By JIM BARON

PROVIDENCE — Employees of the General Assembly will pay a larger portion of their health care costs starting next month, bringing their benefits package in line with other unclassified state workers and members of the largest state worker union.

he Joint Committee on Legislative Services, the group comprised of the top Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate that oversees the business of running the legislature, voted unanimously to increase the health insurance co-shares paid by employees according to their salaries.
For instance, workers on the individual plan who make less than $75,000 a year now pay 12 percent of the cost of their health insurance — $750 a year out of the $5,824 cost. Those earning more than that pay 15 percent, or $937.
Under the new plan, those making $45,000 or less will continue to pay 12 percent ($750), while those earning $45,000 to $75,000 will pay 15 percent ($937).
Workers earning $75,000 to $90,000 will pay 18 percent ($1,125) and those paid $90,000 or more will pay 25 percent ($1,562).
For family coverage, the numbers are even larger. Currently, workers earning less than $35,000 pay 8 percent of the $16,327 family coverage, or $1,396. Those earning between $35,000 and $75,000 pay 12 percent, or $2,094, and those making more than $75,000 pay 15 percent, or $2,618.
Under the new plan,  workers at the $25,000 level will continue paying 8 percent. Between $25,000 and $35,000 they will pay 11.5 percent or $2007; up to $45,000 will pay 12 percent ($2,094); from $45,000 to $75,000 will pay 15 percent or $2,618; from $75,000 to $90,000 will pay 18 percent or $3,142; and those paid $90,000 or more will pay 25 percent, or $4,364.
In 2010 the number of categories are reduced and the percentages are slightly larger.
The committee also approved changes to the health plan, including higher co-pays for services like emergency room and urgent care visits, treatment by specialists and prescription drugs.
Starting in 2011, the amount of money workers get paid for foregoing health insurance will decrease by half, from $2,002 to $1,001. And employees will take one unpaid furlough day in the current budget year (other state workers will take that day in June, but because that is traditionally the legislature’s busy month),
General Assembly workers will be asked to take that day in an earlier month. They will be eligible to get a deferred payment for that day in 2010 or 2011.
The panel, made up of House Speaker William Murphy, Majority Leader Gordon Fox and Minority Leader Robert Watson; Senate President Joseph Montalbano and Minority Leader Dennis Algiere, tabled a motion that would have given employees a 2.5 percent across the board raise next July, 3 percent in July 2010 and 3 percent in July 2011.
It was the two Republicans on the committee, Watson and Algiere, who favored delaying the raises.
“Let’s face it, there are going to be people out there who are going to be losing their jobs in the next weeks and months,” Watson told his colleagues. “Those who survive and keep their jobs will be lucky if they see any increase in year-to-year income. In fact, some people might have to suffer with less and less.
“We assume that expenses go up at 3 percent, 4 percent and 5 percent a year,” he added, “and we continue to raise salaries to chase inflation up the staircase. Shouldn’t we assume that maybe now is the time to say a wage and salary freeze is in order until such time as we get our hands around what is absolutely an out-of-control budget crisis?”
Watson noted that the proposal was patterned on a plan accepted by Council 94 AFSCME in early October. Since that time, he said, the national economy has crumbled, so the committee should take advantage of the hindsight negotiators didn’t have two months ago.”
“We have no idea what the economy is going to look like tomorrow,” Algiere agreed, “never mind in 2009 or 2010.”
Fox went along as well, saying, “revenues are very fluid. This is not the time to exacerbate expenditure cuts that may need to be made.
Watson also wanted to defer the vote on the furlough day, saying, “We may want to lay people off and if we lay people off and are more strategic in trying to streamline government, we may find out we need every employee every day of the week.”
But the committee declined to table the furlough day and it passed on a 4-1 vote with Watson opposed. Watson also cast a vote against reducing the amount workers are paid to waive health insurance, saying the payment should be eliminated altogether.