TOWN HOPES TO RETAIN COVERAGE FROM BLUE CROSS

By Ryan Blessing - The Sun Staff



N. STONINGTON - As budget talks begin to heat up, local officials hope the town can retain Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island as the health insurer for North Stonington employees.

As it stands, the company has signaled its intent to stop the practice of insuring out-of-state municipalities in the coming fiscal year, North Stonington First Selectman Nicholas H. Mullane II said.

'The new commissioner has taken the position that Blue Cross of Rhode Island should only cover people in their service area,' Mullane said.

About 125 to 150 town employees are covered through Blue Cross, Mullane said. Town employees regularly use facilities in Rhode Island, he said.

Should the town have to switch carriers, it would have options in Connecticut, such as Anthem Blue Cross. But charges would be much higher and no plan would be as attractive as Blue Cross, Mullane said.

'It has been a good deal all around for performance and service,' Mullane said. 'The pricing is better,' than other alternatives, he said.

Blue Cross of Rhode Island suffered a legal blow Thursday when the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that the state could award the contract for its employees' health insurance to UnitedHealthcare, over the objections of competitor Blue Cross & Blue Shield.

The contract covers some 52,000 state workers, retirees and their families. The state said it would save $25 million dollars by going with United, though Blue Cross disputed that number.

Blue Cross held the previous three-year contract, which expired at the end of the year, and sued after of UnitedHealthcare of New England won the new contract. Blue Cross spokesman Scott Fraser said the company was disappointed, but was moving on.

Mullane said he would like to have some idea in the comin