PPOA Executive Director
wquint@ppoa.com
On September 13, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted the new Choices medical and dental premiums and life insurance rates for next year, beginning January 1, 2023. By now, all active employees should have received the open enrollment book in the mail for the Choices health benefit plans. You have the entire month of October to make any changes to your current insurance coverages. If you choose not to make insurance changes during open enrollment, your current insurance coverages will roll over into 2023. So, if you don’t want to change anything, no action is needed. But if you do want to make changes, you must do so by October 31. If you have not received your Choices packet, log on to mylacountybenefits.com and go to “Additional Resources” to download the materials. If you are ready to enroll, make changes or review your coverage choices, you can do it all from your computer, tablet or smartphone. Just log on to mylacountybenefits.com and take control from there. If you have unanswered questions or need additional assistance, the Benefits Hotline number is (213) 388-9982 and the hours during the month of October are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
In the summer of 2019, PPOA joined the Coalition of County Unions (CCU), and is the second-largest union in the 14-member organization. The CCU operates as a committee of the Department of Public Employee Unions, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. The CCU negotiates a common fringe benefits contract that binds the County of Los Angeles to provide medical and dental insurance, pension, Horizons deferred compensation plan, paid leaves and other benefits to County employees whose unions are affiliated with the CCU. Each of the 14 unions has a maximum of three representatives at the CCU Fringe Benefits bargaining table.
In early 2022, the CCU began bargaining as the previously agreed upon nine-month contract was to expire on March 31, 2022. After months of negotiations, PPOA and the other 13 unions of the CCU reached an agreement with the County of Los Angeles on a three-year Successor Fringe Contract.
The term of the contract is July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025. The agreement includes increases to the County’s contribution to the Choices Plan for plan years 2023 (4%), 2024 (2.5%) and 2025 (2%). In January 2023, monthly health insurance contributions from the County will increase to $1,099 for an employee only, $2,005 for an employee plus one dependent and $2,369 for an employee plus two or more dependents. The total value of increase over the plan year 2022 is $25.8 million.
All proposed 2023 Choices County-Sponsored and Union-Sponsored Medical and Dental Insurance plans slightly increased in cost from the current 2022 rates. The 4% negotiated County contribution increase that was negotiated for plan year 2023 should greatly offset or cover the medical and dental increases. PPOA members will have this additional 4% County contribution available during the October 2022 open enrollment for their plan year 2023, which will become effective January 1, 2023. Included in this article are two charts that provide specific information on all Choices medical and dental plans, including current 2022 rates, new 2023 rates and the percentage increases. PPOA is proud and grateful to be a CCU partner and is appreciative of the collaborative effort that occurred throughout this challenging process to secure a fair and equitable contract. PPOA is also thankful to the Board of Supervisors for their support of this 2022–2025 successor Fringe Benefits Memorandum Of Understanding. Here’s to CCU solidarity.
