Jasper mayor Billy SimpsonJASPER, Tenn. - City administrators are considering whether to offer state-sponsored long-term care insurance to their employees.
The Jasper Board of Mayor and Alderman will have to approve the optional insurance, but at a meeting last week board members said they would like more detailed information before voting.
"[The insurance] is sent out by the state," Mayor Billy Simpson said. "We can choose whether or not to offer it to our employees, but it's pretty high in cost. It's up to the individual."
He said the city "is not really involved" other than the payroll deduction it would require.
The insurance would activate when a person is unable to care for himself without the assistance of others, officials said, but the insurance would last a maximum of five years.
"It's voluntary, and I understand that," Alderman Leon Rash said. "I don't mind voting to offer it, but I think we ought to be voting on something that is long term. Five years is not long term."
Officials said the average stay in a nursing home is less than three years.
"It's the same plan that the state of Tennessee gives its employees," City Attorney Mark Raines said.
If a person already is an employee of the city, Raines said, they would not be required to have a pre-qualifying physical examination.
"Any new employees would not have to pre-qualify as long as they sign up for [the coverage] within the first 90 days of employment," he said.
City officials did not have much information on rates and types of coverage, though.
"If the employee wants [the insurance], then I think they ought to have the opportunity to get it," Alderman Chip Wampler said. "But I would like to know a little more about it first."
Alderman Steve Looney agreed and said he thinks the board needs more information "before we vote to send it out to the employees."
The board decided to table the issue until the next meeting Oct. 10.
"We'll get some more information and kind of gauge what the feelings of some of our employees are about this kind of insurance," Simpson said.
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.