said, but only 5 percent of city employees are enrolled.

The Healthy You program includes health screenings, such as cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and weight, immunizations and other benefits.

Johnston suggested that the city allow employees one day to visit a doctor to receive a physical, blood work and other tests needed to enroll in the program. Johnston said the employees should be required to submit a doctor’s excuse to their department heads to show proof of the visit.

The aldermen went back and forth on whether a half-day or whole day should be given for the doctor’s visit and whether employees could use a sick day for the visit.

Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard said he believes the city should give an administrative directive to employees.

“We should say ‘You’ve got the time, and we’re paying for it, so you’re going to go,’” he said.

Ward 3 Alderwoman Sarah Smith suggested that City Attorney Hyde Carby check into whether the city could direct employees to use a sick day for a visit.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis suggested the department heads schedule the days off for the doctor’s visits so a single department does not have a significant number of employees absent on the same day.

Dillard concluded that if the city could get more employees enrolled in the program that could potentially make them healthier, fewer sick days would be taken.

“You’re going to win on this,” he said.

Mayor Butch Brown said that if an employee used one of their sick days for the wellness visit and needed the day back in the future, he had no problem doing that.

Johnston also proposed the city work with the Mississippi Tobacco Free Coalition of Adams, Jefferson and Franklin counties to make city property smoke-free.

The smoking ban would cover all city property, buildings and vehicles.

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  • Anonymous

    Just genius. Complain about how high healthcare costs are then force people who aren’t sick to use medical services. Yeah, that’ll keep costs down.

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    These people need to pay more on their insurance with high deductables that will stop the emergency room for minor things as a sore throat or runny nose!!

  • Anonymous

    THIS IS SOME GREAT NEWS FOR N.A.C. TO MANY OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE STROKING OUT BECAUSE OF THE SIMPLE REASON OF NO CHECK-UP. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HIGH CHLESTEROL, COLON AND PROSTATE CHECK AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR WILL SAVE HEALTH CARE MILLIONS IF NOT BILLIONS. Crakalakin YOU ARE ONE DUMB SUCKER. PREVENTED-CARE IS NO DIFFERENT THAN PREVENTED MAINTENANCECE ON YOUR VEHICLE. MALES ARE LIKING MORE THAN FEMALES IN THIS AREA. I TELL MY DAUGHTERS TO DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO GET MY SON-IN-LAWS OUT FOR A CHECK UP. NOW YOU SEE a SUCKER LIKE Crakalakin, HE IS THE TYPE THAT KEEPS UP WITH HIS CHECK UP, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS SELFISHNESS HE WILL DO EVERYTHING HE CAN TO PREVENT OTHERS FROM TAKING CARE OF THERE HEALTH. HE REALLY THINK HEALTH CARE, MEDICARE, FOOD STAMPS, SOCIAL SECURITY IS ALL ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE. THAT’S JUST HOW FAR HE’S LIVING IN THE PAST. THAT’S THE ONLY REASON HE IS AGAINST IT. HIS DISLIKE FOR BLACK PEOPLE CONTROLLS EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF HIS MOUTH. ALDERMENT/ALDERWOMAN YOU’LL NEED TO COME UP WITH A GOOD IDEAL TO GET THEM THERE. IF THEY GET A PAID WEEK OFF ONCE A YEAR TO TAKE CARE OF THERE HEALTH, YOU CAN BEST BELIEVE IT’S WORTH IT.

  • Anonymous

    Khakirat AND Crakalakin: DUMMY AND DUMMY. WHO IS “THESE” PEOPLE ? ARE YOU REFERING TO BLACK PEOPLE ? HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THEY PAY ON THERE INSURANCE ? DO YOU WORK FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANY ? THEY CAN GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM WHEN EVER AND FOR WHAT EVER THEY WANT. YOU ARE A PRIME EXAMPLE OF A “DUMB-REPUBLICANS”. WHILE I’M TALKING ABOUT THEM SUCKER, DO YOU SEE WHERE THEY ARE TRYING TO RIG THE ELECTORAL VOTES ? THEM SUCKERS BEEN STEALING ALL OF THERE DAYS, BUT BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY IT PUT A DAMPER ON THEM. THEM SUCKERS ARE SCRAMBLING TRYING TO HOLD ON TO POWER, BUT DEEP DOWN INSIDE THEY KNOW THERE’S DAYS ARE LIMITED. THERE’S NO WAY POSSIBLE TO HOLD ON. EACH AND EVERY DAY PAST BY IS NARROWING THERE HOPE. WITH ALL OF THEM OUT THE WAY, AMERICA WILL BE ABLE TO BREATH A BREATHE OF FRESH AIR.

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