A longtime Stockbridge city councilman has pulled out of the Nov. 8 city election, citing problems with the city's new health insurance plan that he says is causing him financial hardship.
Fred Evans, a self-employed electrician, said Friday that the council's vote earlier this year to switch its insurance plan from Blue Cross/Blue Shield to Coventry is costing him so much money he said "I'll be honest I can't pay county taxes." Evans faces mounting medical bills tied to his wife's chronic and debilitating illness.
He said he didn't want to be sworn into office again facing the possibility of not paying his taxes.
Evans, a member of the City Council for 12 years, said in the lpast few years alone that Blue Cross has covered about $70,000 to $80,000 of his wife's medical costs. The new insurer will not cover nearly what Blue Cross had, he said. Evans had voted against the change.
Evans said Friday that he has contacted several insurers who are sending him estimates of coverage. Regardless of which insurer he ends up with, Evans said "it's going to be expensive."
Mayor Lee Stuart said switching insurers is expected to save the city about $200,000 a year.
"When you look at what insurance [you buy] they [insurers] look at the high-risk people," Stuart said. "He needs to look at the whole picture. ... If he's dropped out because of the insurance, who am I to question his reasoning?"
Evans questioned the saving to the city. "They can't show me in black and white [it's saving the city money]," he said.
Providing health care coverage to elected officials is not as common as it once was, said Amy Henderson of the Georgia Municipal Association, which provides coverage to cities. "There's not many cities that offer insurance coverage for elected officials. Like any other business, insurance costs are a big cost for municipalities. They've been looking at having employees pay higher deductibles and they're changing plans," she said. "This is taxpayer money, after all."
In the meantime, Evans said his decision to quit the race did not come easily.
"I'm going to miss it."
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